Model Preview - How to Render it Attractively?

HonestWork

Other then attaching each side, I've completed a 3d model (5600 polys) using one of Spinefinger's concept drawings as reference.

Here is my model:


But now I have questions on how to properly render it out to make it, for a lack of a better word "cool", as you commonly see renders on this very board.

Can anyone direct me to any pre-lighted scenes using Mental Ray renderer or the free Brazil renderer? Or can someone send me a lighted scene they have created in Max that I can use as a template?

What I am preferring is to be able to drop my model in a lighted scene, tweak the settings some and then render an attractive shot of my model.

Lastly, any tutorials on how to make an attractively lighted scene using the above mentioned renderers would be helpful also.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

moose

ive done a bit more of rendering in max recently, and have been having more fun with it. Although i havent been using mray or any other fancy shit, just omni/spots and max's renderer.

id set up 2 or so omni fills, and a super hot spot light to pop edges with a rim. Then id move around the model with point lights and the light lister (to keep color consistency and controlling fall off)so to pop areas, and sink areas where needed.

it may not be the most effective method, but it seems to work ok.

rooster

the quickest and easiest way to get global illumination is probably to go to rendering> advanced lighting> light tracer, then stick a skylight somewhere in the scene.

Cool model, I think you got the likeness pretty well there man

hikagesan

another way to get a start for some good lighting (outdoor) is to make an omni. then make 9 instances of the omni and position them in an horizontal ring, like a halo. hang it in the "sky" above your model and then use target spots to tweak the look your going for adjusting the intenisty and colors along the way. as moose said, use the light lister, it'll make your life a great deal easier.

HonestWork

Thanks for the direction gents. Will try these ideas out.

One question rooster:
Under advanced lighting, light tracer is grayed out with all other options except exposure control. Is there something you have to do or create before this option is available?

rooster

Do you have scanline renderer active? If mental ray is set as assigned renderer light tracer will be greyed out.

If you already have scanline set as renderer, I'm not sure whats wrong

HonestWork

Rooster: That did it - thanks for the reply. I will try playing around with the settings sometime.

Here is what the end results looks like with some spotlight and a lattice modifer applied for the wireframe. I'm now onto the mapping and texturing. Thanks again for the help.

thinsoldier

[ QUOTE ]
the quickest and easiest way to get global illumination is probably to go to rendering> advanced lighting> light tracer, then stick a skylight somewhere in the scene.


[/ QUOTE ]


Yup, the majority of 'quick + cool' renders I see all over this board and others are done like that.
The global illumination give ya the nice soft shadows.