Star Trek - Valdore extended turntable test

[Starbase1]

I decided to extend a turntable I did of the excellent Valore mesh. Before rendering at maximum quality, (which I figure will be chugging for a long time) it seemed wise to post a test version for comment,

The bits I plan to upgrade in the final run are:

• Move to 1080p HD resolution for more detail
• Move from 30 to 60 FPS for smoothness
• Much higher AA settings
• Replace the distant key light with a dome light for softer illumination, and better coverage.
• Add titles, including credits, and music.

The linear interpolation is a style decision. Also the use of a dome light in final - not realistic for space, but gives nice light falloff, leaving little completely dark.

The bit I am least comfortable with the the glow settings - on some parts they look good to my eye, others a bit over the top.

Nick

[Adam]

You are more than welcome to play around with the glow settings if you want. Currently all the glowing bits have the same surface so there is no way to adjust for each piece. I like where you are going with the animation though.

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by Adam

You are more than welcome to play around with the glow settings if you want. Currently all the glowing bits have the same surface so there is no way to adjust for each piece. I like where you are going with the animation though.

The full quality run has been going for 2 days so far! Should be ready by this time tomorrow, and I have a nice chunk of soundtrack lined up too...

Nick

[Starbase1]

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[Rigel]

Hmmm. The video coming off of that link has a quick, close up pan along the neck and bow, then it zooms out to the full ship and there is no sound track.

Did you upload the right one?

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by Rigel

Hmmm. The video coming off of that link has a quick, close up pan along the neck and bow, then it zooms out to the full ship and there is no sound track.

Did you upload the right one?

Ouch - looking at the file size, no!
I'll fix that when I get home - can you delete the dud for me please?

[Starbase1]

OK, correct version now attached. Apologies for anyone who wasted time on the wrong one.

I also attach an embedded youtube version - its a bit software, but it does play the close up sections a bit more smoothly/



Either one, please watch in HD with the sound turned up!

Nick

[Eden]

Nice piece of turntable appreciation their Nick, well done!

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by Eden

Nice piece of turntable appreciation their Nick, well done!

Thank you! I was beginning to wonder if I had uploaded the wrong one again!

[CAClark]

The model looks nice if a little plasticy (I'd like to see it more metal looking). The jarring way the camera is animated is a bit awful though, would benefit massivly from smoothing out, and easing in and out of moves

Cheers!

[Rigel]

That looks better!

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by CAClark

The model looks nice if a little plasticy (I'd like to see it more metal looking). The jarring way the camera is animated is a bit awful though, would benefit massivly from smoothing out, and easing in and out of moves

Cheers!

Thanks for the feedback. Surfaces - I didn't adjust those, though they look fairly metallic to me...

Moves - I kind of wanted to make it look like a turntable rather than a realistic motion flight. Kind of like a more photograhic rendering of those ship tumble views you'd get in the background scenes on SF shows. Othen in low res wireframe I think I recall!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by CAClark

The model looks nice if a little plasticy (I'd like to see it more metal looking). The jarring way the camera is animated is a bit awful though, would benefit massivly from smoothing out, and easing in and out of moves

Cheers!

Do you have any recommendations for how to make it look more metallic?

[3D_CG]

Could you share the scene file minus the WarBird, would like to check out the set up..
Please
cool video
Looked pretty darn good, make the metal a tiny bit duller.. maybe...
all in all nice video

[Starbase1]

Scene file attached.

(As the ship is available for download, you can plug that in if you wish)

In terms of the surface, worth remembering that I used a dome light, to get things visible in the shadowed areas - this has an effect on the highlights. For comparison I attach a render with the light changed to distant type.

[CAClark]

Originally Posted by Adam

Do you have any recommendations for how to make it look more metallic?

I'd play with spec and gloss maps to get a less bland specular highlight, as well as maybe trying to colour the highlights a bit so they are more controlled by the underlying surface.

One thing worth doing is to replicate your main scene light, have the first to affect diffuse but not spec, the other affect spec but not diffuse, and them you can control light and spec levels separately.

I'd also look at maybe having an incidence angle controlling the diffuse levels, higher straight on, fall off to the sides. In real world this and reflections are linked in this way, and although reflections are being faked with the specular, the diffuse will still add a lot to the look with the right levels.

Cheers!

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by CAClark

One thing worth doing is to replicate your main scene light, have the first to affect diffuse but not spec, the other affect spec but not diffuse, and them you can control light and spec levels separately.

Have you got any advice on other light types and metals?

I really like the look of dome lights in general, but my metals look a lot less metallic - tighter highlights help a little...