X16 PBR

[kwhitt]

The introduction of Area Lights and Translucency in PBR is a game changer in X16.  I feel like we have almost everything we now need to create high quality images within Chief without the use of 3^rd party renderers.  I have more shaders and features on my wish list, but I have to say I am very pleased with this release.  Thanks Chief!

 

One of the first things I’d have Chief implement is an Area Light fixture tool.  Right now, I must create a face of the appropriate size (in an elevation view) and point it in the right direction to be used as a fill light.  This can be a little tricky as I can’t figure out a way to rotate a face manually in plan view.  Were I to use a 3 solid, all sides with normals would emit light – not ideal.

The second feature I’d implement is the ability to adjust emitter intensity per camera view.  It would also be nice to open and close doors automatically as needed per camera view.

 

The images below underwent only minor curve adjustments in Photoshop – that’s it.

[basketballman]

Very nice 

Lumion, TwinMotion, D5 all have area lights and thats part of what sets them apart from Chief 

[DBCooper]

 

@kwhitt Yes, nice pictures.  You might want to post the things you want on the suggestions forum though.  Might also want to add a couple more outlets to that kitchen. 

 

@basketballman How are those other area lights different from Chief's area lights?

 

 

[mtldesigns]

On 11/25/2024 at 5:33 PM, kwhitt said:

Area Light fixture tool

What is this?  Is it the same as when I put a spot light behind my camera to lighten up a room more?

 

Very realistic pictures, I am almost getting there.  I def. would like everything to be out of the box, instead of going to a 3rd party site, for those quick jobs and for those clients who don't need to have it look so real.    

 

 Are the wall cabinet doors different on purpose?  How'd you do that?

[kwhitt]

2 hours ago, DBCooper said:

 

@kwhitt Yes, nice pictures.  You might want to post the things you want on the suggestions forum though.  Might also want to add a couple more outlets to that kitchen. 

 

@basketballman How are those other area lights different from Chief's area lights?

 

 

Thanks DB.  That's an excellent suggestion and I will follow through after Thanksgiving.  We don't use electrical devices at standard placement on kitchen backsplashes.  We use a slanted rough-in box to hide all devices beneath the wall cabinets.

 

I don't think Bob was saying that Chief's area lights were any different - only that we have them now.

[kwhitt]

11 minutes ago, mtldesigns said:

What is this?  Is it the same as when I put a spot light behind my camera to lighten up a room more?

 

Very realistic pictures, I am almost getting there.  I def. would like everything to be out of the box, instead of going to a 3rd party site, for those quick jobs and for those clients who don't need to have it look so real.    

 

 Are the wall cabinet doors different on purpose?  How'd you do that?

Thanks Michael.  It is just a face that can be sized parametrically and can be rotated/tilted in plan view for convenience - like what i had to create manually.  It is used to simulate a soft light box like they use in interior photography.  Yes, the beadboard was intentionally placed this way.  I used a normal map that I created in Substance Designer.  It's attached if you want to use it.  I had to lower the resolution to be uploaded to the forum but i can send you a high-res version.  The normal made the most sense as opposed to modeling every door size independently.  The normal allows you to resize the doors without "stretching" the beadboard. 

[kwhitt]

6 minutes ago, kwhitt said:

Are the wall cabinet doors different on purpose?  How'd you do that?

I guess I don’t need so many beadboard planks as the pattern is tillable (seamless) but when I created it I used it for a T & G ceiling and I wanted variation in the woodgrain so that the texture didn’t repeat too much.  This image was created prior to the introduction of area lights and could be much improved with the new features.  I’ll make a smaller version once I’ve caught up on my projects.

[DBCooper]

Quote

We don't use electrical devices at standard placement on kitchen backsplashes.  We use a slanted rough-in box to hide all devices beneath the wall cabinets.

 

Well there you go, I learned something new today.  Now I am glad I didn't give you a hard time about the star light fixture. 

 

[Renerabbitt]

55 minutes ago, kwhitt said:

I don't think Bob was saying that Chief's area light were any different - only that we have them now.

we've had area lights for as far back as I can remember. So I am as confused as DB about the request to add them. Have you used them and you didnt like them? Or you were unaware that we had them, in which case, congrats, we have them, haha
 

[kwhitt]

31 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

we've had area lights for as far back as I can remember. So I am as confused as DB about the request to add them. Have you used them and you didnt like them? Or you were unaware that we had them, in which case, congrats, we have them, haha
 

Renee – In X15 and prior, an emissive material assigned to an object such as a sphere would not illuminate the scene using PBR.  Attached is such a sphere with Lighting White applied in a room with the auto-light turned off and there is no illumination.  In X16 you can now do the same thing, and the sphere will light the room.  Prior to X16 we did not have real area lights.  Attached is an excerpt from the X16 features list.

[kwhitt]

2 minutes ago, kwhitt said:

Or you were unaware that we had them, in which case, congrats, we have them, haha

Here is that same sphere in X16.

[kwhitt]

1 hour ago, DBCooper said:

 

Well there you go, I learned something new today.  Now I am glad I didn't give you a hard time about the star light fixture. 

 

LOL.  It was not my first choice nor was the whole country scene!  The client had specifics!

[Renerabbitt]

6 hours ago, kwhitt said:

Renee – In X15 and prior, an emissive material assigned to an object such as a sphere would not illuminate the scene using PBR.  Attached is such a sphere with Lighting White applied in a room with the auto-light turned off and there is no illumination.  In X16 you can now do the same thing, and the sphere will light the room.  Prior to X16 we did not have real area lights.  Attached is an excerpt from the X16 features list.

I am referring to the add light tool which is more closely related to other rendering software's area lights as it is not a shadow catcher or receiver like what you have shown:

[kwhitt]

5 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

I am referring to the add light tool which is more closely related to other rendering software's area lights as it is not a shadow catcher or receiver like what you have shown:

Chief’s “Add Light” is not an Area Light, nor do they call it that.  It is merely a point or spotlight that lights an area.  Every physically based rendering engine calls object-based emitters “Area Lights”.  This would apply to Vray and Corona Renderer (the standards in the visualization market) – both of which I have used for many years among others.  Below is a definition from the PBR Book.

 

https://www.pbr-book.org/3ed-2018/Light_Sources/Area_Lights#:~:text=Area%20lights%20are%20light%20sources,each%20point%20on%20the%20surface

 

It’s a huge leap to equate Chief’s “Add Light” with an Area Light and would be inaccurate.