Long time no see.
Here’s one I’ve been working on for over three months, very much on-and-off depending on the day job. I call it finished though it could use more details in places (and has some superfluous details that are hardly visible).
This is my rendition of the 1972 Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo by the late architect Kisho Kurokawa. This is a full-CG environment and an attempt to model and render a detail-heavy urban scene. As usual, the modeling was done in 3ds Max and the rendering in V-Ray.
This is another example of a scene I couldn’t have done without IToosoft’s RailClone and Forest Pack. In order to keep the scene as light and reactive as possible, I used RailClone to model the highway on the left, the fencing on the right, to position the trees and to build some of the most complex buildings (though not the capsule tower).
For lighting, despite the uniform look, I used quite a few different HDR skies from various vendors, including this one, this one and this one by Peter Guthrie. The last exterior render (with the bright sunny look), uses a nice free HDR sky by Vizpark.
The trees were modeled with Exlevel’s GrowFX (three different versions) and left as GrowFX objects in the scene, which turns out to be a very lightweight way to work–as opposed to converting the trees into poly objects and then into V-Ray proxies, as I would normally do. One advantage is that you retain access to all GrowFX variables.
I’m considering trying to render a video of this scene, though I’m going to have to tweak the render settings considerably for speed.
Here’s a link to a series of test renders done throughout the project, and more views below (click on the images for full-res renders on Flickr).
Hi Bertrand. I ask you a curiosity, how models and texturing the sidewalk and the edges of the sidewalk?
@Christopher: Thanks much. 1. Yes, 2. Nope, all the models are unwrapped and hand-textured. 3. Yes. 4. Yes, it’s a tiled carpet material with displacement.
Obviously these images are fantastic, especially the final image:
There are two light sources: HDRi (cool) and a spherical light (warm)?
The materials look to have a vertical gradient ramp to control grunge for floor objects?
There is a moderate fish-eye lens effect with small amount of chromatic aberration?
The carpet material is texture only?
Hi Bertrand. Today I was watching these beautiful renders you did. Actually I usually come to your website when need some inspiration : D. I was watching carefully the test renders and realized that in some images the sky looks overexposed while in others doesn`t (you can even see clouds and pretty define sun rays like in image 3) I was wondering if you used reinhard at some point while doing these test renders or maybe you used the burn value slider in the vray frame buffer. I’d also like to know y you use mid grey (128-128-128) for lighting tests. And finally, any special reason for those black and white test renders?
mitviz: BF+LC
HuXY: Just insane DomeLight subdivs. For an interior it can be 200 or more. If that slows down your render too much and you’re still getting noise, try to add some interior lighting (that’s what I ended up having to do in the interiors here).
Lionofjudah: Neither of these. The fanciest thing here is using several UV layers. But no multi-tile and no mipmap.
JoeyR: Have been crazy busy (with non-CG stuff), but still planning to upload a little explainer on how I shaded the road here.
SeBass: Always linear.
SeBass: I normally work in cm. But for bigger scenes, I sometimes change to meters.
Hi bertrand one more question. wich “system units” do you usually work with in your projects? wich one did you use for this?
BIG….BIGGER….BIGGEST!!!
Hi. Did you use linear or reinhard?
You Are The God Of Detail . . . .
Hey Man!
Absolutelly stunning work! You are probably busy, but is there any chance that you could share some of your material settings? I really miss your materialism series. Thank You.
Hi,
Awesome renders.
I’m curious if you ever work with multi tile UVs. Also interested to know if you mipmap (using maketx for example) your high resolution textures and if so do you see any major speed increase.
Cheers
amazing work! could u pls share me some tips on how to reduce the noise when using HDR(DOME LIGHT) to light up space which has small opening window (e.g. your scene here). do u use v-ray light as skylight portal in front of the windows? and how do u set up the subdivs firgure of skylight portal and the dome light (with the HDRI MAPS)? many thanks!
amazing work! for the interior shots. could you pls share me some tips how to reduce noise when using HDR(Dome light) to light up interior space which has a small opening window such as your scene here . are you using vraylight as skylight portal puting in front of the window? and how do you set up the subdivs of skylight portal and Dome light(with HDRI maps)? many thanks.
is this brute force and light cache or im and lc?
Good idea. The road was quite a struggle. I might make a separate post on it. But for now, the short answer is the material has many different textures on top of each other, using many different UV coordinates.
Could you share some tips about making the roadmarkings？
amazing work, they day you decide to do some training videos is the day i will start paying for training videos, simply amazing work from a master
Absolutely incredible… I have one question, albeit a simple one: did you map a texture for the road markings or are the arrows and such modeled geometry?
Wedel: thanks a lot. I have quite a few variations in the textures of the capsules, but perhaps not enough for the close-ups. Yes, the cars are animated and rendered using the motion blur option in the V-Ray camera.
Orenvfx: the sunny image uses only the HDR. No V-Ray Sun. I lower the HDR’s gamma a tiny bit in order to obtain crisp shadows.
Amazing work! Your level of realism never seize to amaze me. Only critique is the reusing of the map under the windows in the closeup: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bbb3viz/19606843403.
Are the motion blurred cars with lights also rendered out or are they postpro?
Just incredible Bertrand, well done.
Amazing job Bertrand. I think your work it´s going better and better in every project. I really will love to know more about the project, i know it´s maybe to much to ask, but can we see some RAW/Post images?.
the “a series of test renders” clarify at the best what is your workflow. this new wolf theme site is nice, just maybe I would love to see a gallery more then flicker.
wow you so talent
can you leave for us some tips how to get this look of the sunny day.. the hdri need some color correction? this is dome light with vray sun? i can see the realizem is boost up in the post procces.. any tips please? we love you work man
Thanks Inulo. For the interior shots, I used the exterior HDR (Dome Light) and a V-Ray sphere light for the ceiling lamp.
Great work Bertrand! What is the lightening that you used in the room shot with the Tv ?