Maxwell Render

In this wip I'm using an old zbrush zketch for testing character stuff in Maxwell.
Its not realistic (just a character I did from scratch), but it has enough detail for testing
and learning various lighting and material features(layers, sss, disp, etc.)


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

This is a 10 minute render (sl 10) uses env map for fill light and 2 emitters for rim light.
The color map is very loose - I'll update as the wip progresses.
the material is layered:
>top layer is 14%
-Has a lighter/yellow-ish version of basic polypaint color map mapped to 0 and 90 reflectance
-this is also mapped to a thin coating on this layer.

>bottom layer is 100%
Has a more red-ish version of the color map (0, 90)
no transmittance - working on sss next. And he needs a bit of hair...

My thought is to use multiple layers with different color maps to represent different layers of skin,
muscle, flesh, (epidermal, subdermal, meat) but maybe that isn't necessary? two may be adequate?

Comments/advice welcome

To get some translucency I would recommend a thinSSS "ghost" layer -- see posts and examples about that here: viewtopic.php?p=337684#p337684

This will render faster than regular SSS.

Best,
Jason.

_________________
My Tutorial Video Series: Maxwell Render 2 - SketchUp to Maxwell Workflow - ZBrush 4 - Corel Painter 12 Advanced - Substance Designer 2.1

Very nice!

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Next Limit Team

Thanks for the feedback - that ghost layer makes a big difference, and fast too.

Here is a new image that is skips a couple if steps in progression - the ghost layer worked
well, so I went on to try and get more of the back-scatter in the ears (ghost didn't seem
to get that effect).

This latest image has the overall effect I'm trying to get but there is some interesting
noise happening at the base of the geometry (white gradient creeping up the neck),
and the lower lip has a white speck on it. There is another emitter behind him
(hidden from camera) that is adding a bit more light, for the ear-glow.

I've included most if not all the important settings in the image at bottom, if that helps to
figure out where the white stuff is coming from... Maybe because the mesh is open there, the
single-sided ghost layer is behaving differently than the rest of the mesh?






EDIT: Its great using the plugin Maxwell plugin for Softimage (and FIRE)! I'm using the
maxwell texture node in Softimage to edit the image's brightness, contrast, and saturation.
Are these values equivalent in Photoshop? So when I find settinsg I like, I could make
these adjustments in PS on the actual images, using the values set in Soft?

If you don't mind sharing the MXS file I can take a look and see what can be done about those problem areas.

Best,
Jason.

_________________
My Tutorial Video Series: Maxwell Render 2 - SketchUp to Maxwell Workflow - ZBrush 4 - Corel Painter 12 Advanced - Substance Designer 2.1

Thanks, half-life - Looks like this issue is due to the opening at base of neck - it went away when I closed it. Makes sense...
Works great now, although lost some displacement detail after closing the mesh... will fix for next test.

Great seeing more XSI, pardon, Softimage users here The head model is very expressive, has nice areas to test SSS on. I have never tested how closely the the Saturation, Brightness, Contrast settings match with Photoshop...I don't think it's a 100% match...perhaps for saturation but not brightness or contrast.

_________________
Next Limit Team
Merchant of happiness

a few more tests - this time with hdr env, and a couple of exr's mapped to emitters:
Note: displacement still not fixed -will do that soon but having too much fun w/lights....

Multiple exr's pasted into an env map, using env and front fill light


Single exr's mapped to emitters on each side, back lit for sss with normal emitter


A question about hdr's on mapped to emitters: Can I adjust the intensity in the maxwell texture node in Softimage to adjust the intensity of the exr mapped to it, or is that adjusting some other parameter?

For HDR emitters you should change the intensity from the MaxwellEmitter node (at the bottom, under HDR emitter you have the Intensity parameter).

_________________
Next Limit Team
Merchant of happiness

Mihai - When I create an emitter node, the HDR Image category at the bottom is greyed out. I can't adjust the 'image' or 'intensity'. I can, however map an image to 'image' in the ppg, but even then the intensity is not available (I'm using Softimage). So, I thought it was controlled by something in the texture... I'll post a pic if that isn't clear.

thanks.

You have to switch the maxwell emitter type from Custom to HDR image in the emitter ppg.

_________________
Next Limit Team
Merchant of happiness

time to give that guy some HAIR

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Update: Re-topo, texture work, lighting adjustment.
I'm still having some issues with displacement, not sure if it is the conversion from zb to mw or just me...
This is a 32bit file - Notice the left cheek area/brow/forehead - the flat areas don't have displacement.
Eyes not final... just opened for rigging/posing.

I added some hair really quickly.

So to test the displacement, I set up a comparison with mental ray (on right, maxwell on left).

Settings Mental-Ray:
Blinn Shader
Displacement shader is hooked up using a standard color to scalar
(0, 1 range) - it gets set up automatically by XSI when importing an OBJ.
geometry displacement set to 'Fine'
Max Disp: .25
length: .5
view dependent: on
the rest is defaults...

Settings Maxwell:
type: on-the-fly
subd level: 16
smoothing: on
adaptive precision: on
height value: .125 - I thought this should be .25, but if set to that value, the displacement is too exaggerated and looks doughy.
absolute height: on
offset: 0

The displacement is 32bit 4096x4096, with the head taking up about 1/3 the uv space

Some noticeable areas of displacement that seem 'clamped' the Maxwell file:
vertical line on forehead (left of center) has a 'break' in it.
wrinkles under Adam's apple
left cheek detail flattened
nose tip seems to lose some detail - no zit
jaw line on left side loss of detail
base of nose, between eyes



Edit: added map info, fixed spelling errors

How are you generating your displacement out of ZBrush?

Best,
Jason.

_________________
My Tutorial Video Series: Maxwell Render 2 - SketchUp to Maxwell Workflow - ZBrush 4 - Corel Painter 12 Advanced - Substance Designer 2.1