- firstspartanx5
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- Exalted Heroic Member
Known as Spartanx5 or Levartho ( or by my real name of course). I aim to inspire the community with my art.
Thank you, and render took about half an hour, and another half hour in post processing.
The render engine I used runs fast when I use IOR(index of refraction) data. It is very accurate to real world materials which is why Maxwell render is generally used by artists presenting products( Wines, rings, watches, Architecture , and so on). It hasn't seen a lot of use as an engine for concepts or more abstract things, especially when the materials you need to show don't actually exist. Or the data for that material hasn't been publicly published.
It is at that point you have to start blending materials, and learning how to calculate your own IOR data. Coupled with an understanding of Maxwell's BSDF(Bidirectional scattering distribution function) materials and the right tools you can create anything you can imagine.
I was lucky enough to have a physics teacher who was willing to teach and help me with my endeavor, especially when it came to getting IOR data for polysulfone. Which happens to be a material NASA uses on their Lunar visors, and is amber at increasing thicknesses. I've done side by side shots with and without a nanometer thick coating of polysulfone on gold and it only makes the slightest difference at low viewing angles, but I believe even the littlest details should not be neglected when it can be helped.
The contrast in lighting you see is the result of artificial lighting. I used an HDRI of the Milan Train Station which happens to have some beautiful moody lighting. Which seemed appropriate for art based on a game with moody lighting as well. I'm sure there are better HDRIs to use however this is the best one I had on hand. When I don't have one that doesn't seem to fit the piece I am doing I either take the time to paint my own, or create the physical environment. Painting an HDRI is a tedious and long process, and creating the entire viewable environment puts rather large dent in my resources. It requires careful precision with an engine that offers no forgiveness in physical errors. Though when I have the time, I prefer accuracy over rendering times and computer speed.
I hope that gives you some insight into what you enjoyed in my work.
[Edited on 07.19.2010 12:56 PM PDT]