Carrara Challenge #50 - A Special Carrara Anniversary Celebration - WIP thread

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  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,988

    I just had a go loading a new leaf to  a tree. It accepted any car file - like a dog's head!

    I'll have a go adding one to the leaf folder - dont you have to change a text file if you do that???

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,988

    well it worked okay

    I made a copy of the willow leaf in the leaves folder Data>Plants>leaves

    opened it in Carrara distorted it, then tried to save it - Carrara spat the dummy with a hudson erreor blbalablah

    so I sevd it somewhere else, then used file eplorer to move it my leaf folder, Carrara happily added it to my tree

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,173
    edited January 2020

    Adding Custom Leaves and Plants

     

    Important Browser Tray Info

    Carrara seems to be able to remember a custom leaf folder if the folder has been added to the browser specifically as a leaf object folder.  For adding custom folders in general and specifying subcategories, see my "No One asked Me" thread here.  https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/5272991/#Comment_5272991

    The following is specific to leaves, plants, and their shaders.  Just how I did it, not necessarily the best.  I created a folder system on my computer called Ted Carrara Presets or something similar.  I created subfolder for each of the headings of the browser tray (scene, object, shader...).  Within the objects folder, I created subfolders for each type of Carrara object (objects, leaves, plants, particles, clouds,...).  For the present discussion, what matters is that I created a folder specifically for leaves.  When I used the browser icon to add the folder to my browser, I specified its contents as leaves.  Similarly, I created a folder for plants, and when I added it to the browser, I specified its contents as plants.  I also created a shader folder, which was specified as shaders (distinct from grayscale, etc).

    I modeled and a custom leaf.  Saved it to the folder that I created specifically for leaves.  Saved its shader to my custom shader folder.  When I inserted a plant and went to its leaf tab in the plant editor, my custom leaf folder is among the "Add" drop down list.  Carrara remembered!

    Custom Leaves and Trees Changing Only Shaders

    I then created a procedural shader for trunks and branches.  Separately, I saved the leaf shader and the trunk/branch shaders to my custom locations.  I also saved a global shader for the plant as a whole that contains only the trunk and leaf shaders.  I started a new scene.  I inserted the default plant.  I clicked and dragged my custom global plant shader to the default plant and its trunk and leaf shaders were changed, even without adding my custom objects.

    Default tree with default shaders added to blank scene

    default tree test render

    Click and drag custom global plant shader to default tree global shader

    test render of default tree with one-click global shader change

    cc02 default tree with default leaves and default shaders.jpg
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    cc03 default tree test render.jpg
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    cc04 drag custom global shader to plant see trunk and leaf shaders change.jpg
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    cc05 test render shader update same tree same leaves.jpg
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,173
    edited January 2020

    Adding Custom Leaves - obj change

     

    Start with description above as background.  I modeled a custom leaf as described elsewhere (horizontal, hot point location,...).  I saved the leaf to my custom leaf folder - a folder that was specified as containing leaves when the folder was added to the browser!  Carrara remembers the folders specified as leaves.  When I entered the plant editor, my folder for custom leaves was on the pop up list for the "add" leaf option.  (more detail here - https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/5171276/#Comment_5171276 )

    Create browser folder specific for leaves.

     

    Model leaf and save to leaf folder.

    Find leaf in the plant editor pop up list in the "Add Leaf" tab.

     

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    cc06 see my custom leaf folder is in list and comes up under add button.jpg
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588
    Headwax said:

    well it worked okay

    I made a copy of the willow leaf in the leaves folder Data>Plants>leaves

    opened it in Carrara distorted it, then tried to save it - Carrara spat the dummy with a hudson erreor blbalablah

    so I sevd it somewhere else, then used file eplorer to move it my leaf folder, Carrara happily added it to my tree

    HW, I tried saving it somewhere else, then moving it directly into Carrara program files (while Carrara was shut down).  There are two folders under Presets>plants: Basic and Misc.  There is no "leaf folder."  Where the heck is the folder?  I added my custom leaf to the Misc folder, as it is one of the choices in the leaf menu when you want to add a leaf to a tree.  Unfortunately, after opening Carrara it did not show up in the menu

     

    Diomede said:
    I saved the leaf to my custom leaf folder - a folder that was specified as containing leaves when the folder was added to the browser!  Carrara remembers the folders specified as leaves.  When I entered the plant editor, my folder for custom leaves was on the pop up list for the "add" leaf option.

    This worked!  Thanks Diomede.  Carrara is a finiky beast sometimes.

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588

    I wanted to edit a texture on a native Carrara object.  In the shader room, the object has a Texture map, labled "Texture Map (OLD)."  When you hover under the map, the location of the map does not show up.  I searched the program files, but could not find it.  Are these OLD maps in some weird location?

  • de3ande3an Posts: 915

    I wanted to edit a texture on a native Carrara object.  In the shader room, the object has a Texture map, labled "Texture Map (OLD)."  When you hover under the map, the location of the map does not show up.  I searched the program files, but could not find it.  Are these OLD maps in some weird location?

     

    I think those OLD textures are saved internally in the Carrara file.

    You can get to them by saving the object as a new Carrara file in a new folder with the "Save all externally" texture option chosen.

    You'll be prompted to save each texture that is used on the object as a seperate file.

     

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588

    Thank you de3an, that did the trick!

  • Persona Non GrataPersona Non Grata Posts: 1,365
    edited January 2020

    You might have seen the following image earlier on this thread, before I decided to take it down... I just hated too many things about it (more about that later) and didn't feel I had enough time or know-how to do something about it...

    image

    Well here's my current attempt...

    image

    This is what I changed: I particularly hated the hair - it just looked 'cartoon.' There wasn't enough drama in the lighting or the too-close camera position. The mattress oozed 'cardboard.' The highlights on the carpet were all wrong. The back wall was oh so boring! The 'top sheet' was redone using the softbody modifier and converted to a separate mesh so I could 'hem' it. I can't share the previous incarnation as it has nudity in it, but here (below) is a highlight were you can see that the eye shader needed adjusting. 

    image image

    I forgot to attach an image of the scene file - oops!

    VictoriaCreatureScene.png
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    Post edited by Persona Non Grata on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,580

    Very nice! Love the lighting and shader work!

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588

    Terrific changes, Selina!  Much better hair and lighting.  The cloth especially looks great.  Thanks for joining the party. yes

    I thought you might put her in restraints. :)

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,580
    edited January 2020

    First attempt at trying to get something entered. Work has been nutzoid busy, kids have been sick and when they haven't been sick, been keeping me busy! LOL

    Got a bunch of animation tests rendered... so I'm happy there!

    Okay so this is one take on "50" - Fast Forward 50 (years)

    For this I created a whole different (Manga) Rosie character, put her on a drone flyer in a futurized city with moving elements to blur during Carrara's Motion Blur feature - something I rarely ever attempted... the last time being the crappy image I uploaded to this WIP thread.

    Okay so this image shows a very distant shot of the whole scene. The little glob on the bottom left is Urban Sprawl made larger with an elevated subway kit on the right side from this angle. It's not even all that visible in the render due to the motion blur - I had it really speeding along. The big box on the right is just that - a scaled cube with a rather cool bit of shader work on it, and then populated by hand with several selections from the wonderful Project Xion kits. This is not visible from the render. I changed my camera angle to better include the speeding subway. Even though it's not entirely recognizable in the render, it does add a lot to the finished image.

    Zoom in on Urban Sprawl a bit to help show how big it is. The Coflek Gnorg Techno Town Construction Kit was amazing for adding a nice Fast Forward look to an already beaten down city environment without making it look too squeaky clean. Coflek Gnorg is great at providing excellent Aged appearances. Now we can see the small subway setup as well. I can speed the cars past the camera during animations... looks really cool! :)

    Zoom in even more and rotate around to a similar angle to the render camera, and we can see the other vehicles added for a touch of motion and life. Although Rosie Manga and her drone block the Skyrider cars from view, their lights (in motion) added what I needed them too. We get a closer look at Coflek Gnorg's Steampunk Towers in this view as well - as separate kit from the Techno Town. 

    We also see the two Point Forces I've used to make the hair do what I wanted it to. I'm loving using Carrara's Physical forces to shape and constrain the hair - as well as to add environmental (like wind) motion.

    Textured view looking through the render camera

    Wireframe view - in this view we can better see some of the lights (most are set to not show in 3d view), especially the two that are attached to the prominent Street Light on the lower left in the render - one of a few that have a Carrara lens flare (modified Glare) effect added. I should also add that the rest of this big chunk of city (Urban Sprawl) is fully lit to assist in getting this shot to look the way it does - at night. Colorful, dirty city light at night.

    And here's the first render

    After color grading and adding a touch of VFX in Howler (Final Render and Entry)

    FF50_WIP03.jpg
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    FF50_WIP04.jpg
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    FF50_WIP01.jpg
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    FF50_WIP02.jpg
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    FastForward 50orig.jpg
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    FastForward 50.jpg
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    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,580

    I hope I didn't rush through the explanation too quickly. I'm really tired. Please ask if you have any questions on what I do for any of this stuff. I must say... it's weird for me to try and create a still image. It feels so much harder for me now since I spend so much time testing motions and colors in motion, lights in motion... you know... motion. So my renders are kinda smallish, I suppose.

  • Thanks Dart for your kind comments, love the hair in your epic!

    UB, the journey has only started for our starlette ;)

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588
    After color grading and adding a touch of VFX in Howler (Final Render and Entry)

    Very cool, Dart!  Thanks for the explanations.  The physical forces on the hair worked very well. yes  Hope to open that part of Carrara myself someday.

    Glad you found the time to enter!  Plenty of days left for more.

  • Thought I'd revisit the particles sparkles...

    image

    I also used a splat for the extra large glint in the foreground...

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588

    Selina, I love it.  It that has a huge impact for such a relatively small number of elements.  Well done!

    You filled that category.  Two more left. :)

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,580

    That is very cool, FENgari!!!

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,173

    Wow, lots of wonder works still being added.  Kudos to Selina and Dart.  

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588
    edited January 2020

    Our own Phil Wilkes is the PA sponsor.  At the conclusion of the Challenge, he will announce the winner of the PA prize (an item from his store, chosen by the winner).  For this special 50th Anniversary, he will choose, in his opinion, the render which best exemplifies Carrara.

    "I will be looking at use of Carrara features, image quality and overall appeal of the image," says Phil.

    Thank you, PhilW. yesyes

     

    Time to get busy, folks. :)  Four more days.

    Post edited by UnifiedBrain on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,580

    Thanks for the compliments and, yes! Thanks to PhilW for the support!!!

    BTW, that Animation course Rocks! It's a lot of fun, there's a LOT to it, and it comes with working files all the way through... I love it!!!

     

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,632
    edited January 2020

    UB very poignant Nurses render. Medical staff not always treated well when captured https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-47796046

    Selina - great to see your wonderful work

    Dart - excellent work, always love seeing your workflow

    Diomede - thanks for the tips

    Post edited by Bunyip02 on
  • Just a tree, a landscape and a realistic sky...

    My garden (the earth) has very few trees left - the ground is mostly moss and scorched clay... (click for the bigger picture)

    image

    The effect is achieved using Motion Blur, so little detail is needed in any of the simple elements. Here's a close up of the Motion blur settings...

    image

    ..also scene images are available below (note the unusual colours to achieve a harmonious final result.)

    Last_Tree_Scene.png
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    Last_Tree_Scene2.png
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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,173
    edited January 2020

    Simple wildcard entry.

     

    scene setup

     

    Carrara Modeling Kapow.jpg
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    setup.jpg
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,632
    FENgari said:

    Just a tree, a landscape and a realistic sky...

    My garden (the earth) has very few trees left - the ground is mostly moss and scorched clay... (click for the bigger picture)

    image

    The effect is achieved using Motion Blur, so little detail is needed in any of the simple elements. Here's a close up of the Motion blur settings...

    image

    ..also scene images are available below (note the unusual colours to achieve a harmonious final result.)

    Excellent !

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,632
    Diomede said:

    Simple wildcard entry.

     

    scene setup

     

    Great use of modelling skills, and great tribute to Cripeman !

  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588

    Diomede and Selina, nice entries!  Still a few days left.  Sunday is the last day to enter.  Each artist can enter up to 5 renders, depending on categories.

  • Persona Non GrataPersona Non Grata Posts: 1,365
    edited January 2020

    A little bit more this time: a basic dome, a flat pancake (melted with FluidosII) and a cylinder (twisted and bent) together with hair and one spotlight. I decided to add some spikey shapes made in the vertex model room and a few particles...  (click for the bigger picture)

    image

    ..here's the old picture below for comparison.

    image

    This could be a garden at the bottom of some liquid or on an alien world... (see scene file below)

    Garden_Scene.png
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    Post edited by Persona Non Grata on
  • UnifiedBrainUnifiedBrain Posts: 3,588

    Fascinating garden there Selina.  Definitely an undersea look.

  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675
    FENgari said:

    Thought I'd revisit the particles sparkles...

    image

    I also used a splat for the extra large glint in the foreground...

    sparkle particles !

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