Work In Progress. Need Help

[Guest dialog]

Hey guys, this is a quick low res screen shot setting up composition for a render. Still have yet to do the materials, objects and lighting on the interiors...but I am not happy with the results of the glazing... Not sure what to do to fix the issue. Suggestions would be nice. There will a kitchen modelled, bedroom, couches etc etc. Composition is pretty close to being set. Lighting is just one HDR dome right now. Not sure what to do about the reflections.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Is this in a city? I think partly why your glazing isn't coming out the way you want it is that you aren't really giving it much to reflect and haven't "boosted" some of the reflection in post or in your material. You are also looking straight on to most of the glazing where in reality, it's reflective properties are at it's weakest.

 

Depending on how you plan to tackle the interior may push less focus on the glazing. If you plan to have a lot of lights on and have a glowy inside, you'd not see much reflections in the glazing with the exceptions of a few subtle ones here and there.

[Guest dialog]

Ya its in a downtown... there will be an image replacing the background now...and anything that is behind the image is just open land pretty much (with some low lying buildings).

Yes the interior will want to glow nice. I am wondering if I should do the interior lighting first and re-post with those renders and see how things look.

[Scott Schroeder]

Yeah, I'd go ahead and start getting your inside nailed down. Once you have the true feel, then take another look at how your glass is acting. If there really isn't much in reality for it to reflect, you might want to choose a sky with a bit more punch and color gradient to it to help strengthen some of your reflections.

[Guest dialog]

Here is some reference links the client sent...Im thinking similar lighting. I am a tab worried about not getting to the same quality as these.

 

http://www.onemadisonpenthouse.com/

http://432parkavenue.com/residences.html

http://www.thegreenwichlane.com/design.php

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/06/01/how_to_sell_a_tribeca_penthouse_10_million_discount.php#york-penthouse-6

[Guest dialog]

Ok great. I may add in some towers from evermotion of the night ones just to see how things look.

[Scott Schroeder]

So they want a New York skyline reflection and the actual space the building is in is anything but New York?

 

I think what will help is once you get the spandrel glass in there, that'll be mirror-like enough to help show reflections around the clearer glazing.

[Guest dialog]

Not NY skyline, but that similar look of lighting... there will be some other shots further back and we have some shots of our cities downtown.

I will add some stuff for it to reflect. If I am using maps whats the best way to get nice sharp reflections? I have some Sky maps from http://www.cg-source.com and they come with backplates...not sure if these are the best to use or not?

[Guest dialog]

Which way do you do your spandrel? DO you add a separate piece in behind the glass ?

[RyderSK]

Everyone has their reciepe, but my way of creating reflective hi-rise glass is mixing in "mirror glass" akin foil that's on top of the glass through Blend shader between 2 glass materials. The underlying is regular glass (IOR reflection and refraction) and the top (which can for best result only be assigned through materialID to the outer polygon/facet of the glass mesh) is mirror glass (no IOR for reflection) at low overlay. Simulating the reality.

But rest is just like Scott said, strongly depending on the environment, and inside, it's the contrast between these that creates the islands of reflective and refractive parts on the facade and contributes to the attractive feel.

 

It can be quite nightmare often, lucky I don't publish our Skyscrappers :- )

[Guest dialog]

Ya I am finding this one will be a challenge. I am good with the other 3 exteriors I think as they are Aerial (which we shot a photo of the downtown/site in a helicopter) and the other an overall look....so I can cheat the reflections in this one...close up Is going to be a headache I think.

 

Interiors I want to try and get similar lighting and looks as yours. So that's the goal on those. Long way from setting up inside yet. Still have the first 7 levels to model.

 

Thanks for the tips guys.