LLD - A2 - Alex Drury
Architectural Visualization
I wasn't a huge fan of the very modern, square shapes of 'traditional' archviz images, so I found references for something more cozy and more to what I like. These images are from Sara Toufali's home, and have lots of green plants and brown with contrasting cream, and very limited reflective surfaces, and objects are always sof. I prefer this look over the stark whites, black and greys with numerous shiny surfaces and sharp edges that are usually in archviz images.
In the first two weeks of class for this assessment, we experimented with lighting and I learnt how important the choice of materials and lights are in create the scene, as light bounces off objects. The colour of light reflected onto objects depends on the colours of the objects surrounding that surface.
I started by laying out my scene with planes, then added a rug from quixel bridge and a couch model that I found online. I made sure the couch looked realistic by having wrinkles in it. I added a sky HDR map, then changed it to this autumn scene as I felt it matched the cozy vibes. I had some issues with displacements and also applying the quixel texture to the wall, which was solved by making sure there were enough subdivisions in the arnold tab using linear or catmull clark, depending on the situation. (As you can see in the two pictures where I added the curtain rods (model from Sketchfab https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/curtain-rod-60296ac182154128a7cf660d0aa68cc7, though I didn't use this in the final render) the first one was chonky, then I changed the subdivision settings).
I used my references to lay out a scene, using models from CGAxis for the plants and shelf and Quixel bridge for the materials.
I used my references to lay out a scene, using models from CGAxis for the plants and shelf and Quixel bridge for the materials.
I modelled the window assets as I couldn't find anything that was exactly what I wanted. I forgot to model the bottom of the window so I mirrored it so the edge was on the bottom as well. I also found a curtain model and added it in, finding a lace texture to apply on the model.
I did test renders of the scene, and found many issues that I went through and fixed one by one that I saw in each render (seen below) These issues included:
- plants are metalic
- floating rope on left hanging plant
- dissapearing curtain rod on the right and fat curtain rod on the left
- transparency on the hay in the right fig plant not working, so they have a black border
- textures haven't been fixed on the right fig plant handle and nuts/bolts
- circular hanging shelf wasn't fully round
- rope on the hanging shelf was too thick
- rope on the hanging plants were too thin
- can't see the wooden texture on the couch supports, the table and the hanging shelf
- curtains are too opaque
- window and curtain rod on the left are too close to the ceiling
- colour of the rug is too bright and doesn't match completely
- the material of the curtain rods was too bright and mettalic
In the images below, you can see I gradually worked through these problems and identified new problems in each render, improving the image with each render test.
In the images below, you can see I gradually worked through these problems and identified new problems in each render, improving the image with each render test.
I had to relink all of the plant textures as they were originally phongs, which don't render in Maya (as seen in the dog render above, being metallic and shiny, as well as the shiny plant below, before and after seen). Making a new standardSurface material for each material and relinking them fixed it.
After doing a test render, I noticed the bars of the curtain rod dissapeared. I discovered it was because there were catclark divisions instead of linear.
I also found that the brass material on the curtain rod was way too bright and shiny, so I edited the material by increasing the roughness and using a remap node to darken the colour.
I also found that the brass material on the curtain rod was way too bright and shiny, so I edited the material by increasing the roughness and using a remap node to darken the colour.
In the render I also noticed that the transparency of the fig plant 'hay' wasn't working, and to fix it I had to create a new aiStandardSurface material and made sure that 'opaque' was ticked off on all the the models using that texture. (Below is the texture working properly)
I wanted to add in rope textures on the rope holding the hanging plant pots. I went through a long process experimenting and testing the displacements and textures of the rope material I downloaded from quixel bridge. I discovered that you needed enough divisions in the original mesh for it to be able to subdivide properly for a piece of rope, as well as the UV's needing to be the right scale and direction for the twisting of the rope to look correct.
I tested the displacements by create a two cylinders and applying the rope material to both. One cylinder was divided before being subdivided at render time the other had no divisions. You can see the one with no divisions didn't work.
The UV's on the rope were messed up and there were no horizontal divisions of the rope holding the pot to the curtian rod, so I decided not to add the rope texture on the hanging pots.
Instead, I ended up using the material for the rope hanging the shelves on the wall, as the UV's were basically there (I had to edit them a bit to get it to work), and I didn't want all my effort in getting them to work to go to waste. It was a long process but a good learning experience on how displacements work with polygons and UV's.
I had to create UV's for the table and the couch legs (there were no UV's, hence why the wooden texture wasn't showing up), and also re-arrange and straighten the UV shells for the hanging shelf in order for me to apply the wooden material properly.
I also found an issue that when applying the texture to the table, the table rendered a lot thicker and didn't have gaps in between like in the mesh. I tried fixing it but changing the divisions, but I couldn't find a solution. I ended up leaving it because I didn't mind how the thick table looked.
I also found an issue that when applying the texture to the table, the table rendered a lot thicker and didn't have gaps in between like in the mesh. I tried fixing it but changing the divisions, but I couldn't find a solution. I ended up leaving it because I didn't mind how the thick table looked.
I had to auto-uv the table because of how many indiviudual parts it had. There were over 19 000 shells just for the criss cross parts holding the table together, it was insane and crashed my PC when I tried to stack them, so I just didn't stack them.
I composited in photoshop. For some reason when I imported the exr into photoshop, the image was very desatured, so I had to turn up the saturation and edit it to make it look more like the beauty render, and then edit it further to improve how it looked, adding a vignette and lens blur as the final touches.
Hero Render: Beauty Render and Composited Render:
Sidekick 1 - Street Night Render: Beauty Render and Composited Render:
Sidekick 2 - Cozy Night Render: Beauty Render and Composited Render:
Models Used:
- Couch: https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/flexform-long-island-sofa-x/655304
- Curtain material: https://3dtextures.me/2022/04/16/fabric-lace-025/
- Curtain model (with curtain rod): https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/architectural/window/semi-sheer-rod-pocket-curtain-blender
- Curtain material: https://3dtextures.me/2022/04/16/fabric-lace-025/
- Curtain model (with curtain rod): https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/architectural/window/semi-sheer-rod-pocket-curtain-blender
- Dog model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/dog-a-1of6-for-free-happy-new-year-2022-59558a57beaa4bd681eaed98a03dbea0
- Table model: Not 100% sure, but the image I have of the model says HK living Rattan Coffe table natural, it might be this one: https://3d-baza.com/bangor-round-bamboo-coffee-176460
- Table model: Not 100% sure, but the image I have of the model says HK living Rattan Coffe table natural, it might be this one: https://3d-baza.com/bangor-round-bamboo-coffee-176460
- Rug: Quixel Bridge https://quixel.com/megascans/home?search=rug&assetId=thslcjzs
- Clay pot: Quixel Bridge https://quixel.com/megascans/home?search=clay&search=pot&assetId=ueilahthw
- Clay pot: Quixel Bridge https://quixel.com/megascans/home?search=clay&search=pot&assetId=ueilahthw
- Plants from CGAxis
Other:
- Photometric Light used in cozy night render from IES Light: https://ieslibrary.com/en/browse/tag/ceiling#ies-090d93107d70a8ece86e585617b20e87
- Autumn HDR map: https://polyhaven.com/a/tiergarten
- City HDR map: https://polyhaven.com/a/hansaplatz
- City HDR map: https://polyhaven.com/a/hansaplatz
- HDR map on Cozy Night Render taken by me with HDReye on my iPhone 11 Pro
