exterior WIP

[DaForce]

hehehe

Now what have you come up with

[WWX]

still playing with the settings, but the ripple modifier is the one for this project as water is faling into the pool from the waterfeature behind the stone clad element.

the effect on the water is coming along nicely, but the caustic on the wall sucks (for now) I think the distance from the water to the wall and the light angle is partly to blame.

[DaForce]

ah ok cool.

Well if you need any help... you know where to post

[WWX]

and so it continues

Is this correct or a possible bug. By simply changing the search distance under the caustics control panel the water element renders darker.





Anyway after spending to much time playing with setting (well at least it was a good schooling) I still have not been able to produce stunningly beautiful caustics in my current scene. Closely inspected one can see that the effect is present but ever so slightly.



I think I need to start focusing on the other difficulty I highlighted in my first post i.e. the soft, grainy looking textures. If I need to upload settings in order to gain advice, please let me know which. What gets me is how sharp the stone texture looks and how fussy the timber texture to the gable end looks and yet the quality of the texture files is similar.

Thanks

[DaForce]

It would render darker because by lowering the search distance you are basically restricting it to less caustic rays in the given area and therefor wont be as bright. Its a matter of finding the sweet spot.

As for your water.... i dont really know what im looking at ... the blue and white texture?? im assuming that is the actualy texture itself... i cant see the caustics at all really.. unless the white part on that blue texture is the caustics??
I would have expected your water to reflect more as well.

As for your render .. yes there is something missing/not right.
Can you post AA settings, your first and second bounce settings.. ie.. ir/lc and all the associate settings.
as well as the QMC sampler settings and what you have lighting your scene and the lights settings.
Basically as much as you can

If you would like to send me part of your scene (just the pool area or something) i can have a look at those caustics for you. Also given that it seems your going for a later afternoon type light you may not get all that much caustics as the direct light isnt very strong.

Also possibly the color balance in your scene is wrong.. it seems as if you have too much yellow.. but if your are infact going for a later afternnon shot it may be ok.

For a quick hint i suggest you try QMC AA and Catmull-Rom filter, as well as lowering or turning off the blurring of any bitmaps in your scene. In the material editor under the bitmap rollout turn blur to 0.001 (thats as close to off as you get) and try that.. that should help bring out the details in your textures (assuming there is some)

Sorry for the disjointed post.. things kept coming into my head.. hehehe

[WWX]

Yip the pool texture is rather busy to say the least. It is a mosiac tile texture, but the refraction makes it go overboard

I am refering to the little bit of reflection I got under the roof overhang above the door and the corner window.

The aim is to go for a late afternoon lighting.

I am mailing you part of the file and will post my settings later for others to comment on.

Thanks

[DaForce]

ahh yes I see the caustics now.. (i think)
Ok i dont think that having the caustics up on the roof there is exactly possible.... or even going to look right.. given the time of day and fairly low light levels.. mmmm maybe.. i will have a play
So tell me exactly what "you" want from the caustics... where do you want them, how strong...etc..etc..

If you want strong caustics say on the overhangs.. you may need to fake it abit. will have to see what i come up with.

Is it for a single frame render or animation?

[WWX]

easiest question first - single fram rendering

I was hoping to get what I think I would see in real life. If the water is just a flat plain it generate a strong reflection on the building in that area - the reflection stretched from below the roof overhang to about mid way down the door.

I would be happy if the is just a more defined and visible pattern on the wall, instead of just a flat reflection.

As for it looking right.....don't know, if that is where the reflection hits at that time of the day, why would it look strange?

[DaForce]

single frame... woohoo!!... i have a faking idea that could work well

If the water was a flat plane.. it would reflect light like a mirror (but not as strong) so you would see an even light being cast on the buildings.

The reason i was thinking you wouldnt get much is that its getting late in the afternoon.. the sun looks weakish in that render and its rather low.
Heck its showing up now (abit) so maybe im talking rubbish
Maybe the caustics strength needs to be increase a little to make it look stronger... possible more caustics subdivs to define it more.

Well im off for dinner now, I have your file and will look at it when i get back

[tom182]

WWX, dont forget your roof tiles!

[WWX]

yip tom its on the list, but got so side tracked to sort out these outer issues first.

[WWX]

latest update & new question

Okay after some more tweaking, simply could not let it go and some super help from DaForce I have arrived at a solution I am pleased with (as far as the water and caustics are concerned) The strange thing in that particular rendering is the lack of detail of just one buckect area on the gable end in the foreground



Now for the new question, during my testing I turned the option to generate caustics off and now the light above the dining table made a much bigger contribution. Why would this be?........that light is not at all used for shooting caustic particles. In fact with lower rendering setting the effect of this light was even more pronounced.

[DaForce]

There is something wrong with that light... see the yellow bits. Thats an error.
Check the lights material and UVW mapping make sure there are no raytrace materials.
Its certainly the light causing the problem.

Caustics are looking good man.. can you show your final settings? (distance..etc..caustics subdivs)
And did you resize the caustics light to only just include the pool.. as my suggestions en email?

Looking good mate.. looking good.

[WWX]

Yip I changed the light coverage and will upload the settings later on today.

[DaForce]

Cool!!

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