The making of 'Old Pilar – Reloaded'

Caue Rodrigues' details the process behind his Old Pilar – Reloaded image, which was the scenes category award winner for June...

Introduction

Hello, my name is Caue Rodrigues and I would like to share how I produced this scene.

I'm not good at searching for a lot of references all in one go – this ends up confusing me – so I just choose a single image, something that I really see the potential in, and I think about it for a few days before getting started.

To start this project, I found a clean arch-viz image and began thinking about it until I was ready to start modeling.

Modeling

I used SketchUp for initial modeling. The Match Photo resource was very important for this.

I then started to model the base in SketchUp because I liked its simplicity. After that, I imported the project into 3ds Max and began the shading and detail process.

Modeling the base in SketchUp

Modeling the base in SketchUp

ZBrush

As the name suggests, this project has an old pillar in it. So, I used ZBrush to create imperfections in the 3D model.

Using ZBrush to create imperfections in the pillar

Using ZBrush to create imperfections in the pillar

Moving into 3ds Max

I then moved into 3ds Max, used LWF and set the unit system in inches/centimeters as follows.

I then added some elements to fill the scene. The majority of my model is ready because my focus has always been shaders, lighting and rendering. My biggest concern is to show some features of the environment: cold, heat, warmth, loneliness, and so on.

Applying the following settings in 3ds Max

Applying the following settings in 3ds Max

Composition

To get a good angle, I used some photography techniques and Gestalt. To help me I used a script called imageCompHelper which is pretty good.

Working on the composition using a script

Working on the composition using a script

Corona sun and sky

In Corona Renderer, I used the default values to set the light source.

Using Corona Sun and Corona Sky

Using Corona Sun and Corona Sky

After some adjustments, the light test looked like this

After some adjustments, the light test looked like this

Summary so far…

So far, the project looks like this:

Showing a bit of the Forest Pack

Showing a bit of the Forest Pack

The top view of the scene

The top view of the scene

The wire cam view

The wire cam view

Old Pilar corner

Old Pilar corner

Materials

I hardly ever use complex materials, and this project was no different. I used basic materials for most parts of the project. My materials were as follows:

Pillar

Pillar

Wall

Wall

Floor

Floor

Table

Table

Door frame

Door frame

Glass

Glass

Render settings

Corona Renderer is pretty simple and the default settings work fine. I only decreased the GI/AA to 4, because I used DOF and in this way it's easier to clean the noise generated by the effect.

I adjusted the exposure parameters in real time. It helped me get a nice result. My render settings were as follows:

click to enlarge to see settings

Post-production

My post production stack was very simple; I just added some color correction and curves, basically because my Photoshop skills are very limited.

Thanks, and special thanks to Rodrigo Albano, Michel Amorim, Mariane Conceição and my family.

My post-production screen

My post-production screen

The final render

The final render

Related links

Check out Caue Rodrigues' website for more
Old Pilar was originally in our gallery in June
Visit ScriptSpot to find helpful scripts for you
You may find our 3ds Max eBooks helpful

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