Studio Lighting And Three Point Lighting System with 3ds Max and Vray

One of the cleanest and most common ways of presenting a product is the good old studio lighting. The reason why many product renders choose this approach is due to the fact that it isolates the product. This isolation in turn makes it so that nothing is taking away the attention from the hero model. So basically the basic studio lighting is with 3 lights that act as main, fill and backdrop lights. But even though it’s really simple on paper, making your renders look good does have it’s quirks. Well this video is all about how to make sure you end up with a very good looking final result.

Now if you have gone over the video you will get a better understanding on the studio lighting. You will know how to setup the lights, the reflectors and the backdrop as well. And also if you followed everything that was done, you now have a scene for future rendering.

So if you learned something new here today, all i can ask is that you share this video around. If it helped you there is a pretty good chance it might help someone else too.

So have a good day, and as always keep learning.

Modeling and Unwrapping The Adrian Pearsall Chair With 3ds Max

The topic for today’s post came about as an idea to have a community modeling challenge. This was supposed to be a weekly challenge, but it got side tracked by real life issues. Anyways the model was chosen in the YouTube community tab and Discord. So once we had the model selected it was down to making it. Well in the videos below you will see my take on how to model and unwrap the model.

Modeling The Chair

For the modeling phase we basically have two videos. In the first video you will see how to make the chair’s legs and armrests. You will get a better idea on how to create your model to look better once textured.

Following from there we move onto the second video. In this video we go over how to create the seating, piping and stitching for the chair. Go ahead and check out that video below.

UVW Unwrapping The Chair

It’s a well known fact that if you have a perfect 3d model but don’t have a uvw unwrap you have a useless model. So knowing this it’s only logical that we would want to have a proper UVW unwrap for our chair. For this i’ve chosen to use RizomUV and the bridge between 3ds Max. Now granted you can do the UVW unwrapping inside 3ds max as well, i simply personally thing that Rizom is faster. So if you want to see how i did the unwrapping, check out the video below.

So if you have went over the three videos now you have a pretty good idea on how to make this model. And also you know how to unwrap it properly. All in all that about covers it so no point in making this any longer then it has to be. So if you found this helpful help spread it around so it might reach out to some more people and hopefully help them out as well.

Modeling An Infinity Mirror with 3ds Max and Vray

Today’s video ended up as an idea basically because the real product looks rather cool. If you have ever seen an Infinity mirror element you will know what i mean. Basically it’s a mirror that has a strip of LED lights and it looks like a tunnel to infinity. Having said that, the way to make something like this is both genius and simple. In the videos below you will see how to model the Infinity mirror and get everything set up.

Modeling Phase

So after going over the video and following along you should now have the model made and ready to move on to the materials.

Materials and Lighting Phase

Normal progression after the model is made is to make the materials. The materials and lighting is where everything basically comes together. I will show you how to setup both of them with using Vray. So if you want to see me do that, go ahead and watch the video below.

And if you are now reading this, and you went over the videos you have a pretty good idea on how to make this effect. So no need to make this post any longer because it’s pretty straight forward.

All i can add at the end is that if you learned something new here, or you find the video helpful just help spread it around so it can reach more people and hopefully help someone else as well.

Using Quixel Bridge to Unreal Engine 4 Workflow

Here we go again, the first post of the year up on the website. We are going to start up with something that i consider to be the biggest thing to happen in years. This of course is the acquisition of Quixel by Epic. This means that now everyone can be using it inside UE4 for FREE of charge. Now in case you don’t know what exactly is Megascans, it’s a library of photoscanned materials. This huge 11,000+ library will be useful  for any project that you might want to undertake, being it an interior or exterior.

Where do i Start ?

Even though it’s a pretty straight forward process, there are a few technical snafus to get around. In the video we will start from the basics of how to create an account, how to download and link your Bridge to UE4. We will also see how we can control the different parameters inside UE4. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words but a video a million. So instead of explaining about it you can check it out in the video below.

So if you’ve watched the video you get the idea of just how powerful this is, and how it can help you in your projects.

Having said all that, i would like to say Happy Holidays to everyone that is reading this during the Holidays. But if you happen to be reading this later on, then have a happy day and keep on learning.

Cheers everyone, and until next time.
Xoxoxo

Texturing in Substance Painter For Vray Rendering

Today’s tutorial is going to cover a pretty interesting topic, and that’s texturing. I got a mail from one of the subscribers asking me how to texture an asset by hand in Vray. Back in the days, and to a degree even today this would have been done procedurally in 3ds Max. But since now we have access to a more texturing specific software, why not use it. Having said that, today’s videos will cover substance painter and how to create multiple surfaces into one material. For ease of following i’ve split this into two parts covering different topics.

Creating the Base Material

Just to make it easier to follow i chose to use a model of the most common teapot. All i did was combine it together, do a quick unwrap and export it out. Now i want to note that having a proper UVW unwrap is a MUST if you are going to use Substance Painter.

Having said that in the first video we will focus on how to create the base layer of the pot. This will allow us to see how we can control information from different layers. How to limit certain information to particular layers. All in all these are things you want to know before you start on anything more complex.  In the video here you will see me do just that.

Creating The Glazing Layer

In the second part of this topic we will cover how to create the glazing. This will mean that we have to create the material for it. Then we will see how to control where that glazing appears, as well as manually control that. So if this sounds like something you would want to see check out the video below.

And with that out of the way, we are more or less done. If you are still reading this it means your interest was peaked so now you have to go and share it and hopefully it will reach someone else who might find it helpful as well.

So until next time, stay safe, keep learning and PEACE.

Vray Lighting For Architectural Visualization

So here we are, the very first Premium Tutorial from DKCGI is alive. Right at the beginning i’ll leave a link where you can get the tutorial.

Get The Vray Lighting Course

Vray_Lighting_Premium

Who is aimed for?

Well since you are here reading this, there is a pretty good chance this is aimed at you. Namely this course is meant for people that are working with Vray, and Architectural Visualization.

Ok then, what do i need to have and know to follow along ?

Fair question. Anyone that has ever watched any of my YouTube tutorials you will know that i always try to explain everything. I’ve done the same thing in this premium tutorial as well. This does mean that you will need a functional knowledge of the 3ds Max User Interface. So pretty much anyone should be able to follow along.

As for the software version, i’ve used Max 2018 and Vray 3.6 in the videos. The Max scenes have been saved so they can be opened with 3ds Max 2011. As for the Vray version, as long as you have any of the 3.x versions you are good. If you are using a prior version of Vray, then the lesson theory will still apply but you will need to dig through the menus for the options.

Sounds good, what topics does the course cover ?

Another very good question. The way that i made this course it will cover all the most common scenarios for lighting.  This means we will go over topics like :

Setting Up a Daylight Environment, Using Light Portals, Setting Up Sunlight lit scenes, Lighting Up your scenes with HDRI, Multiple Different types of Lighting Fixtures, In depth look at Global Illumination, Using Materials to help with lighting and also using Environment Effects to help with lighting your scene.

Ok i’m still reading and it does sound interesting, where do i get it ?

Now this is the question that i got so many times on the live streams on YouTube. As i said it there i’ll write it here. The course has been made available thanks to Gumroad and that is where you can get it. It’s actually pretty easy, once you purchase the course you will be able to download all the files and they will be yours forever. So if you didn’t click on the button at the start of the post here it is again to get the course.

Get The Vray Lighting Course

Everything sounds great, anything else ?

Well yeah, the thing with Gumroad is that i can add files and videos to it in the future and you will get it without having to pay anything extra. This means that i can update this course with new tricks and tips and you will always get it first.

So that’s pretty much it honestly, except for one thing. This one goes out to everyone that gets the course. I would like to personally thank you for directly supporting me. What i would love is that after you get the video, leave a rating on it. Also if there is anything that is missing or you would like to see explained feel free and reach out to me either on the YouTube Channel, the Facebook group or directly on Discord.

So having said all of that, i hope you all enjoy this course and learn bunch of new tricks and techniques.

Once again at the end.

Thank you very much for supporting me.

Creating a Quilted Leather Chair model in 3ds Max

In today’s post we will take a look at how we can create a Quilted Leather chair. After finishing with this tutorial you will know how to approach any similar model. This whole topic will be divided into four phases.

Modeling The Backrest

     In the first part we will see how to start with the modeling of the back rest. First thing that we will notice here is that we won’t be modeling from a blueprint, but rather an image. Knowing this it means that we will have to deal with a bit of a perspective distortion. Since this is a simple geometry to create we will start off with a simple plane. But instead of me explaining what you can do is check out the video below and see me doing it.

Modeling The Seat and Legs

     In the second part of the tutorial series we will focus on the seat and the legs of the chair. Similar like in the previous video we we do some basic box modeling techniques. Since there isn’t really all that much to explain you can go ahead and check out the video below.

Modeling the Quilted Leather

     Now for the third part we go a bit deeper on the modeling front. For this we will start by selecting the surface that will be covered by the quilted leather. After this we will add a quick UVW unwrap so we can use SlideKnit. I have covered how to use this script in a previous video, but shouldn’t be hard to figure it out. After we have that we will create a base for the quilting and wrap it around the surface. All in all you will see me use a few tricks on how to fix up some issues and problems. So go ahead and check out the video below to see me do it.

Unwrapping The Model

     In the last part of the series we will go over how to unwrap the model. For this we will use Unfold3D and will see how to get the model ready for texturing. Since this is a pretty straight forward topic as well check out the video below.

Final Thoughts and Resources

     This was a fun model to create, and it did have some challenges but in the end we made it. I did use couple of scripts so here you can go and get those scripts.

Vertex Cleaner / Shiva 3D

SlideKnit Script

And also i would like to leave the reference images that i was using if someone wants to follow along.

03 04 05 06 07

Modeling a Chandelier with 3ds Max and Vray

Today we go on another modeling tutorial adventure. For today’s topic i have chosen a model that received a request a while back. That was how to model a specific chandelier.

Modeling Phase

Like always, modeling starts with setting up a blueprint to follow. So if you want to follow along with me, get the image from below. Now the actual modeling for this chandelier model took a bit longer then what i initially expected. Due to this  i decided to split it up in two parts. In the first part we will go over how to create the cage of the chandelier. And then we will also create some of the elements for the inner parts. So check it out in the first part of the video below.

In the second part of the video we will continue with creating the rest of the elements. That being the crystals, the light bulbs and the holders for them. You will also see how to get the crystals perfectly aligned on the handing part of the chandelier. So check this out in the second part of the video below.

Texturing And Materials

When creating modeling tutorials i usually don’t go over the materials. Main reason is that to me it seems very simple, but i’ve received some requests so here it is.

Generally when creating materials for a model, first thing you do is separate how many materials will you need. After this you need to go ahead and address those material needs. In this model it ended up being three materials. The metal, the crystal and the material for the light bulb. Before doing any of the materials though you need to see if you have to do UVW unwrapping. For this model, i got away with doing the simple UV mapping with the UV Map modifier.

The metal material will show you how to control the reflections and color of the shader. The crystal material will how you how to get that colorful refractive look that makes crystal unique. And the shader for the light bulbs will show you a few tricks on getting that glow effect. So all in all if you want to see how i did it check out the video below.

Final Thoughts

So if you followed the videos now you know how to model a chandelier like this. It was fun creating it for me, and all i can say is i hope it was helpful to you. Also if there is anything that you would like to see me create a tutorial about leave a comment on the YouTube channel and i will do my best to help you out. So until next time i leave you with the blueprint for the chandelier.

Chandelier

 

Modeling the Rondo Chair in 3ds Max

For today’s article we have another modeling tutorial. This time around we are going to check and see the whole process of creation. We will start from the blueprints, the modeling and end up with the UVW unwrapping.

Preparing the Blueprints

This is the first phase of modeling anything really. Usually i don’t cover this phase as i have created a video about this in the past. But since i have received multiple question about the creation process i decided to include it this time around. We will start with creating the front and side views as we are lacking a top view for the blueprints. The creation process is in Photoshop so if you want to see it check out the video below.

The Modeling Phase

Modeling this chair wasn’t really that hard, but it did have a few challenges. We will go over creating each part of the chair separately, the legs, seat, back rest. Since creating these elements is a bit of a time hog i decided to split it into two parts. Main reason for this is because i don’t like creating videos that are over 30 min long. Anyways if you want to see how i created the basic version check out the videos.

After having watched the videos you will have the basic chair model done and finished.

Creating A Tall Version of The Chair

Before going on to the UVW Unwrapping phase i decided to go in and make a variation video. The idea here was to give you an overview on how you can reuse your modifier stack before collapsing it. In this case i only had to do minor adjustments to get the tall version. But actually if you have the modifiers in your model, you can get a much more complex model. And the bonus is that you will have to do half the job. So if you want to see how i created the tall version check out the video below.

The UVW Unwrapping Phase

This is the last video for the chair and it’s going to be about UVW unwrapping. Again this is where most of the people for some reason are having issues. As i’ve said before, UVW mapping is not that complex, and with the help of Unfold3D it’s fast as well. So if you want to see me do the unwrapping for this model check out the video below.

Final Words

So if you’ve went over all of these videos then you know how to model this chair from scratch. So all i have left to do is leave you with one last thing, and that is the blueprints. This is in case you don’t want to create them yourself in Photoshop.

As always i hope you guys had fun and learned something new. If that is the case help with sharing this post so it reaches more people and hopefully helps them as well.

Front_BP Front_Tall_BP Left_BP Side_Tall_BP

Modeling a Bar Chair in 3ds Max

Today’s article is going to be a pretty straight forward one as it will cover modeling a bar chair. When i got the idea to make the video, in my head i though it would be a quick one. Well once i started recording it turned out to be a bit longer. But lets start from the start.

Modeling Phase

Whenever you start modeling something, first step you need to make is get some reference. Most of the time that reference will be technical drawings. But sometimes you might get an actual picture of the thing you need to model. The main difference between the two is that the second one has perspective distortion. In the videos below you will see how to get started on modeling the chair.

The modeling phase is basically split in two videos as it was getting quite a bit on the long side. So without actually going and explaining too much about the videos go and actually check them out.

In the second part of the video we will continue adding some details and accents to the model.

 Unwrapping Phase

The UVW unwrapping from what i’ve noticed is where most of my students have struggled at. When it comes down to unwrapping i’ve actually created some tutorials, so if you are struggling check it out. For unwrapping this model i used Unfold3D opposed to using the native 3ds Max unwrapper. Main reason for this is that i am not a huge fan of Max’s unwrapping tools. The thing here is that once you understand the logic behind unwrapping, it’s the same in any software. So if you know how to unwrap in 3ds Max, or don’t have Unwrap3D then you’ll still be able to understand. Anyways without too much further explanation, check out the video below.

Final words

I really hope you guys had some fun with this model, and maybe even learned something new.

So this about wraps up our model for today. And if you do decide to go and model this chair you will probably want to have the blueprints for it. So  go ahead and get them from here.  So i’ll see you all in the next post. Cheers everyone.

BP_Front

BP_Side

 

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