Ray Trace Renderings Still Look Plain…. Help!

[Craigevans]

I am still fairly new with CA but I am having troubles finding a good mix to create a photorealistic look with Ray tracing on exterior shots. I am getting much more comfortable with my inside shots but can't seem to figure out the outside. The grass just looks like a flat piece of paper that my eight year old colored. I have tried working with the textures and bump maps. I have tried several different lighting aspects even playing with direction of sun and time of day. Also, the driveways always seem to be bland. Can someone help?

[jonboy]

Did a 3D render with shadows and then to raytrace ..about 5-10min

[jonboy]

Forgot attachment 

[Dennis_Gavin]

_{Craig - You may have to look for a new grass texture.  Also some items need there texture size changed}

             _{from Chief's default 20x20.  Try increasing it by at least 2x or even more. (grass and driveway)}

             _{Are your plants 2D images? Try 3D items with sun casting shadow across lawn.}

 

_{Jonboy - I like that stone.  Which one is it?  did you bump map it?  IT has good depth.}

[mattyt12]

Use trees behind the camera to cast shadows on the Grass. Check out Jintu's website or facebook page, he uses this technique to break up the boring grass texture quite well

[jcaffee]

Craig, post your plan.  That does not look like a ray trace from X6.

 

jon

[Craigevans]

Craig, post your plan.  That does not look like a ray trace from X6.

 

jon

 

Jon, I am enclosing the plan. Any help you could offer would be great. I am not quite site where I am going wrong in my set up. I know its how I am setting up the software to cook the ray trace and I am seeing too many people put out great looking prints without going to any other software such as sketch up or the like. I started to put it into Photo Shop but I decided to wait and learn where my problem is stemming from so I can fully utilize the software. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I have tried new grass patterns, tried making them larger as suggested and still I don't get any better than this and the quality still looks almost as if it were 2d. Thanks again.

The Riviera.plan

[jcaffee]

I made changes to the RT settings, background, grass, driveway, and sun (a north pointer must be defined if using a sun angle line).

 

Nice design.

 

jon

Riviera.zip

[Craigevans]

Jon,

 

Thank you so much for your help. How long did that trace cook? I'm gonna go over what you did and see where I was going wrong! Thanks Again.

 

Craig

[jcaffee]

I think that went for 3 or 5 passes.  Good luck!

 

jon

[McQueen3D]

You need to crop that down... no need to see acres of empty Chiefturf. But it does look a lot better.

[mattyt12]

5 passes 2 mins, a few bump maps which slow it up

Riviera.zip

Render.bmp

[MAINEWOOD59]

I am learning to use X6 and having trouble with my ray traces.  I am posting the plan here hoping to learn from the "experts".

 

Thanks.

Post to Chieftalk.plan

[Dennis_Gavin]

You are off to a good start!  Try adjusting the pendants to get the glow off the ceiling.  Either decrease the wattage or

adjust the settings of the point light.  You need to play with the settings to get familiar with the effects.  Another option

is to turn off all lights except for the sun and 1 or 2 3D lights.  Turn up the emissive setting on the material for the

pendant glass.  You may also want to try turning off photons to get rid of the light at the ceiling line.  Sometimes you may

be able to get rid of that by putting on another floor or a roof.  Doesn't always seem to work from some of the posts I've seen.

Also, adjust the contrast and maybe the intensity  in the image properties  

[MAINEWOOD59]

Dennis, thanks for your suggestions.  Attached is a ray trace (high quality with photons turned off), which made the light at the top of the cabinets disappear.  I still can't figure out why the stainless steel appliances are black?

 

thanks

[Gawdzira]

I have been doing some experimenting with stainless. Check out the material in the attached file. It may work a bit better than what you are using.

STAINLESS MATERIAL EXAMPLE.zip

[Dennis_Gavin]

Put some crown molding on those cabinets!  I see so many kitchens displayed on the forum without crown moldings.  I don't get it.

[MAINEWOOD59]

Yes, I like crown too.  My design consultant, (wife) says it is outdated...  Got to pick your battles

[dshall]

......My design consultant, (wife) says it is outdated...  Got to pick your battles

I have been waiting 19 years to pick the right battle......  

[Dennis_Gavin]

Hey, you guys are supposed to be men!!  Act like it.

 

(I can say that because my wife is down stairs)

[DRAWZILLA]

We're not men, that I can say.

[dshall]

Hey, you guys are supposed to be men!!  Act like it.

 

(I can say that because my wife is down stairs)

 

So we have been in our house about 12 years.  We have done almost everything imaginable to it.  No additions but we redid all 3 baths,  redid kitchen,  new carpet and baseboards,  new interior doors,  new paint of course,  redid front patio with pavers,  rebuilt both decks, carpet in the garage, (2 back patios still need new pavers to replace exiting  pavers),  .....  do you get the idea?  I liked the house just as it was but noooooooo...  we had to do this other stuff.

 

We have not replaced front door.....  so last week we go to Grand  Entrances and look at doors.......  about 7k installed,  I am ready to write a check for my half and she says,,

 

"Honey,  I'm not ready,  I should be ready to pitch in soon,  let's not do it today".

 

Heck,  I don't want to have to revisit this,  let's do it already and move on.....  but it's not my decision so I sulk and say okay.

 

Coming back from a concert last night and she asks,  "Honey,  when do you think we should get the front door?"

 

It's a trap,  I just know it,  there is not a right answer,  so I say

 

"Babe,  when do YOU think we should do it?"

 

"Well Honey,  you are the man,  this is your decision".....  yeah right,  the only decision I have made in the last 19 years was whether to get Maple or Brown Sugar Flavored Medifast Oatmeal.

 

I will keep you posted on when she let's me decide when we get a new front door.

[Joe_Carrick]

Scott,

 

You need to find another source.  Grand Entrances is asking way too much.

[dshall]

Scott,

 

You need to find another source.  Grand Entrances is asking way too much.

You may be correct,  I will have to look into that.

[Joe_Carrick]

Sit down with a Door Salesman at HD or Lowes.  It's really pretty amazing what you can get with a special order and the prices are a lot better.