Homeless/Subway Scene?
Been working on this for a week or so...adding a new part every other day. I think it is getting to a point where I need to really start thinking about what I put in this. So far I have just been putting this here that there, no idea what I am going to put into the scene until I start to model it. I was thinking of trying some AC vents. The squared kind, maybe some hanging lights? oh and bottles of alcohol are a must, but I do not know how to do glass, with a label? ok enough here is the render. I used mental ray, two ?area?(the rectangle shaped)lights above scene at like 35 intensity, the noise along the top rendered like that?
Replies
I think this is where your problem lies. Obviously by looking at your scene I can tell you know how to model, I think that you just need to search for references of subway stations, see what really happens down there.
I also think you should try to search for references of how a subway station is lit as well, it could really help you to further improve this scene.
References, references, references.
Most doors are usually either 30" or 32" wide and the heights are usually 80". (in the US)
I will thin up that door and post up...Thanks to you sir.
I will probably use the cone lights, like in the wire frame. I did not use those to render the above scene. I was trying out different lights. Thank you also.
French? Irish? Which kind of accent?
What I mean is, What do you mean?
The lighting would not be in my job description though would it? So would dramatic lighting effects matter all that much? When I am applying, I am sending in knowing how to model, texture, and do it with in the guidelines set. Or is it just to make your work look better? :P
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/Subways%20homepage/subways.html
Subway resources.
I think youve got to show your work at its best so if that means doing some work lighting it then its worth it. I mean most of the time all theyve got to judge your skills by is images, so take whatever crits you can get and make it look good.
Also you don't seem to have any spec/normal maps, the lighting should react differently when it hits the grime on those pillars and tiles but currently its far too uniform.
I have tried to get things into a couple of engines before. I tried Oblivion, and another. I went to my moms house the other day and she had Doom 3! I jacked it, for the purpose of being able to get the SDK, although I have not. How hard is it to get things into the Doom 3 SDK?
Also, all of the pieces have normal maps, no spec maps though. I have texture, normal, and diffuse. How would I go about creating a specular map?
http://www.modwiki.net/wiki/Start_a_Specular_map_with_a_Normal_map
???
Another question I would want to ask every one, is how long have most people been using their modeling program of choice? I think I am still relatively green around here. I started using Maya in January. Nine months...How would you rate me at nine months? Should I be better? am I on track? worse? Just curious.
Thanks for all the comments!!
I duplicated the walls, and floor to make the scene a little bigger. Also quickly modeled some lights to see what kind of effect it would bring. I feel like I need to double the amount of those types of lights to get the place lit correctly. I may try the area lights instead? Also I fixed the squatty door I think, You can see it in the wire, but nothing else.
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UnrealED and Sandbox2 are pretty common and fairly easy to use plus they have ton of online support.
Clicky, btw ditch those area lights/shadows and just stick some simple colored omnis in and take a viewport screenshot. Those renders are still far too dark to even make out what's going on.
Yes or no?
One thing that jumps out at me are all the hard edges like the door frame. they are all 90 degree angles, chamfer up some of those to soften them or do it in your spec.
Otherwise the population is going well, add some trashcans, some pipes coming out of the wall and running along the ceiling or going down a wall, ect ect.
Keep it up.
1) Bounce light, you have sharp shadows and pitch black areas. You need ambient light.
2) I'm no sure what kind of subway tiles those are but the ones I've seen are shinny with a high spec. You have a noisy bump on them and hardly any spec. If the spec was higher it would also bounce more ambient light around. Right now the wall tiles, look like the sponge board in office hanging ceilings. In order for dirt and noise to make sense, you need something to contrast again, like a clean untouched patch.
2a) The noise on the pillars is pointing out some stretching.
3) Its time to think about light color and how it effects the mood you're trying to portray. Color theory isn't just for textures!
4) The floor texture should take the corridor direction into account. In the indent its running the same way as the main hall, it should be running width-wise not length-wise. Just a personal style, but I think it helps seperate the areas and break up repeating.
5) With the air ducts put in it feels like the ceiling was lowered. Ceiling cat would be in my lap... this doz not plz ceiling cat.
I think it would help if you started using a measuring stick. Either place a character in your scene, or create a simple cube that's the height of a character. It will also help to render and screen grab from that height.
6) Its never too late to go back and dig up some ref.
1. What should my spec map look like?
2. Can my diffuse and spec maps have color in them? How will it effect the render?
3. What would I attch my specular map to? My diffuse map goes to diffuse, Height map goes to bump mapping(right? lol)?
I first tried to attach the map to the matte opacity section, but did not work lol. I might just get back to modeling and texturing lol.
ADDED: do my benches need to be taller?
Let me reiterate on the comment I made on this thread. Specularity is just the way light hits on an object. Therefore, if you want to have nice specular maps you will need to have a good lighting as well.
If I were you, I would definitely improve the lighting before moving on to polishing your shaders, which usually comes last (or later on in the process.)
As far as specular maps go, you can absolutely add color to them (I almost always do). It will only affect the specular colour, it will not change the render. Something that will really affect a render are lights, diffuse maps, colours, composition... You will also have to place your specular map in the Specular slot (if you're using Max.) I'm surprised you haven't seen it, it's usually right below Diffuse.
On another note, I do think your benches are too low if I compare it to the rest. If I compare it to the door specifically, they would be as high as my ankles. Try to create a box or a biped of 1.8 meters of height and see how it looks.
1. benches are too small. I'd have to stretch my legs out to be able to sit on them.. I bet a lot of people would trip on my legs. also it makes everything else look big.
2. subway scene? what? why is there a random desk by the emergency exit? even crates would make more sense. are you using any reference at all? surely it doesn't have to have the same look/style as an ordinary subway but a least there should be some logic to it.
3. lighting is still pretty off. I understand you want to make it homless/subway but subways are actually very lit. I guess you can make it an old subway or something with crappy lights. even then you aren't really close. uhm.. I'm not sure but I think most lighting in games is done with directional, ambient or point lights. so I'd suggest ditching the spotlights all together or use them after you've done your best with the other options. now I'm not a lighting meister...
4. I'd not think about spec maps and things yet. instead I'd think about adding/removing props to the scene. perhaps even rethinking the scene.
Thought I would take advantage of the billboards and put my face on them hahaha. I left the AL off by accident also, and about the "plays TF2" part...I met a guy from Gearbox, we started talking about TF2, and he said "Oh man you should be able to get in, just tell them that you play TF2." That is why that is there haha