Understanding through the parameters seems to me a great bullshit. It’s necessary to deeply understand things, then just apply to the software.

That’s because 90% of this article is devoted to a simple explanation of what the depth of field is and what it depends. The softwares does not invent anything new,  once you understood the fundamental issue so the application will be really simple.

* * *

For each picture there is just one place where the photo is perfectly sharp. There also is a space in front and one behind the subject, in which blurring is so minimal as to be imperceptible.

Outside of this space objects start to appear increasingly blurred.

This space is called Depth of Field and the objects in this space appears perfectly sharp.

WHAT DOES AFFECT THE DEPHT OF FIELD?

There are 3 importants things:

• Focal lenght
• Distance from the subject
• Aperture (f number)

How to increase Blur DOF effect?

1. Using a bigger focal lenght
2. Reducing the distances from the subject
3. Decreasing F Number

If you already fixed your camera/view, the only way you have to give a strong DOF effect is decreasing F Number, but there is a problem: more light will came!

So, how to balance this phenomenon? I want a very strong blur effects with the same brightness.

The secret is to know EV (Exposure Value)

Basically the amount of light entering in a lens is the result of two factors:

1. F number (the aperture)
2. Shutter speed  (expressed in thousandths of seconds)

In this table “f” and “shutter speed” are associated with a number (EV).

Keep EV value constant and you will get the same brightness! C’est facile!

PRATICAL SCENE EXAMPLE

I completed my settings and I have VRay Physical Camera with: f=8 / Shutter speed = 250.
In the table  I can read the EV is  14. (image below)

(Rememebr: Our goal is to keep EV constant!)

Do you want to get a blurred image? (I know you like thaaat!) if I decrease  F number = 4 I have to check in the table the right Shutter speed value in order to preserve EV=14

The right values is Shutter speed = 1000 (Click image below)

( F=4 and Shutter speed = 1000 will keep EV = 14 and the brightness will be constant! )

It’s easy: I told you!

Now just flag depht-of-field (in V-Ray Physical Camera object) and remember that “subdivisions” affects the grain coming from the Dof. High values (30-40) will give a better image but the rendering time will increase drammatically.

Remember that the distance where we  have the perfect focus will be determined by the VRayPhysical Carmera TARGET.

For the application I used V-Ray but the concept is the same for any software simulating a real camera.

Last good news: these concepts are also valid for your REAL Reflex!
Have a good rendering!

>> FREE SCENE: http://www.cg-blog.com/…/dof-final-scene.zip

Greeble is a nice & free plugin and I invite you to visit this amazing Greble gallery!

It is easy to use but it has a strong impact on your scenes increasing considerably
object details with a few clicks.

Greeble instalation: so easy! (-:

1. Download the plug in from official the site
2. open the zip file
3. select the file to use related to your windows version (32bit or 64bit)
4. Copy the file in the 3ds max plugins folder
   ( usualy the path is C:\Programmi\Autodesk\3ds Max 200X\plugins )
5. Done! Now just open 3ds max and…

How to use greeble plugin?

Create – as usual – a teapot:

Keep the teapot selected and clic on Modify tab. Scroll down the modifier list looking for Greeble. Clic on Greeble.

You’ll see the teapot change at once. The changes that we can see are the result of the parameters that Greeble was set by default.

Here the panel to control Greeble effects. Don’t worry, the parameters are really simple to understand.

You can easily change the maximum and minimum height of the new details, the density of the details themselves, the rastremature, the size and type of detail you want to create.

The effect that Greeble has on the teapot you see in the 3rd immagine is also related to the number of segments of the teapot itself (see box red in fig1). 4 segments in this case. Change the teapot segments and see the final results change.

Just increase this number to see grow so impressed the amount of “greeble” on the surface of our object.

But beware! With too much ‘greeble’ the PC could suffer and maybe crashing! Do not worry, tick the last option: Modify for render only to leave the viewport and see the effect only in the final rendering.

> Visit the famous Greeblelicious Gallery and have fun with Greeble!

You need to render a rock surface and you just have a diffuse map. ( Look here for Free Textures! )
How to convert it in a useful displacement map?

Most of times you open the texture in photoshop and work it in order to get your displacement map. But often we just get really rought surfaces. How to improve it?

In this cases a really useful tool in Photoshop is Cutout filter:

Cutout reduce the nuances present in the image, thus solving most of the problems!

The classic steps to create a displacement map is:

• Transform it in black and white texture
• Contrast the image
• Save and apply it in the displacement channel

Ok guys, today I want to suggest one step more:

Apply the cutout filter (to reduce the color variations):

Look at the difference in the image below:

If you want to refine the displacement map you can use Gaussian blur filter.
The displacement will be more soft.

Have you ever placed objects in quite casual in a scene? Coins on a table, marbles in a container, even the rocks along the beach… it’s a quite boring and hard work.

In such cases, you first – reaching best results – using the physical simulation. The Physical simulations are weapon every day under the eyes of all: smoke, water, electricity and even actual physical contact between objects.

Concerning the simulation of physical objects in 3ds Max we have a plugin (for years now incorporated) which is Reactor. Powerful and complex tool that I can not describe a single post!

The best thing is to see him in action now! So to give you an idea of how quickly you set a scene with objects physical collision, I did a quick video. I created some inclined planes and 4 / 5 balls. So I gave it mass=0 to the plans (if no weight is not moving!) and mass=1.0 to the balls and … it’s done:

• RB Collection (Reactor) setting –  Video / 3mins

In conclusion I link you a tutorial from Evermotion.org that explains how to simulate coins falling on a floor, with the same principle as the previous video:

• Coins – Tutorial Evermotiong.org

The concept is very simple: Just put an RB Collection object in the scene, involve the various items, get the “weights” and just run the simulation. Truly instant!

Have fun!

If you open the material editor (shortcut = M) you’ll see just 6 slots to create materials. Of course you can creare more than 6!

At first, if we you on a slot and and click the right button, you can select options like “5×3” and “6X4“: try to select them. The available slots will be 15 or 24, depending on your choose.

But.. Is 24 the maximum number of materials you can have? Certainly not.

I admit that the system is not very intuitive! In fact the material editor is a limited space to create, refine and assign materials, and there’s no limit to do that! Let’s take a simple test.

Building a box / create a “stupid” material / Assign material.

Now, click the “X” (reset map to default setting): A window will appear with 2 choices!

1) if we choose the 1st option:

• you reset all the material parameters
• the object in the scene continues to be connected to this material
  (Just note that the box in the viewport suddenly turn gray)

2) If we choose the 2nd option:

• object and material will be “disconnected”
• the material in the slot will resetted and associated with nothing
• the object in the scene will preserve the material that was before the cancellation

NOW THE QUESTION IS

How could I edit a material removed from the material editor, but it is still associated with an object in the scene?

Just go to the material editor and bring it back in the Material Editor as follows:
Get Material -> Scene -> Double-click the material you want back

CONCLUSION

The material editor is a sort of  ”palette” where temporary support materials to create and associate them easily.

If you want to to create a new material and the slots are all occupated, click “X” and choose the option 2… don’t be afraid!! You don’t loose anything! Your material will be safe among the material scene (-:

Do you like this image above? Probably you already downloaded my useful 3 Scene Template about interiors, exteriors and objects. Ok, go on with this great scene, full setted, totally free.

I made this rendering using 3ds Max 9 and Vray render… and I want to give you that scene as a present for you readers!

3d model to add nice ditails in bathroom scenes type. Toothpaste, toothbrush, liquid soap, box and something else with V-ray 1.5 high photorealistic setted scene. Just Clic render button and get a photorealistic shot!

I hope you’ll like my 3d files! It’s a good opportunity to investigate my V-ray settings, to compare my setting with yours… to help each other about settings and lighting concept.

Tell in your 3d forum, tell your friends…. Download and enjoy it.

My first tutorial to start learning 3d modeling was Joan d’Arc!! almost 10 years ago!

Actually Joan d’Arc is the most famous tutorial for poligonal modeling in the world. But during these years many users added to the web their own contents about 3d modeling.

One of the last tutorials I liked is Head Modeling by Hatice Bayramoglu. Very detailed tutorial that start from a sketch and conclude with a finished 3d head model. Here the link:

• Cg Arena – Head Modeling

Reading on the Hatice Bayramoglu site you can understand that this tutorial start with “head tutorial” but the idea is a complete tutorial about an human body!! Eye, hand, foot, lip and 3d nose.

Enjoy this fantastic tutorial and tell me… How many tutorials about human 3d modeling do you know?

Recently I rendered a lot of 6m x 3m Posters for Buildings under construction… and I want to share with you my idea to choose how many pixels I need setting my rendering panel.

Everyone knows that a book is printed in 300dpi: that’s the best standard resolution.

But if I see this book to 5 meters I don’t need to increse the resolution, I’m not Superman!!! I just need to increase the format. That means I’m reducing the resolution!

Ok.. look at this file: it will explain my idea in a look!

• The Visual field – 3d sketch – Formats: File for 3d studio 9 / *.3DS
• If you don’t use 3ds > Images 1 – 2

Considering the Visual Field: looking a book (21cm x 29,9cm) to 30 centimeters is the same thing than looking an imaginery Big Book (574cm x 395cm) to 5 meters!

So, this imaginery book is 19 times bigger than an ordinary book: that means I can print a big poster with a resolution 19 times smaller: 300 dpi / 19 = 16 dpi!!!It will be a good resolution.

Checking resolution

If you want to check your rendering resolution, print a little part (20dpi!).

The quality image is not so good, but just see the printed paper to 2 meters: Perfect!

This is the method I use to verify the quality image.

Concluding

To print a 6m x 3m rendering:

• Set rendering out to 4724 x 2362 pixel
• Create a new document with Photoshop (6m x 3m / 16dpi)
• Put your rendering into new photoshop document

Last suggestions

• I prefer 20dpi that 16dpi… it’s my safety margin
• You can render 80% and increase up to 100% with Photoshop: Render time will be cutted and nobody will notice that
• If you have problem with memory errors, render your image in 2 parts

Et-voilà, Les jeux sont faits!

Modeling head.

Free videotutorials to learn how to model a head using 3d studio max.

• Modeling head (Chinese)
  
• Modeling head part1
• Modeling head part2

• Buy 3d model Head

As you know I love very much many products that I can buy on the3dstudio.com, and today I found some interesting tutorial that I would to share with you.

All About Car modeling.. for free!

• how to setup blueprints in 3D Studio Max
• how to map a car with channels
• how to model a tire: the thread and a simple rim
• how map channels work in 3D Max (for a tire)
• the modeling of the body of a car
• modeling car rims
• modeling car tyres
• model a car using splines

Enjoy it! : )

[Modeling] Many models start with a blueprint setup… but what’s means “Blueprint”?

A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term “blueprint” has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan… and usually these plans have a blue background with white writes.

To models animal, characters, or cars, vehicules… we need a blue print and we have to setup it on our 3d software. But what’s the fast way to do that?

Don’t worry, I found 7 useful tutorials – for the most famouses 3d software – that will help us to get faster setting a bluprint!

Here the 3d software: Setup blueprints for…

• 3D studio max – Maya – Cinema 4D
• Rhino – Lightwave – Softimage – Blender

To model my first 3d car I followed the 3d studio max tutorial: it’s very easy and fast.

If you are looking for a 3d model of Mercedes you can find here various models: low poly model to high poly.

Here you can find Mercedes Benz M class 2007 previews rendered in 3D studio MAX with Vray – 22 urban vehicles in medium resolution range – a suitable for architectural renders, High resolution Mercedes Clk dtm with interior – Lower poly but high detailed and animated model of Mercedes Benz C class..

Just visit the 3d Studio Store and buy your favourite 3d model:

• Buy a Mercedes 3d Model

Some times there is same contest about girl made in 3d or 2d… in these contests great cg artists partecipate, and it’s so hard to choose the best 3d model!

The most famous contest in the world is “The most beautiful CG Girl“, powered by 3dm3. in In this kind of contest there are various girls’ images: romantic, poetic, fantastic… and hot too!

In this post I put my favorite hot images I found surfing and surfing in contests ad 3d site! I wrote down my list from the top… but if you have a different opinion related to this wonderful creations please leave a comment and tell me your opinion!

Et-voilà, here my personal results:

Are you agree with my results or not?
ok! write down your opinion…

Neox, an user from Treddi.com (italian forum), realized a videotutorial showing step by step how to model a tiled roof with 3ds max.
Modeling this kind of Roof is a very annoying thing, becouse in order to abtain a beautiful model you have to model tile by tile and you can’t use bump mapping or Displacement to obtain a good result.

In these 2 videotutorial you can see how to model one single tile (with a simple box + ben modifier) and how to put the tiles in a roof (Array function).

In the 2° brief videotutorial, you can see how to use Multires modifier to control polygon reduction without lose a good quality model.

Even if the forum is italian the videoturial are international… without speaker, just enjoy seeing it!

• Videotutorial: Modellazione tegole – riduzione poligoni

There’s no doubts: Modeling Nurbs is the best solution if you are going to model objects, especially all objects made by industrial production.

I don’t know how many times did you try to model a cell phone, usb pen, ipod or something like that. There are many sinouos surfaces and smoothed edge! I watched around the web many tutorials and videotutorials to learn how to model edges using poligonal modeling.

In spite of everything I think this method it’s not the best one. And I’m sure you will think the same after you will see how nPower tool works!

nPower has so powerful tools to manage Nurbs that you will love to model nurbs surfaces. (I know you hate nurbs!..lol)

I was strucked by “Fillet” option: Very powerful and flexible. Selecting an edge you can choose its fillet value, and if you change this parameter you can see smoothed edge changing realtime in the viewport!

nPower Videotutorial

• Advanced Construction Tutorials
• Power Solids Basic Tutorials
• Power NURBS Basic Tutorials
• Power NURBS Primitives Tutorials

In Advanced Construction Tutorials I especially suggest to watch:

• Car modeling Tutorial
• Modeling a Phone

For more details:

• nPower Software – Official site

Enjoy it!