[Ritual]

I run into the same problem with my work computer, I have to turn off reflection to get any desent rendering time.

Can't wait for the update, you have the makings of a really great scene.

Where are the tutorals you've been writing? would like to read them. I'm always learning.

:beer:

Ryan

[CrazyMerlin]

a friend and I just started a graphics forum.

he is focusing on 2D and I on 3D

we are gonna call it NewArtGraphics.com, but we haven't parked the domain yet so the address is http://www.michaelspace.ws/bb

join up and join in

like I said we've really just started so there isn't a huge amount of content at the moment.

[Warlock 279]

...i'm there!

...i hope you get your renders squared away i know what you're going thru...i'm fighting my render times too...i'm at 15 to 20 minutes a pass...

[CrazyMerlin]

Ok, here is an update.

I still have half a day so I'm gonna play around with the light, and maybe set up a nice line!! lol

I removed the card and added a mirroe for the coke/razor/tube but am not sure whether it's better.

Any crit?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/AllGlass.jpg

.

[NoStr0m0]

Hi...sorry to be the one to burst the bubble but...

It may be just me but there are too many reflections in that area and you get lost...
I liked the card better. And not because there was a lil' lady on it :blush:

Except that I love it :bow: great work...good luck!

[Warlock 279]

you know...you've got two really cool images here...

...the last one with the card was really cool and there wasn't much to be improved there...and the second looks really cool...like nostromo said you can get lost in the reflection...which i kinda find to a positive thing...altho i'm partial to shiny things...

...in regards to the best solution...i might consider taking the bottle and the die from the newer post and putting them into the one with the card...or bringing the card into the newer one...gee...i just talked in circle there...aanyway...

...the die looks really good and adds a nice small detail...and the new bottle is really awesome...i think that's a major improvement over the other...but losing the card kinda takes something away from the scene...b/c you lose the sexual element...albeit mostly a subliminal element but its alway a powerful one...however you've added the element of the drugs which is a whole new idea...so you've got a loss for a gain...and in the end you're coming up even...and that's a tough a spot to be in...i know its killing me...

...okay having said that and i hope you can make sense out of it as i'm quite tired and past the state of incoherent...here's where i would head if this were in my hands to finish...

...i would bring the card into the newer image...as i find the blue hues more appealing than the orange...i would tuck that card either up in the right between the ashtray and the gun...kinda giving you a feeling of lost love or having killed for love or something...whatever you do i wouldn't break up the gun ashtray combo...the way they are now gives you a nice "smoking barrel" thing the way it plays with the smoke from the ashtray...i would also bring over a a cpl of the bullets...maybe but a spent casing in there as well...make it looke like the gun's been recently fired...further emphasizing the smoking barrel effect...i'd would definately soften the reflection on the table as you can hardly differentiate it from the mirror and by softening it you would solve that simply...also...if you wanted to bring the sexual element back into it without using the card...perhaps swap the coke for "e" i don't know if you've seen the movie "bad boys II" but on the the pills they have the trucker pose girl...the same as on your card but only in sihlouette...so that could reintroduce that element...and...ummm...well i think that's it...

...oh and the story i've personally drawn/amd drawing form you image is a lovers quarrel and the man just shot his love...

...and now i go....cause i'm falling asleep and i don't wanna drool on my keyboard...best of luck and i'm looking forward to however you resolve this as i'm sure it will be a killer image!:zzz: :zzz: :zzz:

[CrazyMerlin]

ok, a little under 12 hours to go!

I have decided to keep the scene as is but I do agree about the table so changed that entirely.

I feel I have to keep the mirror because of the coke.

I have altered the lighting again (and again, and again.....) adding a point light to show some detail at the front by the camera, and I've taken the other lights to a point where they are only used for caustics except the blue tint light, which I've left.

So far this evening I have only read my Lightwave 3D Lighting book 3 times. I bought it just for this competition and it has stood me in good sted and taught me a lot.

Since this thing started I have read it cover to cover 4 times, and browsed it at least 20.

You could say that now I see the light. Some concepts take a few "um" before they become an "ah!", but I got there.

I am currently rendering what I hope to be the final image. This will take about another hour or so to render.

The only problem with doing a realistic-looking scene is render time...

6 lights (4 spot, 1 distant, 1 point)
4 lights affecting caustics (52%, 6000, 4)
HDRI (kitchen probe)
Chrome
Glass
Gold
Brass
2 liquids
1 mirror
5 texture maps
lots of procedurals

and still I consider "Should I add..."

enough! It will go as is, or it will haunt me forever!

[Ritual]

Wow looking great, I defently wouldn't add anything more. I agree about the reflections. Keep the mirror but lose the reflection on the table.

Ryan

[Ritual]

Just look at your final, looks great. Good luck.

Ryan

:beer:

[Warlock 279]

...it turned out really well...changing the table made a world of diffeence on the final render...

...and i know that feeling of not wanting it to end b/c there's always one more thing to change or one more light to increase its intensity by 5% or one onbject that...yeah...i'll be quite now and go back to harassing my piece as time is waning fast...

...great job...and good luck