stochastic grain - its a feature

[Ernest Burden III]

I was experimenting with settings in C4D and got this:

 

I really like the feel of this. It has the grainy look I often add in Photoshop, only this is straight from the renderer. The midtones would need to be brighter, but overall I think its a wonderful use of the 'shortcoming' of stochastic--the grain seen in low-quality settings.

[Ace_Face]

I really like the feel of this. It has the grainy look I often add in Photoshop, only this is straight from the renderer. The midtones would need to be brighter, but overall I think its a wonderful use of the 'shortcoming' of stochastic--the grain seen in low-quality settings.

 

That's a nice look! The center portion could use a bit more clarity to see the detail.

 

Have you tried the Ambient Occlusion Plugin by Stefan Werner? The effects can be better than Dirty Nuts. You could also set your samples to a higher resolution and maybe achieve exactly what you're looking for. The plugin is free.

[Ernest Burden III]

Have you tried the Ambient Occlusion Plugin by Stefan Werner? The effects can be better than Dirty Nuts.

 

No. I'll try it out sometime in the next few weeks. Remember, I'm still just playing with the beast.

 

Monday I'm starting a project that I hope to use C4D to render my finals with instead of what I use now, it would be the first. I am still struggling with the layers/blocks issue, but now that I have a better idea of how to prepare data for C4D--basicly the same as what people must do for Max--I am on the right path.

 

On that subject--I talked to Maxon about it. I suggested that there were many people in the architectural end of CG that have been raised on layers and blocks as the paradigm, and that if C4D could have an import from DXF or DWG that helped a user translate that data structure into the way C4D organizes things it would really be useful. And drive sales to that segment. I hope they listen.

[Ace_Face]

No. I'll try it out sometime in the next few weeks. Remember, I'm still just playing with the beast.

 

I understand. It took me the better part of a year to get completely familiar with all the features of the Studio Bundle. Still a couple of modules to really get into.

 

There are some good tips and techniques posted on the Maxon Spotlights page.

 

I suggested that there were many people in the architectural end of CG that have been raised on layers and blocks as the paradigm, and that if C4D could have an import from DXF or DWG that helped a user translate that data structure into the way C4D organizes things it would really be useful.

 

I'm glad you suggested the layers issue. My thought is they might develop this for R9 since they took that same approach with Bodypaint in the latest version (rather photoshop like).

[STRAT]

i dont use stoch mode rendering much, purely because of the speed. i find 100% accuracy normal gi mode just as pleasing only being much faster.

 

but the good thing about stoch mode 'noise' over photoshop noise is that it's addaptive.

 

as you probably know, the best way of learning is jumping in and tackling it head on with ur new software.

 

i hardly model in c4d. i just use if as a renderer. and i import my autocad models into is as .3DS files exactly the same methodology as if i were importing into viz/max. as i earlier said, i dont use solids or referenced blocks in acad anymore, BECAUSE i cant get full control out of them during the export process. but it isnt a hasstle.

 

i've taylored my working practice this way over many years until i dont even know im doing it.

 

it took me a good year to get completely comfortable in c4d, but oh boy, am i glad i did. and of course, im still learning now. just stick it out EBII, i garantee you wont regret it. this is my first job 'in anger' modelled in acad and rendered in c4d. it looks fine, but i know if i re-did it now the quallity and render speeds would be way way in excess of this image -

 

[Ernest Burden III]

i dont use stoch mode rendering much, purely because of the speed. i find 100% accuracy normal gi mode just as pleasing only being much faster. but the good thing about stoch mode 'noise' over photoshop noise is that it's addaptive.

 

That is a FINE rendering. I really like it.

 

Perhaps the regular GI is the same way, but the best thing about stochastic is that it is free of the 'light leak' problems that Lightscape is prone to. Sure, I model so as to avoid them, but you still will see poly-gradient artifacts. Fortunately, with NPR work, those often look good, like you were just being 'artistic', but they're still errors.

 

I have to re-work my brain to adjust to the Max/C4D data structure. I use a LOT of blocks, nested blocks, because Lightscape works with them do well. Fixing poly-normals on one fixes them on all, color changes, swapping low-res versions of furniture for final geometry IN PLACE. How am I to live without those?

 

So hopefully I will do this new project with C4D and be on the way to better living. One reason I want to use it is it involved one air shot, one parkinglot shot and one glass-walled lobby shot. Lightscape has trouble with the light differences of sun and interior. C4D will allow a better balance. Not 'physically accurate' but I don't really care. It has to look good.

[Ace_Face]

i hardly model in c4d. i just use if as a renderer. and i import my autocad models into is as .3DS files exactly the same methodology as if i were importing into viz/max.

 

I do almost all my Building modeling in Archicad... and a great deal of the site curbs walks etc. However, I started making changes to the site features directly in C4D, and found myself preferring to model more and more in C4D. I certainly prefer to make all my furniture and objects in C4D. The modeling tools are superb, IMHO.

[Frosty]

I have to re-work my brain to adjust to the Max/C4D data structure. I use a LOT of blocks, nested blocks, because Lightscape works with them do well. Fixing poly-normals on one fixes them on all, color changes, swapping low-res versions of furniture for final geometry IN PLACE. How am I to live without those?

 

 

Its all about "instances" Ernest. They are the same as my understanding of blocks. You create a single chair and map it. Then drag instances throughout your design. The instances are proxy objects which update when the original is altered.

[Ernest Burden III]

Its all about "instances" Ernest....You create a single chair and map it. Then drag instances throughout your design. The instances are proxy objects which update when the original is altered.

 

Thanks, I get that part. The adjustment issue is that right now I am doing my 'instances' in CAD where I can place them precisely, line 'em up over the clients plans, etc.

 

I hope that in a future version, C4D would be able to read those instances from a DXF or DWG file and create C4D instances from it. Now, it only puts in one, and it loses all transforms. So I would either have to explode them first, or send in only one copy of each and do the instances in C4D. Either one requires working a different way.