The 2013 Stonemason Catalogue Contest

18911131440

Comments

  • StonemasonStonemason Posts: 1,160
    edited December 1969

    Jamahoney is this weeks random winner...please check your PM's to claim your prize...

    thanks
    Stefan

    PS:some awesome images this week,it's going to be very difficult choosing winners

  • 3WC3WC Posts: 1,091
    edited December 1969

    Jamahoney is this weeks random winner...please check your PM's to claim your prize...

    thanks
    Stefan

    PS:some awesome images this week,it's going to be very difficult choosing winners

    Yeah, those random numbers will be my only chance to win a prize.

  • MotoTsumeMotoTsume Posts: 520
    edited December 1969

    wwes said:
    Jamahoney is this weeks random winner...please check your PM's to claim your prize...

    thanks
    Stefan

    PS:some awesome images this week,it's going to be very difficult choosing winners

    Yeah, those random numbers will be my only chance to win a prize.

    I have been thinking that also LOL

  • 3dLux3dLux Posts: 1,225
    edited December 1969

    The entries totally rule :cheese:

    Not an entry, but I wanted to contribute :-P

    Made with Stonemason's Dark Star :-)


    Title: Erinyes

    Erinyes_Amazon_7_tilted_sharpened_smaller.png
    2000 x 1500 - 4M
  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    ok samc a sean, way to raise the bar, this just got real

    ...don't think I have a pole long enough to vault it.
  • DireBunnyDireBunny Posts: 556
    edited February 2013

    Ok i am going to add one Not an Entry picture, even though it is already a part of my actual entry (did that make sense?)

    Alrighty then moving on.... Even though my first entry didn't make an impact, I thought it would be cool to show off the work i did on the background since most of it is blurred and obscured in the final picture.


    Ok, Ok, i know it isn't great "lol" but this actually marks the first time i got serious about working on something, and maybe, someday in the future i just might get serio.... nope couldn't finish that sentence with out laughing.

    So anyway enough yapping from me.


    (oh Edit to add Ds3A and Gimp 2. something or other)

    before_and_after2.jpg
    1200 x 1288 - 397K
    Post edited by DireBunny on
  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    ok samc a sean, way to raise the bar, this just got real

    And just think. the contest isn't even close to being over. I can't imagine what will be coming in next few weeks or so.
    (/bangs head into desk repeatedly trying to think of a good idea this time for second entry)
    ...well considering I am still struggling with system configuration issues, which when finally solved still leave me with several weeks of installing and rebuilding runtimes. testing all the links & such, I might be lucky to have one of those 11th hour submissions I'm famous for.

    No way can I compete on this level with the six year old notebook.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    Spazzi said:
    Ok so entry number two into the Stonemason competition. I hope you guys like it.

    There is a story to go with it, but I am not going to relate it here. When the competition is over and I can put it up on DA I'll tell it then. I'll simply say that it involves a tortured soul and her son escaping a truly sickening scenario at a "scientific" research station which investigates strange phenomena (I know, it sounds pretty cliche, but it has it's own plot devices).

    Title: Lost Souls
    Created in DAZ Studio 4.5 pro, rendered with LuxRender and Reality. I used the Stonemason "generic sci-fi corridor for this piece. For those interested the dress the female character is wearing was made by Vampyric Saiyaness on Deviant Art, who kindly let me use it in this piece (http://vampyric-saiyaness.deviantart.com/art/VS-Rainbow-Dress-347020518).

    Anyway, hope you enjoy this artwork and good luck to all the competitors :)


    ...this is both frightening and beautiful.
  • 3WC3WC Posts: 1,091
    edited December 1969

    Even though my first entry didn't make an impac

    It made an impact on me, even though I didn't comment at the time. This is one of my favorites so far.

  • DireBunnyDireBunny Posts: 556
    edited February 2013

    wwes said:
    Even though my first entry didn't make an impac

    It made an impact on me, even though I didn't comment at the time. This is one of my favorites so far.

    Thanks :). I'm just pretty nervous and excited about this pic , cause i just had to go and do some new techniques i never tried to do before and do them with out any practice as a contest entry.

    (still not a fan of this forums smileys. the smiley face looks more sarcastic than smiling)

    Edit: before i forget again. congrats @Jamahoney

    Post edited by DireBunny on
  • FobokFobok Posts: 96
    edited December 1969

    Second Entry: Station Defense

    A pirate raid on a cargo station goes wrong as they discover a navy Destroyer there to defend it.

    Stonemason Product: The Core

    Software:
    Daz Studio 4.5 Pro
    Photoshop Elements 10

    (I hope there's enough of The Core visible in this image. I tried to put it behind the action to hide that it didn't fit the scale that I wanted for the image, as I wanted it to represent a much larger space station than its usual scale.)

    Wasp-Battle.jpg
    1500 x 844 - 279K
  • SpazziSpazzi Posts: 6
    edited February 2013

    Kyoto Kid said:

    ...this is both frightening and beautiful.

    Thank you! I was kinda going for a frightening yet (at the same time) not horrifying look :)

    Post edited by Spazzi on
  • ServantServant Posts: 754
    edited December 1969

    Jamahoney is this weeks random winner...please check your PM's to claim your prize...

    thanks
    Stefan

    PS:some awesome images this week,it's going to be very difficult choosing winners

    Congrats, Jamahoney!

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    Indeed, Congrats Jay and well done.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Congrats to Jay. And I must say this contest is great and the level of the renders just keeps ramping up all the time. Whimper!

  • JamahoneyJamahoney Posts: 1,791
    edited December 1969

    Many thanks to Stefan for picking my entry...though I have to admit it’s the model that really is the winner – so, so detailed, just don’t know how he makes them.

    Thanks also to Wwes, BorgyB, Chohole and Jaderail...for the contrats. The competition is certainly heating up if the ‘Not an Entry’ entries are anything to go by. Can’t wait to see ‘real ‘ entries from you.

    Jay

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    Congrats to Jay. And I must say this contest is great and the level of the renders just keeps ramping up all the time. Whimper!

    ...I feel your pain.

    I wish the IT fairies were real and I'd wake up one morning to find all the system configuration issues with new workstation solved and my apps/content installed and ready to go.

  • UHFUHF Posts: 512
    edited February 2013

    Hello... I'm a huge Stonemason fan. In fact I think the majority of my renders have something by Stonemason in them.

    This one is called, "I told you not to peak when I was buffing myself."
    This is rendered in Lux via Reality 2. I'm using Utopia Deck C, and of Course Cambot. The V4 is Fembot at Renderosity.

    DontPeak_-_small.jpg
    1844 x 1037 - 624K
    Post edited by UHF on
  • UHFUHF Posts: 512
    edited February 2013

    The attached are earlier renders of mine. (Therefore not entrants in the contest.)

    First, "The Goddess Is Dead", this is one of my first renders with Lux via Reality. This uses the stonemason Jungle set, Alfaseed Goddess (runtimeDNA), and Xurge fantasy Ranger (with ADMRs daz textures).


    This next one was called Messiah, also with Lux via Reality. The background is stonemason's Urban Future 3.


    Next image is Dinostore staring Cambot (hard to make that guy look bad), done with Lux via Reality.

    The last render is No Mercy , using Enchanted Forest 2. Also done with Lux via Reality.

    No_Mercy_-_Small.jpg
    1844 x 1037 - 768K
    Dinostore_-_Small.jpg
    1844 x 1037 - 542K
    110_-_Small.jpg
    1844 x 1037 - 383K
    Goddess_Is_Really_Dead.jpg
    1106 x 1017 - 294K
    Post edited by UHF on
  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    ...carp, if Lux is brought into the fray than I know it is all over for me. Gonna take months to learn how to tweak the shaders to get good results on skin tones.

  • UHFUHF Posts: 512
    edited December 1969

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ...carp, if Lux is brought into the fray than I know it is all over for me. Gonna take months to learn how to tweak the shaders to get good results on skin tones.

    Actually there are no shaders. The equivalent is materials, and that has nothing to do with human skin. Lux is a real world physics simulation. The materials really do mimic their real world counter parts. This includes cameras and films films.

    Mr... 'mason uses it too. Take a look at the render credits here;
    http://www.daz3d.com/utopia-deck-c

    What you actually spend time doing in Reality is lighting your set. Like real world cameras getting high contrast (light to dark) is impossible. So you spend huge amounds of time lighting a set to get the image just right.
    http://preta3d.com/kill-the-render-noise-form-your-lux-scenes/

    If you look at "No Mercy" the last image above, there are 8 lights on the scene. There are no uber or environment lights to make your life easy.

    The entrant image, "I told you not to peak when I was buffing myself.” has over 10 light sources. 7 provide background and details, like the glowing screen or the flor lights. Only three are on the subjects.

    Anyways, I find that most materials look better in Lux. Outside of lighting, I spend a lot of time dealing with glossiness. Most poser mateirals are far too glossy.

    Mr. 'mason's materials are perfect for Lux. He really takes the time to make them good and useable.

  • Geminii23Geminii23 Posts: 1,327
    edited December 1969

    Does anyone know how I can apply multiple light sets at the same time? What I mean by this is that the Urban Future sets come with multiple lights setups but in DAZ I can only apply one set. So if I wanted to start out with a combination of light setups it doesn't seem possible.

    In my first entry "The Impostor" I did practically all the lighting myself (18 total lights) which was really time consuming.

    Any thoughts. Thanks.

  • UHFUHF Posts: 512
    edited December 1969

    Geminii23 said:
    Does anyone know how I can apply multiple light sets at the same time? What I mean by this is that the Urban Future sets come with multiple lights setups but in DAZ I can only apply one set. So if I wanted to start out with a combination of light setups it doesn't seem possible.

    In my first entry "The Impostor" I did practically all the lighting myself (18 total lights) which was really time consuming.

    Any thoughts. Thanks.


    Don't just import the list sets. Merge them.
  • srieschsriesch Posts: 4,241
    edited December 1969

    Geminii23 said:
    Does anyone know how I can apply multiple light sets at the same time?

    I'm not sure how the lights are set up so this might not help, but can you just merge the scenes (or save out part of the scene as a subset and merge that?)
  • RawArtRawArt Posts: 5,731
    edited December 1969

    Geminii23 said:
    Does anyone know how I can apply multiple light sets at the same time? What I mean by this is that the Urban Future sets come with multiple lights setups but in DAZ I can only apply one set. So if I wanted to start out with a combination of light setups it doesn't seem possible.

    In my first entry "The Impostor" I did practically all the lighting myself (18 total lights) which was really time consuming.

    Any thoughts. Thanks.

    Load the lights, save as a scene....and then merge the scene into your next light setup

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    In Daz Studio try holding down the Ctrl and choose to "Add" to the scene instead of "Replacing"

  • Geminii23Geminii23 Posts: 1,327
    edited December 1969

    Forgive me. I am on a MAC. I have tried to merge but it doesn't seem to work. For example: I tried selecting multiple sets and when I selected merge it just keeps replacing the previous set.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited December 1969

    UHF said:
    Kyoto Kid said:
    ...carp, if Lux is brought into the fray than I know it is all over for me. Gonna take months to learn how to tweak the shaders to get good results on skin tones.

    Actually there are no shaders. The equivalent is materials, and that has nothing to do with human skin. Lux is a real world physics simulation. The materials really do mimic their real world counter parts. This includes cameras and films films.

    Mr... 'mason uses it too. Take a look at the render credits here;
    http://www.daz3d.com/utopia-deck-c

    What you actually spend time doing in Reality is lighting your set. Like real world cameras getting high contrast (light to dark) is impossible. So you spend huge amounds of time lighting a set to get the image just right.
    http://preta3d.com/kill-the-render-noise-form-your-lux-scenes/

    If you look at "No Mercy" the last image above, there are 8 lights on the scene. There are no uber or environment lights to make your life easy.

    The entrant image, "I told you not to peak when I was buffing myself.” has over 10 light sources. 7 provide background and details, like the glowing screen or the flor lights. Only three are on the subjects.

    Anyways, I find that most materials look better in Lux. Outside of lighting, I spend a lot of time dealing with glossiness. Most poser mateirals are far too glossy.

    Mr. 'mason's materials are perfect for Lux. He really takes the time to make them good and useable.
    ...grrr, another stupid network reset ate my post.

    One of the things about earlier versions of Lux I have been disappointed in are the skin tones as they tend to appear rather pasty compared to the results I can get with 3Delight and just the standard Daz lights. Not sure if this has been dealt with in the latest update of hte render engine.

    As to setting up lighting, that is one of my strong points as I worked in stagecraft. Many of my early scenes employed light arrays I set up rather than using a commercial one. The only commercial light set I ever used to any extent was LDP, but alas it has not been (and probably will never will be) updated for 4.5.

    Personally speaking there are some aspects of UE I don't like (besides increased rendering times). For example in scenes with characters who have a smile or open mouth expression the teeth do not show up very well or at all making everyone appear to have left their dentures at home. The other issue with UE is also having to tweak with the materials/shaders to get things to work right or in the case if skin shaders, use HSS and SSS which again adds to the render processing/memory load even more.

    I just DL'd the latest updates for Reality (2.5) and LuxRender (1.2) the other evening for installation on the new workstation. If I can get everything up and running in time, I will give it a shot for the submission I have in mind.

    That's a good thing to know about Lux and Stefan's sets. His attention to detail and surface textures have always been a big selling point for me.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,514
    edited February 2013

    ...double post due to a network timeout after submitting.

    Post edited by kyoto kid on
  • agent unawaresagent unawares Posts: 3,513
    edited December 1969

    UHF said:
    What you actually spend time doing in Reality is lighting your set. Like real world cameras getting high contrast (light to dark) is impossible. So you spend huge amounds of time lighting a set to get the image just right.
    http://preta3d.com/kill-the-render-noise-form-your-lux-scenes/

    This is one of the things I find most interesting about Lux... all that time on unbiased rendering and one often has to resort to lighting trickery to get a scene that looks good anyway. I understand this is a function of the camera, and that real film has exactly the same problem, but it would be quite interesting to see a camera built into Lux which views scenes the way your eyes do, rather than emulating actual camera technology, which is still unfortunately limited.

    It seems as though this should be possible. Real cameras can shoot at multiple exposures and then have the shots combined into a final HDR image which has a much nicer range - but Lux is entirely a simulation and therefore shouldn't need multiple exposures, simply some kind of tweak to the way the camera's viewing the scene.

Sign In or Register to comment.