instruction manual for rendering

[domer1322]

although I've been doing 3D renders for years, I'm still puzzled by many of the render and shader settings. Can anyone refer me to a good source to explain how to use the shaders and all the settings. For example, I've never figured out what these things mean or how to use them : fresnel, buya, stupl, sema, opl, ....are these words in english? I can't even figure out the difference between voroni 1 and voroni 3 (I guess the difference is 2 ?) I also can't figure out the cycles high clip and low clip. Please enlighten me on how to figure these things out (I'm tired of 'trial and error'). Too many errors and lots of trials too.

PS: am I the only one who still laments the rendering change a few years back ? ... just after I figured out how to make nice brick renderings that were not a repeating pattern ... now I haven't figured out how to render a wall with brick colors where each brick is a different shade (randomly).

[PVA - Admin]

There is a visual guide to the noise shaders here:

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/1240/Renderworks+Noise+Shaders+-+Visual+Guide

More detailed guides for Renderworks shaders are on my list to make, but its a big list overall.

[zoomer]

Can anyone refer me to a good source to explain how to use the shaders and all the settings. For example, I've never figured out what these things mean or how to use them : fresnel, buya, stupl, sema, opl, ....are these words in english? I can't even figure out the difference between voroni 1 and voroni 3 (I guess the difference is 2 ?) I also can't figure out the cycles high clip and low clip. Please enlighten me on how to figure these things out (I'm tired of 'trial and error'). Too many errors and lots of trials too.

Fresnel means for example when used for a for a glass material in reflexion channel,

will have stronger reflexion when you look at an angle from the side than

when you look from directly the front to it.

These terms are common for all render software, so you can use any documentation or

tutorials that you find or prefer.

Every C4D help/docu should be fine as C4D engine is used for VW/RW rendering.

As for the shaders, in VRAY they aren't documented either, it is a trial and error.

Some users play with them and collect sample images.

You may find some shader documentation for other software that shows what you need.

PS: am I the only one who still laments the rendering change a few years back ? ... just after I figured out how to make nice brick renderings that were not a repeating pattern ... now I haven't figured out how to render a wall with brick colors where each brick is a different shade (randomly).

Complete 3D render packages will do this, maybe even some random image textures.

Cinema4D's current brick shader does random colors. Maybe VW can't at this point.

(not sure)

[rDesign]

PS: am I the only one who still laments the rendering change a few years back ? ... just after I figured out how to make nice brick renderings that were not a repeating pattern ... now I haven't figured out how to render a wall with brick colors where each brick is a different shade (randomly).

I for one certainly do not miss the old rendering engine; Functionally it was really lagging behind competing rendering engines.

Renderworks with its current Maxon CineRender engine will continue to get even better, more powerful. Based on JimW's teaser image, I can't wait for 2016!

The one place I will agree with you is that Nemetschek needs to do much better with the training videos, tutorials and help files included with Vw. While it is great that 3rd party documentation for Vw exists, it does not make up for a lack for adequate documentation included with our purchase.

[domer1322]

thanks for the replies ....

JimW: when you're making the list, can you include some instructions on how to make real world textures like: water, grass, cut glass, random shades of bricks in a wall, translucent glass on a light fixture, and ... the hardest one .... how to model a water fountain spraying water in the air or cascading off of a decorative fountain. I am currently trying to model many different floor tile patterns, both ceramic and vinyl, and finding it very difficult. If I copy the image and use it, the result is a repetitive pattern that usually doesn't look good.

On second thought .... if anyone could post the settings for a real good grass texture, I would be forever thankful. Every texture I've tried either has a repeating pattern or only looks good at a certain magnification level (if it looks good at distance, it looks bad close up, and vice-versa.) My current compromise is to use the noise shader to add irregularity. Is this what others do ?

[PVA - Admin]

My current plan is to do a 101 series (Like these:

) for Create Textures, which would explain each shader and each features of each one, referencing the visual guide for each of the noise shaders, but then also a series of videos based on types of materials, a chapter for stone, one for wood, plastics, metal, liquid etc.

[zoomer]

There is a visual guide to the noise shaders here:

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/1240/Renderworks+Noise+Shaders+-+Visual+Guide

More detailed guides for Renderworks shaders are on my list to make, but its a big list overall.

Nice !!!

As for frosted glass, you don't need a noise shader in bump channel.

You can set the roughness (in transparency channel ?)

But beware of render times

[rDesign]

My current plan is to do a 101 series (Like these:

) for Create Textures, which would explain each shader and each features of each one, referencing the visual guide for each of the noise shaders, but then also a series of videos based on types of materials, a chapter for stone, one for wood, plastics, metal, liquid etc.

JimW - a 'Textures 101' series would be most welcome. Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you after the 2016 release.

[PVA - Admin]

Feels like this.

[img:center]http://i.imgur.com/X5sx67s.jpg[/img]

Every. Day.

[rDesign]

... the hardest one .... how to model a water fountain spraying water in the air or cascading off of a decorative fountain.

Yeah - that's going to be difficult to do in any CAD / BIM software. The new Subdivision Surface in Vw2016 should help with modeling the fountain spray, but it will still take some crazy modeling skills to make it look realistic.

I think you might be better off using a dedicated 3d modeling package like Cinema4D or Blender with their built-in fluid simulation capabilities to model the fountain spray / cascade and exporting the fluid mesh back into Vw.

[PVA - Admin]

Yeah, without a dedicated fluid simulator that kind of thing is best left to other apps for the time being. Even in dedicated 3d modeling applications like 3DS Max or Blender, its rarely modeled by hand, the geometry and textures are often procedurally generated as needed using emitters or something similar.