Idiots guide or 'rendering for dummies'.

[Mike1158]

While I have rendered with a few programs now, I have barely scratched the surface of what is possible. I have a tutorial for TurboCad which I bought several years ago and frankly it was written in another language. I feel that there is room for someone with talent to produce a simple rendering tutorial which goes from basic rendering and graduates into the higher tech and complicated methods and post processing.

If I sound a bit awkward it is because I feel that way. Rendering can bring a great deal of pride in achievement but, without a realistic start to finish method of learning may leave many behind feeling lost and unsatisfied with the experience. Just my view and I appreciate that is all it is.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

[Phil Meadows]

I concur Mike. I had the same experience with Viz when it came out. Should have put that $1800 under my mattress. That program was so dense and unfriendly that I never got a decent image out of it. I had started out with good old Lightscape—super easy to use and the manual explained everything so well. Of course, Autodesk bought them out and killed it. Sorry... rant over!

The video tutorials for Twilight explained a lot to me, did they not help you? I also thought the manual was pretty helpful. It's the render-ese here in the forum that is over my head

[tomsdesk]

Yeah...I'd love to find a good glossery that explains the terms in some depth (and gives some hints on which way the sliders work :`)

[Mike1158]

Thanks guys, not alone then. I appreciate that there are tips out there and here they are probably some of the best, however, My renders will not match those of the cogniscenti here and while I do not go for envy can see myself not achieving the same without more understanding of the techniques involved. Take the first test model which was placed here by Fletch I think. The model may be there, the textures may be there but, not understanding what makes a wall look like it is a wall in sunlight from a flat piece of screen with a bit of tone on it is the difference.

Like all things this is something that some will get easily and others like me will struggle with or give up on. The difference is being able to take the novice along for the ride, and making them profficient.

If I have offended anyone I appologise, I'm sorry. Just thought I'd chuck my ten penceworth in the pot for consideration. See? Even opinions cost more these days, tsk tsk......

[Fletch]

Twilight is basically meant for our architect/designer friends who, like myself, are "architects in a hurry"... most architects just want to get a decent image to show their idea to a client... they don't want the sparkles of diamonds or splitting of light rays into rainbows or to create lasers... they just want a nice rendering.

It is our sincerest hope that the video tutorials already given, and the ones upcoming will do this for you.

In addition, we have about 4 scenes created from scratch that are intended to be a very in-depth ... from the start of the model to the final render including post production tweaks if desired. But this type of tutorial, in order to be a success, will take serious time to polish.

If you post an image on a forum, people will comment on the image and say 'this or that' can be improved. This is how we all learn, and we were all new at some point... no shame in being new to something.

Twilight Render attempts to be the 'bridge' that many 'new' people were missing... but making it fairly easy to apply complex materials and render settings. Of course, doing that may leave the truly advanced people scratching their heads so that they can accomplish their laser guided LED ice block diamonds, but it is much easier to get them sorted out, than to explain to a new person how to do a layered masked material including 5 different channels and possible 4 layers... instead, in Twilight, they get to apply Shiny Plastic and check the box "edge lines" and set a thickness, and voila, they're rolling.

So, you have a great and valid suggesion here, and it's something we are actively working on.

So, hang in there, don't take the criticism too seriously, keep in mind the goal of the rendering... and read the manual, at the end of it the reference section attempts to explain a good many terms.

[olishea]

This is a guide to the science behind CGI.

I can't remember who posted it, but thanks, its a good guide.

http://www.subdivisionmodeling.com/foru ... hp?t=13176

[Mike1158]

Hi Fletch, sorry, I think I managed to miss the target by a country mile. I was not talking about the twilight team coming up with such a piece of work, rather a general tome which deals with the rendering art as a whole. From start to finish, what is meant by anti-aliasing etc and general tips on the process of taking a dull as ditchwater 3d model and making a first class render. Perhaps I just blew the question/comment so wide of the mark nobody got what I meant.

I think being old school makes this a harder task than it could because I like to sit quietly with a book or manual and read through things until I understand better and this pdf stuff is just a pita what with the darn pages not scrolling as easily as my eyes do. Page marking is easier too.

Something else which is easier is skipping from topic to topic, using what you need and leaving the rest for another day but that may just be my age talking. When I was in school we had one computer and it took most of a classroom to fit it. Some ten students got so much as a look at the thing. Now, there is more computer power in the average watch.

I am very sorry if I have allowed some recent dissapointments cramp my usual style, I happen to think you guys have got this so right I am not sure how anyone else will manage to catch up, tough job and big boots. I shall continue to muddle through, sometimes making bigger or smaller mistakes and try to work things out. Twilight really does give me a better startt than I may otherwise have had. Thanks to everyone involved.

[Fletch]

First, Please read the link Oli posted 2 posts up, it's fantastic! And should be required reading for students

Hi Mike, seriously though, we have been planning the "starting from scratch" starter kit type of tutorial for over a year... it does take time to do that sort of thing right.

There are many many books on the topic of rendering, I suggest a search at B&N or Amazon

Usually they are based on an application or two because each app. will have particularities and terminologies, and well, to talk about it, you have to speak the language, same with any fine art or technical profession, really... architects, engineers, doctors, marine biologists, 3D rendering specialists, we all have to speak a language in order to communicate clearly with one another.

[Ecuadorian]

I started myself in computer graphics with weekly collectibles about Corel Draw!version 3.0. They even came with a VHS tape . They explained the very basics, like, what are pixels, what are vector graphics, how computers show colors on your screen, etc. I already had an idea of all that but that was the first time I saw it fully explained. This knowledge of 2D graphics served as the basis for me. Years after that, around 2001, I tried POV-ray without a modeller, just by typing commands, and learned a lot of terminology that I still use today.

So I would recommend to first get the basics. An introductory course to 2D graphics might prove a lot easier to grasp than a book about 3D, because books about 3D assume you already know everything about 2D graphics. But this thread gave me an idea: What if we create an online glossary?

[Boofredlay]

This Glossary might help as well.
http://www.3d-animation.com.ar/glossary_3d_1.php