I-Ray Renders: Unwanted Blue Shadows & Poor Gradients

Tynkere

Am stumped on the following, so hoping to get some expert advice.   : )

Render optimization for the following? 

1.) Both indoors and in the test scene, undesirable blue shadows sometimes appear along the hairline-- esp blond hair.  

2.) Blue shadows also appear where skin folds onto itself (right elbow/forearm in test scene.)

3.) Rough, almost pixilated looking gradients on forearms look horrible.

So what am I doing wrong?

Terradome3 Environment Intensity is default 1.1 ; the camera lamp is off.  One spotlight to fill in some of the harsh shadows where she is shielding eyes from sun.

nonesuch00

I see no 'blue shadows' anywhere, just normal shadows. If there is blue glass or something blue and reflective it will reflect blue light into shadows making the area where the reflected blue light intersects the shadows look like blue shadows.

The pixelation can be antialias by turning the SubD on Render to higher values of 2, 3, or 4. The higher the number the more polygons are used to make smooth details, and the more render time it takes. There is also viewport SubD, turn it up will reduce pixelation and improve geometry shape in your preview ports but will slow down manipulating your scene in DAZ Studio.

Odaa

What you're calling blue, I see as a vague darker color close to the hair roots. That's a texturing technique some of the hair makers use, and I would recommend you use the hair shader product of your choice instead.

agent unawares

I see what you're talking about. It's pretty weird. I have no idea how to fix this.

nonesuch00

Oh that. That is the hair cap. A lot of hair models hair them as a eye trick to reduce the number of polygons in the hair model. Without that you'd think the person had mange or something. You cat use cutout opacity on the 'cap' element of the hair model and slide it towards 0 or you can change the diffure color for the cap to be closer to the color of the blond hair instead of the roots of the hair.

Serene Night

Some lighting causes hair caps to be more visible. I had this issue with one of my characters. In certain lighting the cap would show. Nothing I could do would conceal it

Tynkere

Ah.  “SubD” setting.  Very useful!

Much better now for face & arm holding binoculars.

Here’s crop showing odd shadow color (viewers right.)  My monitor, or can anyone else see it?

 

Am attaching second render after subD helped.

1.) For the other arm (viewers left) any way for less contrast to upper arm?  (from elbow to her shirt)  

Will try suggestions about hair ‘cap.’  

Or...  Different product?  

“Girly Locks Hair” is almost exact match to style have been drawing in cartoons for longer than I care to admit.  “Whitney Hair” was just closest I could find.  

2.) Anyone know similar hairstyle to “Girly Locks” but without the hairband?

Finally, if I want to get better at this, I need to work on expressions.  Teeth giving me trouble.  Think their surface is ‘matte rubber’ which renders gray & hides them.  Spent a day now working on surface settings to get them to ‘pop out’ yet not be too bright.

3.) Teeth look realistic?  Suggestions for surface settings on teeth? 

4.) Smile looks realistic or fake? 

Want to learn how to use specific sliders for each part of an expression rather than just one slider-- ‘smile’ ‘frown’ ‘flirt’ etc.  Seems like a character will look pretty good, but opening his/her mouth gives the game away!

Anyway, something not quite right about smile imo.  Maybe others can spot what I’m missing.  Been looking at it too long.

Thanks for reading rather long reply.  Was hesitant to post in this section with all the experienced users, but glad I did.  Great advice so far.  If have the time, keep it coming!

--Bruce

 

agent unawares

Tynkere said:

Anyway, something not quite right about smile imo.  Maybe others can spot what I’m missing.  Been looking at it too long.

Needs more effect on eyes and rest of face. Right now the smile is just on her mouth which makes her look nervous. Put in some cheek movement and eye squinting, a little asymmetry.

nonesuch00

The actual smile looks really good but you need to dial-in some of the mirionette lines on the face if you have the head morphs product.

Also you need the crow's feet and 'buldging upper cheeks/lower eyelid but not too much when a person smiles.

Teeth look good to me, maybe very white but not the whitest I've scene, even on real people.

Don't know what is causing your arm problem - I see the whiter colored line between the forearm & the bicep not not sure of the cause - maybe if you have the forearm bent so much that it would press against the bicep in real life, in DAZ the forearm & bicep would pass through each other and may that is the cause of that line. Of could be just very bright light reflecting off the hidden side of the forearm onto the bicep. ???

 

IceDragonArt

Tynkere said:

Was hesitant to post in this section with all the experienced users, but glad I did.  Great advice so far.  If have the time, keep it coming!

--Bruce

Take a good look at the beginning of some of those threads by experienced users.  We all started right where you are at (or worse lol).  We are a super friendly, helpful bunch most of the time. Please don't hesitate to ask.  Someone usually knows at least a direction to look in. 

And welcome!

Tynkere

@ Agent Unawares

Good call.  Easy to see once someone points it out.  (attachment) Tried a few you suggested & also things like less gloss on lipstick, nail polish, etc.  Discovering surface settings in IRay more difficult than the lighting.  Had figured that would be the hard part. 

@ Nonesuch00

Bizzarre bend shading:
Bulls-eye once again!  Lessen bend & voila' --  No shadow.  I checked & 'limits' are on.  Try to avoid extreme end of sliders I guess. 

Unfortunately, back to harsh, high contrast shadows to edges of forearm.

This is just IRay & would have to add a light to soften?  I notice the shadows over her face (where I have a fill-light) seem to have nicer, softer looking edges.

Facial expressions:

For marionette lines & others, what product is that?  Be very interested if gives more flexibility/options.

Quick store search turned up quite a few.  Two looked promising.   

"200 Head/Face Morphs" bundle looks versatile, but not sure if would help with expressions.  Seems geared towards custom faces.

DAZ makes their own of course, but don't know if individual controls, or groups.  Names like "Concentrate, Bored, Happy, etc." imaginative I guess, but not sure what they'd really do.

Advice on an 'expressions' product most welcome.

@ IceDragonArt

Thanks for welcome & encouragement!  Hadn't thought of it that way.  Will give credit where it's due though.  Another member having trouble with long renders made me decide to just post and be done with it.

Am semi-retired so have the time to be patient.  Hopefully (with practice) I'll get there. : )

What DS might lack in its PDF user guide, more than made up for by helpful members here at forum!