October, 2024 - Daz 3D New User Challenge - Atmosphere, Ghosts and Special Effects
Leana
Posts: 11,647
New User's Challenge – October, 2024
Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest challenge.
We are breaking down each month into 2 different challenges. A Beginner Challenge and then also an Intermediate Challenge.
So which "Challenge" should you choose?
Follow the Beginner Challenge if you are:
- New to the New User Challenges
- New to Daz Studio
- Newer to 3D Rendering in General
Follow the Intermediate Challenge if you have:
- Participated in the New User Challenge for awhile
- Know the basics of Daz Studio and would like to learn more in depth topics
- Been using 3D Rendering Applications for awhile and feel comfortable with learning Intermediate Topics
*Please be sure to list in your post which Challenge level you are participating in*
Closing date for both is October 31, 2024
For a list of the current challenge rules, please see this thread: Challenge Rules
They apply for both versions of the challenge.
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Beginner challenge - "Atmosphere"
Creating atmosphere in art is more than simply using some godrays, fog or dust in an image. It is creating a feeling; a sense of place or time. It needs to enhance and bring attention to the subject matter.
Tutorials
for DAZ Studio Iray:
http://sickleyield.deviantart.com/journal/Tutorial-Creating-Dust-And-Atmosphere-in-Iray-522291773
http://rawart3d.deviantart.com/art/Raw-FogCam-535959358 free product
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/334586/tutorial-adding-atmosphere-with-a-depth-canvas - this tutorial explains how to use a Depth Canvas
https://www.moonscapegraphics.com/post/2016/02/11/adding-an-atmosphere-in-iray - includes a sample scene you can download via Dropbox
DAZ Studio 3Delight:
http://www.omnifreaker.com/index.php?title=UberVolume
Linwelly's Simple Atmosphere Tutorial for 3Delight ( may also work in Iray ): https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/1654176/#Comment_1654176
for Carrara:
Atmosphere Test Scenes for Carrara: http://www.sharecg.com/v/33708/related/5/3D-Model/Atmosphere-Test-Scenes-for-Carrara
https://carraracafe.com/atmosphere-tutorial/
for Bryce:
Artist’s guide Sky Lab page 759
Bryce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahiyabdeUBI DOF in Bryce by David Brinnen
Bryce 7.1 Pro Easy - Spooky trees in Dan's fog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-lDcqH78Is
Bryce Basics - Free content cloud over Big Sur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs9490Co-XE
Atmospheric Basics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyLOZWevi8g A Blender tutorial but the first 46 seconds really give you an idea of what atmosphere can be like.
What are some other elements for creating atmosphere:
https://prezi.com/dmvb-nlsj_wr/creating-mood-in-art/
http://www.zevendesign.com/mood-lines-giving-designs-attitude/
An article in DS Creative Magazine (Page 40-41)
Don't forget to look at previous themed contests where information and hints are available.
October 2015's contest
October 2016's contest
October 2017's contest
October 2018’s contest
October 2019’s challenge
October, 2020's challenge
October, 2021's challenge
October, 2022's challenge
October, 2023's challenge
There are many products in the DAZ store which can be of help. You are not required to purchase any of these products to create your images. They are simply being listed for your convenience and/or inspiration. The promo images are also excellent examples of atmosphere using props and/or lights. Below is just a small sample.
DAZ Studio - Iray
Iray Distance Mist
Iray Distance Fog
Atmocam2
Iray Storm
Plane Easy Atmospheres
Fast Fog Iray 2: Electric Fogaloo -
IG Iray Dawn to Dusk 2 Atmospheric Lighting
FSL Rigged and Morphing Atmosphere Props and Shaders
Fog Camera
Time Inside Light Gels Bundle
Cinematic Light FX plus Atmosphere
Epic Props: Godrays & Volumetric Light for Iray
Atmospheric Smoke Camera
Iray Dust
SY dForce Rain Iray
SY Fast and Easy Fog Iray
SY Fast Fog and Atmosphere Iray
DAZ Studio - 3Delight
Above the Fog for Iray and 3Delight
Simple Godrays
Expanded Godrays - Celestial Bodies
Heavy Rain for 3Delight and Iray
Daz Studio - Filament
Atmosphere for Filament
SY Atmospheric Blur Filament
Poser
Widow’s Woods: Forest
RDNA Atmospherics – Fog Vol 1
Spooky Light Gels for Poser
Bryce
Bryce ATMO
Some other items that may be of help in this Challenge:
The Golden rules of rendering can be found:
Bryce http://www.daz3d.com/golden-rules-composition-helpers-for-bryce
DAZ Studio http://www.sharecg.com/v/67783/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/Golden-Rules-Camera-Prop-v1.5
Also, DS has a built in thirds golden rule.
Here are various links to other things that may help you in this month's challenge. Credit is given to Szark for this wonderful thread.
Tutorials by Szark https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/2765/time-for-sharing-what-i-have-no-idea/p1
Here are some examples of images using "Atmosphere" provided by CV L'Adair.
Heart Of Winter
In The Misty Moonlight
The Night Watch
Dubious Shelter
Nocturnal
Here are some examples of atmosphere using lighting.
Strange Discovery
Yuzuru Full
Yuzuru
This was my home once
Intermediate Challenge - Ghosts and Special Effects
Working with Magical Elements and Forces
In this challenge you can use lighting, effects, atmospherics, special effects and volumetric effects to bring your artwork to the next level whether it is adding magic to your favourite witchy scene or turning your favourite beloved characters into a ghost set to haunt people’s dreams
You Tube Tutorials
Daz 3D Shader Tutorial : Introducing Volumetrics in 4.20
Creating Atmospheric Ground Fog with Daz Studio 4.20 Volumetric Effects
Creating Volumetric Fires and Explosions in Daz Studio 4.20
Erste Schritte mit VDB Volumetrics in Daz Studio 4.20
Getting Started with Volumetrics in Daz Studio 4.20
Written Tutorial
Daz Tutorial new Volumetric Feature in DS4.20
Various Products that may be of help:
Muelsfell Storm of Magic Iray FX
Jepe's Effects - various products
Special FX for Daz Studio, 2 and 3
Soldiers of Magic: Serpio
Ultraviolet Shaders, Lights, and Props
Iray Ghost Shaders
Vengeful Spirit for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female(s)
dForce Sheet Ghost for Genesis 8 Female
Iray Spectre for Genesis 8 Female and Male
SY Real Fog Iray VDB and SY Real Fog VDB 2
Oso VDB Magus Effects Volume 1 and Oso VDB Magus Effects Volume 2
Arcane VFX
PTF More Magic!
Ethereal VDB FX
Superhero Body FX and Eyes and Face FX for Genesis 8 Females
Special thanks to L'Adair for creating an example image containing ghosts.
Here's a little something for the Atmosphere challenge that I did last night.
First person, haze/dust so thick that all we realy see of what is coming at us is it's silhouette and glowing eyes. More texture work is neaded as the set is pre-Iray.
Wow, the image is very dynamic and the framed moment generates some complexity for me. The weapons still in play create a moment that is difficult for me to define. I mean, the guns have been fired moments before the image and the silhouette has approached very quickly afterwards? It is the perception that at the moment seems to make the most sense.
Good start!
My main remark would be that all the "lights" are more or less the same color, so they tend to draw my eyes in the same way.
I would try changing the colors a bit so you have different lights in the foreground (guns), middle (eyes) and background (spotlights), to see if it gives more "depth" to the pic.
Here's version B.
Tried using SubD on the demon coming at us, changed the lighting settings of the light surface in the background and lit up an ambiant light just out of frame leting us see of the enviroment closer to us and casting a little more light on the demon by proxy. Also did some more texture work on the set.
A "ghost" picture for the Intermediate Challenge, inspired by Poe's "The Raven". Created in DAZ Studio, with postwork in Affinity Photo.
Sorry, I missed the updates to this thread among all the discussions about Premier membership...
I like the new version. The subD makes the demon more realistic. The red light gives more depth to the picture, and we can see a glimpse of the teeth which makes the demon more menacing.
Really nice one!
Entry number two, for the Intermediate Challenge: "The Opera Ghost". DS with post in Affinity Photo.
♪ The phantom of the Opera is here... inside my mind ♬
Nice scene!
The position of the ghost is not completely clear to me: is he between the girl and the mirror, and partly transparent? Is he coming out of the mirror?
He's (supposed to be) coming out of the mirror: transparent in the mirror, but becoming solid as he emerges. (I might have another go, and try to make it more obvious, if I get the chance!)
intermediate challange entry
ghosts & special effects
made with daz / no postwork
the Exosism | Daz 3D
hope my entry isn't too late. i'm finally starting to get my head back after getting sick about a month and a half ago, and couldn't picture anything in my head. far from perfect, but i'm just happy i'm starting to produce images in my head again. i've tried creating stuff for this all month long. but this is the first i've uploaded since early last month.
I'm working on this image, I want to add more content, but I don't know if I'll have time. One of the biggest difficulties is to understand ground fog, the behavior depending on the environment is infinite or finite makes some parameters disorient me a lot, I hope to understand them one day...
Someone knows how to make a depth of field map of the Cameras, such as the depth map in black and white, being for example the darkest or lightest color, the most focused area.
Another version of the image
Challenge is open until the 31st, so no you're no too late :)
The pic is quite good already IMO. The mood and story are well set.
A few areas that might be improved a bit IMO: The "flames" are a bit too straight / uniform in their directions, and should probably cast a bit more light or reflections on the table / altar the corpse is on like the red light does. And there's a ray of light which is a bit distracting in the middle as it has a sharp edge where it meets the table.
If I understand correctly, you want a map of "how focused it is" based on the depth of field settings of your camera? I'm not sure it's possible to do that...
The two versions of the pic give a rather different impression: first one was more uniform and rather quiet, second one draws the attention to the foreground plants and the fog.
Yes, I am looking for how to make a depth map according to the DOF. As with the depth of field map you can edit some details depending on whether the elements are closer or farther away, think about editing some details of the most focused and least focused elements of the image. I don't know if there's a quick and directly to make a black and white DOF map to make it easier to edit those details later.
The first image is an experiment, mixing render image from Filament and Iray, to get an idea of how to make the final image.
The second is Iray only, trying to emphasize the difference between exterior and interior lighting.
The starting point was this image, but it had several difficulties. The figure was very much in semi-darkness, when adding a spotlight to illuminate the figure, the fog configured with anistropy in negative values to generate the effect inside the construction, it made the light from the spotlight revote towards the camera, with practically only the fog being seen in the image.
Here is my entry for the beginner atmospheric challenge. I wanted to convey a more ominous Lovecraftian scene.
Title - Whispers of an Ancient Hunger
Software - DAZ 4.23 and Photoshop CC for some mild post processing to brighten the colors and glow.
i see what your saying. i saw it too after i had it rendered. the main problem is i didn't have my aspect ratio proper for the image i was trying to get. really they weren't even meant to be flames lol. what looks like flames is actually vdb clouds streached out, then i have epic god rays hitting them like the demons were being sucked away byt the light of god. but yeah, i should have changed the aspect ratio to show more of the god rays. instead of 16:9, i prolly should have went maybe 16:12 or something. i feel that would have told the story much better. sadly, today being the last day for this challange and there is no prizes to be won or anything, in these. i'll let this one ride as is. next month, i'll get something in early enough to make corrections.
i see what your saying. i saw it too after i had it rendered. the main problem is i didn't have my aspect ratio proper for the image i was trying to get. really they weren't even meant to be flames lol. what looks like flames is actually vdb clouds streached out, then i have epic god rays hitting them like the demons were being sucked away byt the light of god. but yeah, i should have changed the aspect ratio to show more of the god rays. instead of 16:9, i prolly should have went maybe 16:12 or something. i feel that would have told the story much better. sadly, today being the last day for this challange and there is no prizes to be won or anything, in these. i'll let this one ride as is. next month, i'll get something in early enough to make corrections.
intermediate challange entry
ghosts & special effects
made with daz / no postwork
the Exosism | Daz 3D
sorry, accidently hit it twice and no idea how to deleate a post.
Intermediate Challenge - Ghosts and Special Effects
Title - Instant on the edge
Software - DAZ 4.23 and Photoshop
Beginner challenge - "Atmosphere"
Title - Instant peaceful at sunset
Software - DAZ 4.23 and Photoshop
Here are two images of what I was trying to explain, the first is a render of canvas Depth, the second is the editing of this map trying to apply the DOF of the camera to the depth areas. It's the first time I've tried it, I've done it in Photoshop, if anyone is interested I can explain it in detail, possibly it can be done in almost any image editing program. But I have made this map as a guideline and possibly does not coincide at all, the amount and distance of DOF with the depth gradient. I thought about using this type of map for example to apply sharpening effects, without the sharpening effect affecting the most blurred area and having concordance with the blur.
Best regards
This Challenge has now ended....
Thank you to everyone who participated! <3