How to render simple objects so it looks amazing

Dastan

Where can I find good tips on rendering for showcase? You model and texture an object and you want it to look its best for the portifolio or to deliver to a client, so, where to start?

I ask because I see people that can make a simple sphere look amazing when rendered.. the guy create a sphere and make a metal or aluminum material and render it in a white or neutral background and it looks incredible..

where do you learn that?

n88tr

there is a material_render img floating around somewhere for max. for maya it's a little different. which prog are you using?

keizza

are you rendering for "render work"? or for "in-game" examples? for ingame stuff i'd go with marmoset. you can find that here. for render-style stuff.....not too sure man.

xk0be

What you want to do is set up a studio like something say in http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-3ds-max/studio-rendering-with-3ds-max-and-vray/ or http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/luxology-modo/easy-studio-rendering-in-luxology-modo-401/

and go from there. Let it be known that it is SOOOOOOO much harder to get something amazing by just following a tutorial for rendering, you need to tweak everything yourself a thousand times. Once you get an understanding of what the tuts say you can try imitating a real world one (google for pics) and try and copy that. But yeah, it's a really great result but it's really hard to do, but the tuts up there should get you started on creating a studio.

Ben Apuna

I also recommend Marmoset Toolbag if you're making a game art portfolio. It's very easy to get things to look good with Marmoset since it's a real time render and feedback is instant. There's no need to tweak something then wait for a render then tweak again and again...

Dastan

interesting.. but I am using maya, maybe I should try to install boot camp to get max. and, I was wondering if XSI, Max, and others have very different rendering and modeling advantages.. up till now I didn' t have any contact with them

PhattyEwok

I recommend reading the documentation on Mental Ray in the maya help file to get a full understanding of what each part of the renderer does and then weigh the Visual Quality you get from options "XYZ" with your alloted render time.

Here's the maya help file online

http://download.autodesk.com/us/maya/2011help/index.html

UNCCheezy

This is for blender, but the concept is the same...a good start.

http://vimeo.com/7171194

Mark Dygert

3 point lighting + a little specular goes a long way.

http://www.artemstudios.com/08Portfolio/Tutorial/MaterialRenderingTut.htm
http://eat3d.com/free/rendering_presentation