BestGFX

In this DVD, Cetin Tuker demonstrates the basic parameters of Glu3D in 3ds Max including the Glu3D main node, particle source, object manager and per object parameters. Cetin also walks you through a production quality fluid simulation animation project, starting from the storyboards. Modeling the objects in Max, scene setup and animation alternatives using the PWrapper function of Glu3D with the particle flow of Max, filling closed volumes with Glu3D particles and designing a fluid explosion are all thoroughly discussed. By watching this DVD you will see the entire production process for a fluid based commercial project.

In this DVD, after setting up various production lighting rigs, Tim discusses the pros and cons of each solution. You will learn when to use one type of rig over another based on the goals of the project, as well as how to deal with the challenges that different scene elements create for your lighting setups. Tim will also show you how to render passes out of 3ds Max, composite them using Digital Fusion and set up your lighting in real-time using floating point image formats. Finally, you will learn how to set up a scene for multiple lighting scenarios including day, sunset and night shots.

Chaosgroup V-Ray 2 is the 3D rendering engine the most popular in the world of architecture and design. Vincent Grieu, specializing in architectural visualization, will guide you through this training dedicated to 3D artists wishing to master the rendering engine V-Ray, a powerful engine that is associated with 3ds Max, fast and intuitive. You will learn the fundamentals of VRay to achieve realistic 3D images with 3ds Max.

There are many ways to render an automobile. Harald will take you through the steps to render an automobile with Adobe Photoshop® through the use of paths, layering colors, surfacing and highlights. You will see his strategy for layer building, shading the form in color, rendering wheels, and background design. The end result of this demonstration is a quick but powerful color rendering executed with a digital medium.

On this DVD Scott walks you through the industrial design rendering techniques that he employs within Adobe Photoshop . He quickly demonstrates draft view sketching before scanning one of the sketches that will be rendered to a photo-real level. During the rendering of a bicycle, Scott discusses basic lighting and reflection strategies to indicate a variety of materials and colors. Watch along, and by the end of the DVD, you will see all of steps taken in Adobe Photoshop to transform the initial loose sketch into a very real looking object.

Starting with a photographic backplate and 3D model, Brendan McCaffrey presents an in-depth look at an automotive illustration project step-by-step from wire-frame to finished product, using Maya, Mental Ray and Photoshop . In phase one, Brendan covers the initial brief, 3D setup and rendering. He then moves on to the view setup, matching the camera, and preparing the model and textures as they relate to high resolution work: shaders for paint, glass, metal and rubber. Brendan proceeds with the environment and lighting setup and on to the final renders of all the required layers and passes. In phase two, he assembles and corrects the render layers and passes in Photoshop . Brendan then moves on to blending the image into a cohesive whole using non-destructive color correction and adjustment. Finally, he demonstrates how to apply effects and finishing touches. This DVD comes with the project's Photoshop files.

The skills required to dramatically, accurately and quickly depict aircraft and spacecraft are of immense value to any concept designer. In this demonstration, a digital illustration is created from start to finish and is accompanied by insightful commentary on such subjects as digital sketching, aircraft and ship design, and a wide variety of rendering techniques. The demo documents the entire process as one of the industry's top concept artists starts with a rough sketch and takes the viewer through to the final aircraft painting.

Making eyes appear rich and soulful is critical to conveying character. In Rendering Eyes, Neville Page clearly describes a process for rendering beautiful, frightening, or appropriately horrible eyes. Detailing the anatomy of the eye, he explains how to approach the various details that contribute to a natural looking eye including reflection, glossiness, refraction, color, veins, the iris and wetness. Whether you choose to start with an existing sketch, render from scratch, or paint over a rough sculpture all of which are described during the course of the lesson these techniques are crucial to any character rendering.

In this educational DVD, James explores the crucial first steps in the creation of powerful design ideation and quick environmental layout techniques. James will take you through a step-by-step progression of pen and marker sketching and the ideas behind them. Multiple avenues will be explored culminating in a final drawing, executed on design vellum, ready for rendering. These techniques mimic the process in which James brainstorms for ideas in the pre-production phase of a feature film. He will also demonstrate the creation of a dramatic and effective environment through the use of such themes as scale, mood, depth, and composition. All artists within the fields of film, industrial, game, and architectural design will find such techniques useful for producing advanced and inventive imagery.

In this lecture, Tim breaks down the process of rendering passes out of 3ds Max and demonstrates how to composite them together in Digital Fusion. Learn how to generate many different types of passes and how they are used in production. Identify and correct commonly occurring issues, from incorrect matte edges to bit depth and color correction. Acquire an understanding of what happens under the hood inside your 3D software and how to mimic that behavior while compositing to produce the highest quality renders. Tim demonstrates his techniques using Scanline, V-Ray and Brazil.

This lecture, Neville leads you methodically through the process of creating a wet, fleshy creature. First emphasizing the importance of reference, the properties of fleshy surfaces are deconstructed. Neville teaches how to create custom brushes by sampling from an image, how to define the diffuse, specular and translucent qualities of flesh, and he also provides a thorough reflectivity demonstration. Leaving little to chance or guesswork, through process and technique, Neville illustrates the ways in which he achieves his character s disturbingly real skin textures.

Just as in live action cinematography, lighting is an important 3D skill. Our Introduction To Lighting and Rendering Tutorial shows you how to produce realistic lighting effects within Maya. From replicating fog to creating an evocative film noir atmosphere using contrasting light and shadow, you’ll learn how to control light sources and render creatively for maximum visual depth and impact. Key techniques covered include Render Layers, Depth of Field, Camera Mapping, Photon Mapping, Reflections, Caustics and Ray Tracing. At the end of the course you’ll produce a final shot to a brief, lighting a scene to achieve a specific look and feel.

Instructor: Feng ZHU
Starting with thumbnail silhouettes chosen from the previous lecture, two distinctive designs are drawn, refined and rendered for client presentation. See how two robots, that follow the same brief, can be given strong visual identities through the use of different form languages. The purpose of this process is to end up with a clear presentation of a solid design.
The software used in this DVD is Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop®.

StudioTools is a workhorse application for many industrial designers, but much of its functionality is buried within complex option windows and cryptically named settings. In this DVD, industrial designer Dustin Brown demystifies the rendering process in StudioTools. He covers not only critical settings within the software, but also presents his unique approach to planning, lighting and shader creation. He concludes with a comprehensive rendering demo in which he shows this approach in action and discusses, among many other things, such difficult topics as depth of field, chrome and clearcoat paint finishes.

Learn about and how to use the various Depth of Field options available in 3ds Max to achieve realistic results.Jeff is a self-taught freelance digital artist and has been freelancing for the past six years. In that time he has worked on many projects, a lot of which have been mechanical illustrations for companies like Johnson Controls, Trane, Carrier, and Honeywell. More recently he has spent some time teaching on-site mental ray classes, which he enjoys as it has allowed him to travel around the country and meet a lot of really great people. Jeff is an active member of several online forums such as CGsocietey (CGtalk), the Vizdepot, and Autodesk's "the AREA" website where he often tries to assist users with their mental ray related questions. In addition, last year he teamed up with Russell Thomas, owner of 3dallusions.com, to help create mrmaterials.com which is a free material repository for the mental ray community .

Jeff is a self-taught freelance digital artist and has been freelancing for the past six years. In that time he has worked on many projects, a lot of which have been mechanical illustrations for companies like Johnson Controls, Trane, Carrier, and Honeywell. More recently he has spent some time teaching on-site mental ray classes, which he enjoys as it has allowed him to travel around the country and meet a lot of really great people. Jeff is an active member of several online forums such as CGsocietey (CGtalk), the Vizdepot, and Autodesk's "the AREA" website where he often tries to assist users with their mental ray related questions. In addition, last year he teamed up with Russell Thomas, owner of 3dallusions.com, to help create mrmaterials.com which is a free material repository for the mental ray community .

Jeff is a self-taught freelance digital artist and has been freelancing for the past six years. In that time he has worked on many projects, a lot of which have been mechanical illustrations for companies like Johnson Controls, Trane, Carrier, and Honeywell. More recently he has spent some time teaching on-site mental ray classes, which he enjoys as it has allowed him to travel around the country and meet a lot of really great people. Jeff is an active member of several online forums such as CGsocietey (CGtalk), the Vizdepot, and Autodesk's "the AREA" website where he often tries to assist users with their mental ray related questions. In addition, last year he teamed up with Russell Thomas, owner of 3dallusions.com, to help create mrmaterials.com which is a free material repository for the mental ray community .

Wayne Barlowe is an author and illustrator who has created images for books, films and galleries. After attending Cooper Union, he executed hundreds of paperback book covers for all of the major publishers as well as illustrations for Life, Time and Newsweek. He is the author and illustrator of Expedition, Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials, Barlowe’s Guide to Fantasy, Barlowe’s Inferno, Brushfire: Illuminations from the Inferno, The Alien Life of Wayne Barlowe and An Alphabet of Dinosaurs. His character designs can be seen in Blade 2, Galaxy Quest, Hellboy and Hellboy 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Avatar, The Hobbit and Alien Planet, a Discovery Channel special based on Expedition. He contributed many designs for EA’s Dante’s Inferno. Currently, he is writing the sequel to his first novel, God’s Demon, entitled The Heart of Hell.