Mental Ray/GI Joe rendering

# 1 03-04-2003 , 09:36 AM

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I've noticed that many people get a really nice fuzzy/matt finish on their models, and they seem to be using either GI Joe of Mental Ray. I have mental ray, but still cant get that lifelike matt look.

How exactly do I achieve this look?

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# 2 03-04-2003 , 09:57 AM

Kevin

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I am hoping that one of the guys such as brian or brian LOL - can do a little walkthrough on this as it would help a lot. I get a lot of mails asking this question...

Most seem to be able to set it up and get the GI dome and then are not quite sure on futher render settings, like where they go next ...

If I have time Ill try to do one but I would much prefer someone who uses it all the time user added image

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# 3 03-04-2003 , 10:58 AM

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Thats who I was mainly referring to, the models look so lifelike, or like real sculptures, its incredible.

I just ant get that quality on my renders!!

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# 4 03-04-2003 , 05:36 PM

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not exactly sure what you want, but this is the way i light:

main light (spotlight):
cone angle: 60
penumbra angle: 20
dropoff: 5

use depth map shadows (important for that fuzzy look)
dmap res: 512 or higher
filter size: 4

try that user added image

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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# 5 03-04-2003 , 05:58 PM

Kevin

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I think it might be usefull to do like a

1. open your model
2. press your GI button
3. apply the following settings.
4. bla bla
5. bla bla

so it takes you through nem... right to the end

get me?

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# 6 03-04-2003 , 07:33 PM

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This should get you started. It's my old thread with loads of tips from Brian.

https://forums.simplymaya.com/showthr...&threadid=3533

"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."

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# 7 03-04-2003 , 08:20 PM

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here ya go user added image

i was going to do this earlier but i was busy with my biology, but 5 easy steps to soft shadows without the use of GI Joe or mental ray, just maya user added image

1. model a simple scene, i have a plane, sphere and a cube and position them like below

2. create a spotlight, and with it still selected, in any viewport click on panels>look through selected and position the spotlight so its like the image below (this just allows you to see shadows easier, you can put the light anywhere you want)

3. with the light still selected, hit CTRL+A which will bring up the attribute editor and use the following settings for the light:

cone angle = 40 (this is how far the light will reach, the size of the light cone if you will user added image

)

prenumbra angle = 20 (this is the distance from the edge of solid light to the point where theres no light at all, how far it fades basically)

dropoff = 5 (this is the intensity at which it fades the light edges

check the box that says use depth map shadows

dmap resolution = 400 (this is what i would define as blurriness, the lower the number the blurrier the shadow)
dmap filter size = 4 (i think this is the quality of the shadow blur, if you turn it down it looks crap)

3a. If you look through the spotlight again you'll see that it has changed, this is because you've changed its attributes user added image

(you can also do it with the show manipulator tool)

4. Now open up the render globals (which is two buttons to the right of the render button in the status line) and make sure anti-aliasing quality is set to production

5. now you hit the render button and voila user added image

soft shadows user added image

i know you've been asking about GI Joe, but you can get soft shadows without GI Joe, if you want soft shadows on a character (like shadows on a characters neck caused by its head or something), this method also works, just model something complex and you'll get what you get with GI Joe (well, almost, GI Joe is global illumination, theres a difference)

I use this method mainly for ground shadows, but for self shadows (like on a character) i would use GI Joe, which is amazing cos you can use both methods (dmap shadows and GI Joe) together and itll look amazing, trust me user added image

i can do another short tut on GI Joe if you want, but you'd have to provide the model cos i cant model user added image

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

Last edited by Nem; 03-04-2003 at 10:54 PM.

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# 8 03-04-2003 , 08:22 PM

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heres one with a white background, now you can see the dropoff of the light on the plane, see how it fades into black?

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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# 9 03-04-2003 , 08:31 PM

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two more

the building shows how it can implemented with GI Joe (not too well, but you can see the shadows and that)

the bear shows character self shadowing without GI Joe

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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# 10 05-04-2003 , 07:28 PM

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Hey thanks, that was very helpful, I am actually getting some nice looking scenes now.

But another problem I am having is that I cant get GI Joe installed properly. Does anyone have a link to the download and a good tutorial?

Thanks

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# 11 05-04-2003 , 08:13 PM

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https://www.3dluvr.com/pixho/

this is the site of the creator of gi joe, you can download it from there and theres a tut on there on how to download it

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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# 12 05-04-2003 , 09:09 PM

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Thanks again, check out my first render using your technique! user added image

My first ever proper Maya render! Yay.

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# 13 05-04-2003 , 09:17 PM

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hey that looks prettty cool user added image

if you use the technique above with GI Joe, i reckon thatd look pretty amazing

or if ur lighting stuff that doesnt require GI, you could try three point lighting

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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# 14 05-04-2003 , 09:31 PM

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I'm really new with all this, I cant even get GI Joe to work.. lol. Its not easy to load like mental ray.

Three point lighting?

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# 15 05-04-2003 , 09:40 PM

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oh ok, sorry
im not that big on the installation of GI Joe, i had a few problems with it when i installed it, try the link NitroLiq posted earlier

three point lighting:
basially, this is a very simple but important lighting technique, i cant remember the xact names, but you have a main light which casts shadows (using the technique above) then you have a back light which would light the scene from the back (low intensity) and a fill light coming in from the side (low intensity again) it just fills the scene up with light like its natural lighting (but of course GI Joe does this anyway but sometimes you can achieve the same effect using 3point)
if you give fill light a slight pale orange colour, and the back light a violet colour it wud look pretty good, like the sun and mmm user added image

its hard to explain, try doing a search for it on the web, im sure you'll find something

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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