Ciro Sannino PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with Oe.) A logical and coherent mi for achieving photors PHOTOREALISTIC RESULTS Through ti with the ba: physics, lighting—— I've held various workshops and met hundreds of 2 people over the last few years. Some participants were 2 experienced, while other: weren' at albu everyone shared the desire to crea‘e photorealistic renders and gain complete mastery of the process and tools. Workshop after workshop, I’ve tried to continuously improve the sequence ofthe presented topics to find the right order for a logical and above all informed use of V-Ray. In architectural rendering more than anywhere else, all the main concepts are derived from photography. My job has been precise that — to put down roots in this discipline and make all the necessary connections that give depth and thicknessio its practical application within the software. —— Our goal is ‘Awareness ‘and this can only be obtained ee through in-depth analysis, through asking ourselves “Why?” and through fast of all knowing the principles q and then refining them irto methods — all while continuing to preserve simplicity of vision. Ciro Sannino | 2 Sy y //PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a. The Publisher The publisher of this work, Gabriele Congiv, is owner of the publishing house GC edizioni, (Autodesk Authorized Publisher) and an Autodesk Certified Author and Instructor. His, signature publishing style is evident in PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-Ray, asit is in all his publications. He regards Ciro Sannino’s first book as a practical guide oriented to all those (experts and not) who want to learn the basics for creating a photographic render using a quick and intuitive method. Who Is the Author? The author Ciro Sannino, a jraduate in Industrial Design, has been working in 3D and rendering since 1997. He's a Licensed V-Ray Instructor, approved by Chaos Group (V-Ray’s production house), and since 2006 has also dedicated himself to his much-read perscnal blog: www.grafica3dblog.it. With the support of CGworld, he developed the 5-Step Render Workflow® method, which he has used successfully in hislive workshops and which is illustrated in this book. Objective of the Book The intention of the book is to build a solid way of thinking through reasoning and application. It allows the userto tackle photorealistic rendering and to know where to start and what path to follow in orcer to arrive at the final outcome. All aspects, parameters end problems are sorted into a framework that not only makes studying the book easier for users, but also facilitates their subsequent phase of growth, How the Book Is Structured The 15 chapters that make up the work are structured to ensure gradual learning and are aimed at using V-Ray and its relative applications in the photographic field. The cornerstone of the work is the parallelism between photography and the V-Ray software. The theoretical concepts presented in the chapters are followed by their practical application using exercises, and are examined further in some cases, through videos. Style Guidelines Certain style guidelines have been used throughout this book to facilitate reading and comprehension of the topics covered. These include technical Notes for in-depth analysis and the author's Considerations. Reading is also facilitated by color printing and highlighting of the fundamental words in bold. Videos are indicated inside grey boxes containing this symbol FQ. Contents of the DVD-Rom The book comes with a DVD-Rom that contains all the MAX files needed to carry out the exercises, together with their relative textures. It also contains videos in MP4 format and IPG files of the images used in the book, These can help you to better grasp the aspects explained in the paragraphs. 3D models from DesignConnected have also been included on the DVD. Some of these canbe downloaded for free and others can be purchased directly from the site www.designcomected.com, Finally, you will also find textures produced by Arroway Textures, as seen on their website www.arroway-textures.com.INTRODUCTION Principles and Methods The famous American philosopher Ralph Emerson wrote: “As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” Emerson didn't know about computer graphics but he did understand the problem with tutorials that don't illustrate principles, Tutorials are only valid and useful if, knowing the principle, one seeks a guide to show him/her how to technically apply it. This is what we are going to do in this book: illustrate a set of rules that go beyond the software and which deal with photography, the physics of materials, the creation of a photographic set, and the proportions between objects and lights. Each concept will then be associated with its practical application, to be carried out using V-Ray for 3ds Max. To fulfil this purpose, we will prioritize the topics. There are tools which contain dozens of options, but in this book we will only use the necessary ones to make the illustrated principles concrete and speed up learning. ‘We must keep these simple relationships in mind: Knowledge of all parameters > Time / Definition Knowledge of Photography and Design > Aesthetic quality Knowledge of the more technical parameters of V-Ray almost always leads to better time management and the production of a clean and defined image. Knowledge of photography and design, on the other hand, directly influences aesthetic quality. That's why we have to start thinking “outside the parameters” Imagine yourself creating a photograph by putting together and arranging a photographic set, assisted perhaps by an interior designer who can harmonize forms and colors. The photographic world isn’t made up of Vray light, Color mapping and the Physical camera. Rather, it's made up of Bank lights, exposure problems and DSLR cameras. This is a world of knowledge in which we can find everything we need and translate it into parameters and options that will allow us to produce photographic renders. Considerations: The way we use the word Quality in this field can easily cause misunderstandings. The same word can indicate both precision of calculation and the aesthetic quality of an image. Let's use the power of words to immediately begin to distinguish between two different types of ‘quality’, which have very different meanings. We might have an image that lacks precise calculation, but in which we can already glimpse a strong aesthetic quality. For this reason, henceforth, | will call the meaning related to the precision of calculation the Definition of the image, while the aesthetic quality will simply be called Quality.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a V-Ray Certification for Users The official certificates currently available in Italy are the V-Ray Certified Professional, issued directly by Chaos Group — the company that produces V-Ray —, and the 5SWR Certification for V-Ray, issued by CGworld, a company special education and processes, V-Ray Certified Professional The V-Ray Certified Professional is a software cer- tificate. To obtain it you need to book a session and go to a V-Ray Training Center to take part inanexam —_ consisting of /20 multiple choice questions (currently ~~ in English). To pass the exam, you need to answer more than 70% of questions correctly. Users who pass the exam wil be included Cl / VO and published in the official lst on the Chaos V-Ray Certified Professional Group website and can display their name and surname aside the ChaosGroup logo on cards and letterheads. Official website: www.chaosgroup.com Reference in Italy: www.vraytrainingcenter.it 5SRW Certification for V-Ray The SSRW for V-Ray is a process certificate, It is issued by CGworld and certifies that Users are able to carry out the five step process using V-Ray. Vast knowledge is required and relates to photography, lighting techniques, V-Ray software and color correction using Photoshop. The test is divided into two parts: 100 multiple choice questions anda practical exam in whichthe participant CG ‘World shows he/she is able to build a scene using the professional network specific processes and meeting the standards of the 5-Step Render Workflow’. Certified users will be officially published at www.Ssrwcertification.com and will receive a unique url for their certification Official website: www.Ssrweertification.com E-Learning: www.learnvray.comINTRODUCTION Minimum Hardware Requirements for V-Ray The minimum requirements for using V-Ray ADV or V-Ray RT CPU are: + CPU 4 CORE +Hyper-threading (i7 or ts alternatives); + RAM4GB. The Ideal Workstation for Using V-Ray Providing only one ideal configuration for using V-Ray may be too limiting. However, in this paragraph we would like to direct you to z workstation that provides good value for money. We stress that, for a tailored solution, itis advisable to visit the www.3dws.net website and contact 3DWS to obtain the ideal configuration for your needs. The workstation we currently (February 2013) advise is: “Middle Range" class of workstation- Mono CPU with Xeon E5 1650, 32 GB di RAM and a Quadro 2000 video card as a minimum, or a “High End’ class of workstation for creating renders using V-Ray Advanced- dual Xeon E5 2687, 32 GB di RAM and a Quadro K5000 video card. Who Is Chaos Group? ‘Chaos Group was founded in Sofia, Bulgaria is the second half of the 1990s. Its two partners Peter Mitev and Vladimir Koylazov worked to develop software for Caoli/ VC simulating fire. The first product they released was called Phoenix and was a plug-in for the early versions of 30S Max 3 and 4. At the end of the 1990s they had the idea of developing a true rendering engine with Global Illumination, to be integrated intc 3ds Max as a plug-in. This idea was fostered by the incompatibility of the fire simulation software Phoenix with the rendering engine in 3ds Max (Scanline). The first beta versions were released to the public in December 2001, and in Spring 2002 the first commercial version of V-Ray was presented. The Phoenix project was abandoned for a long time and only in recent years has it reemerged with the new versions Phoenix FD 1 and 2. Chaos Group currently has offices in various countries throughout the world but its headquarters has always been in Sofia and now has over 100 employees. V-Ray is Chaos Group's product leader, having now become a standard for high level professional 3D visualization of photorealistic images. Who Is 3DWS? 3DWS (www.3dws.net) was founded or 3rd December 2001. The company’s goal is to support all professionals in the CG, Viceo Pro, CAD, and Networking environments and to advise them on the best workstations, 3DWS has been Chaos Group's official partner for years, providing professional support for V-Ray, both from a technical and artistic point of view. Its partners also include NVIDIA and IntelPHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY oo Who Is DesignConnected? DesignConnected is a computer graphics company that was set up in 2006 with ee designconnected.com headquarters in Sofia, Bulgeria. It has become the main producer of high quality 3D models of furniture, lighting and accessories, Ficure Intro-1. DesignConnected stiives to perfect 3D modelling, ensure the beauty of structures, and capture precise details, peying special attention to the latest trends and design icons. At www.designconnected.com it’s not only possible to purchase various high definition 3D models, but also to download some for free. These can be used in various projects, as long as the source is acknowledged. Figure Intro-1 Some of the 3D models rendered by DesignConnected Who Is Arroway Textures? Arroway Textures produces high resolution textures, ° Figure Intro-2, used in many fields, such as architecture, arrowa mechanics and design, in which a realistic visualization of textures computer graphic images is necessary. Its headquarters are in Leipzig, Germany. www.arroway-textures.com sells thousands of high resolution textures to meet all the varying needs of digital graphics professionals. Figure Intro-2 Several examples of the application of Arrosvay Textures in renders created tosing various software programsme =e wn eee ~” acne (5-) eS a” = This is an introductory chapter to the 5-Step Render Workflow® method, an educational method consisting of 5 steps that will be used as a guide for the whole book. The order of topics is designed to give readers a simple, logical way of thinking that will allow them to master the production process in the best way possible. The 5 steps, in order, are: 1) Framing and Checking Your Model, 2) Light Balance, 3) Creating Materials, 4) Final Settings for Cleaning Your Image and 5) Color Correction Steps I and 2 are the most creative and, if carried out correctly, lay the foundations for a successful image. The last three become progressively more technical but their explanations are simple and linear.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY o The 5-Step Method Photorealistic rendering should take a great variety of factors into account, ranging from photographic knowledge to understanding the software and the many parameters you need to know in order to use it, So how can we produce a render without leaving anything to chance? Where do we start? How do we develop it all in a linear way? Studies of complex systems, that is, those that include a considerable number of variables, aim to break a problem into many small pieces. Each one is consequently easier to tackle and solve. The order we choose to follow in this kind of approach is also extremely important, as each concluded step acts as a constraint for the one after, until the final solution is reached After years of training and contact with many students and thanks to the support of CGworld, a network of 3D artists with headquarters in the USA, the 5-Step method for producing photorealistic renders has finally become a simple, solid and tested procedure. The 5-Step Render Workflow® is an educational format that applies the illustrative approach to studying complex systems to the creation of a photorealistic render. It breaks production down into five steps, Figure Int-1, each one being highly accessible, even to beginners. In the 5-Step Render Workflow® the production process is broken down as follows: Step-1: Framing / Checking Your Model; Step-2: Light Balance; Step-3: Creating Materials; + Step-4: Final Rendering; Step-5: Color Correction oo. Figure Int-1 Diagram of the 5-Step Render Work#low® Considerations: If you have ever practiced a discipline, like piano or volleyball in my case, the notion of basics" will be very dear to you. I've had a certain level of experience with both piano and volleyball. They are my two great passions. The only way to correctly carry out a technical movement is to do it slowly at first, without adding any particular difficulties that can distract you from the basic gesture. Developing a clear idea of what to do starts by conscientiously and rigorously analyzing the simplest things first. The same rule naturally applies to rendering, lighting and photography. Only once you have perfectly mastered the basics, will you be able to manage more and more complex scenes, while maintai the “simplicity of vision" obtained. Moreover, a successful outcome in any project, of any size, relates directly to your ability to effectively break it down into many smaller and more manageable projects, This is the core idea behind the 5-Step Render Workflow® (SSRW).CHAPTER 1 - FIRST STEPS IN V-RAY Details about the 5-Step Method ‘As mentioned earlier, each step acts as a constraint for the one after. The successful outcome of an image is consequently very much tied to the first two steps in which the result that we wish to achieve is basically defined. Furthermore, in setting the light balance — which is crucially important — the foundation will be laid for three-dimensionality in your image. Interestingly, very few parameters are used in these early phases but their combinations are countless. The most obvious and common mistake is not defining your objectives well before starting a render, You can try everything, from adding reflections or gloss to raising parameters to. their maximum. But try as you may, you will not substantially affect the result. Things won't change, in fact, until we turn our hands to the “foundations” of the image: the Framing (Step-1) and above all, the Light Balance (Step-2). The Creation of Materials (Step-3) and Final Rendering (Step-4) appear to be the most arduous steps, as they are characterized by the use of many parameters, They are really quite coherent procedures, however, if they are tackled in an orderly fashion, Finally, Color Correction (Step-5) is carried out using Photoshop, to achieve perfect white balance. This is impossible in the render phase, just ast is impossible in a real photographic shooting. Using Photoshop, we can also achieve better contrast and sharpness, Considerations: This book focuses particularly on the three central steps: Light Balance, Materials and Final Rendering. I've chosen to use the inductive method, as | do in my workshops. Every topic has a very important theoretical introduction, followed immediately by practical application, which is thus seen as the implementation of the concepts presented beforehand. This way the parameters don't only become one simple, logical consequence. By training our minds to follow a certain way of reasoning, we will also be able to address other different situations and problems, using simple logic.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY ee aii The Right Version The concepts presented in this book are general and draw inspiration from photography and materials. The analyses can therefore be applied to any software and any rendering engine on the market. Nevertheless, we will use 3ds Max and V-Ray to implement them. V-Ray by Chaos Group, is a photorealistic rendering engine and is currently produced for various types of software, including 3ds Max, Maya and Softimage by Autodesk, Rhinoceros by McNeel and SketchUp by Trimble. In this book we will opt for the 3ds Max version and all the files in the attached DVD can be opened using the 2010 version or later. According to the reasoning of this book, the right version’ isa relative concept. The contents are suitable for any version of V-Ray, from 1.50 to the latest version 2.3, in which new options exist but the basic functions are still the same. The minimum requirements to follow along with the book are: + 3dsMax 2010 (or later); V-Ray 2.0 (or later). Note: There are also versions of V-Ray ‘or Cinema4D and Blender. These are versions based on the same core (SDK) by Chaos Group but developed by Laublab and Andrey M. lerantsev respectively. Activating V-Ray ‘The V-Ray rendering engine is a plug-in that is installed into 3ds Max in our case, which operates inside its work environment. A basic knowledge of 3D Studio Max and its interface is advised in order to get the most out of this book. After installing V-Ray, launch the V-Ray Licenses Service then open 3ds Max. To set V-Ray as the rendering engine you need to go to the Rendering panel through the drop-down menu Rendering > Render Setup (or press F10).. In the bottom rollout menu of the Common tab inside the Render Setup panel, Figure 1-2, you can find Assign Renderer, where you can choose your graphics engine. Figure 1-2 Render Setup panel ‘with the Common tab and the Assign Renderer rollour menu selected, The theve dot ‘button which you'll tse to choote the Rendering engine bas ‘been highlighted.CHAPTER 1 - FIRST STEPS IN V-RAY ee Upon clicking the icon marked by three dots“... Figure 1-2, the Choose Renderer dialogue box will appear, Figure 1-3. Here you can select a Rendering engine, such as V-Ray NFR 2.30.01 for example, Figure 1-3; Figure 1-3 ‘The Choose Renderer dialogue box where you ean choose your agraphics engine. V-Ray NER 2.30.01, has been bighlighted Note: Also appearing in Figure 1-3 is the V-Ray RT graphics engine, a software designed for real-time previewing of renders. It works with V-Ray 1.50 or later. ‘Once the rendering engine has been selected, Figure 1-3, the Render Setup panel, Figure 1-4, will contain all the functions for working with V-Ray. Figure 14 The Render Setup = dialogue box aftez pedi: FRayiRESOT selecting the rendering Netto FTES engine After setting V-Ray for rendering and V-Ray RT for real-time rendering, you can save them as default engines by clicking on Saveas Default, Figure 1~4, so that every time you open 3ds Max, this setting will already be active. & ‘THIS CONCEPT Is ILLUSTRATED IN P&R-VRay \ Cuaprer 01 \ Viveo \ Vineo-01-1.MP4 FjPHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY eee RRR What Is V-Ray RT? \V-Ray RT is an additional function of V-Ray that quickly creates previews that are very similar to the final render. These previews, Figure 1-5, provide a decisively more exciting and rewarding work experience in real time, as very little time gasses between setting up the scene and having a perception of the final outcome. Youneed only activate RT to see a render appear in just a few seconds. This updates itself any time a change is made: whether it's repositioning objects or changing lights, cameras and materials, Thanks to immediate feedback from V-Ray RT, setting up scenes is considerably faster. Figure 1-5 ‘Two images depicting previews generated in just a few seconds. They are updated automatically every time the camera is moved or a material or light is changed. The images are grainy but they give perfect feedback shoot the scene. From version 2.0 onwards, V-Ray RT can take advantage of the processing power of both the processor (CPU) and the latest graphics cards (GPU). With the exception of some particular materials, like VRayFur (for creating filaments) for example, it is possible to obtain a very precise preview of the final outcome that will be generated as a normal production render, You don't need to know a lot to use RT correctly. You just need to activate it and then click the ActiveShade button to create an immediate preview of the scene. Note: Up to version 1.5, V-Ray RT was a separately installed component and only supported CPU processing. From V-Ray 2.0, it has become part of the software, supporting both CPU and GPU processing.CHAPTER 1 - FIRST STEPS IN V-RAY | How to Activate V-Ray RT \V-Ray RT can be activated in different ways. One way is through the Render Setup dialogue box, by clicking on the ActiveShade option, Figure 1-6, To launch the render in real time, just click on ActiveShade, instead of the traditicnal Rendering button, Figure 1-6. Figure 1-6 ‘The Render Serap dialogue box showing the ActiveShade options Figure 1-7 Past of the Render Serup dialogue ‘box showing the Production and Rendering options THIS CONCEPT 1S ILLUSTRATED IN PaR-WRuy \ CHaprer 01 \ Vipeo \ Vineo-01-2.MP4 FQ Considerations: To see previews of the various exercises in this book, the reader can either use V-Ray with “draft” parameters illustrated in Chapter 3 - Global Illumination and Irradiance Map) or V-Ray RT. The goal is the same: to get an idea of how your work is progressing. For this reason, the two methods are used indifferently throughout the videos accompanying the various exercises. Once the ActiveShade mode has been actvated, you can immediately see that the render Panel switches from five, Figure 1-8, to two tabs, Figure 1-9. The Common tab is still the same, while next to it we only find V-Ray R7, Figure 1-9. Figure 1-8 Part of the Render Serup cialogue box showing five tabs Figure 1-9 Part of the Render Serup calogue box showing only two tabsPHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY —_/_— ee ‘As mentioned earlier, V-Ray RT provides different real-time rendering engines: CPU, OpenCL and CUDA, Figure 1-10. Figure 110 Part of the Render Serup dialogue box showing the VRay RT tab and three engines CPU, OpenC and cupa Fortran Oster) Sto ater aso | tye [ibe Note: If you own an earlier version of V-Ray than 2.30.01, the CUDA engine type will not be visible in the V-Ray RT tab, as in Figure 11-10. The biggest difference between them is the hardware they use and the processing speed they offer. Here are some of the main differences: PU: The processing is carried out by the central processing unit. This is not the fastest engine but it supports a greater number of V-Ray characteristics. The graphics card is not used so it is easier to manage the windows while rendering is underway. + Open: The processing is carried out by graphics processing units (GPU). This can be much faster than the CPU engine but, because the graphics card is used, working with the windows is slower, as the video is refreshed less frequently. + CUDA: The processing is carried out by graphics processing units (GPU), optimized for NVIDIA cards. This results in better performance than OpenCL. Considerations: If youre a beginner, don't be intimidated by these technical terms! The rest of the book uses an approach that takes its reference points from photography and simply applies them to rendering in the most straightforward and linear way possible.Compensation Using the Gamma Curve When we take pictures, our cameras automatically correct them to make them a little brighter. This compensation occurs automatically to bring the final result closer to human perception. In this chapter, we will see how to best set up 3ds Max and V-Ray to prepare them for compensation, Just like a real camera, First we will illustrate ‘some concepts, and then the various commands and options. There are, in fact, different ways 10 compensate, even though all of them aim to do the same thing: to add Gamma 2.2 to the image. The method we will explain is simple and effective. The first part relates 1o setting your preferences and the second refers to the settings required Jor all your files. We will finish the chapter by analyzing some of the interesting functions of the V-Ray frame buffer. Ss $ a) ¥PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a. Gamma Compensation Before commencing any practical exercises in V-Ray, it's first of all necessary to understand the behavior of cameras and sensors, in order to replicate their effects with our V-Ray software. Now we will examine Compensation using the Gamma curve (also called Linear Workilow), one of the fundamental topics, which, together with Exposure and Light balance, forms a basis for the complete control and success of a photographic render. Throughout your experience you may have obtained a render which was too “dark” or “"purnt’, that is, so illuminated that you get completely white areas. It's a typical situation, especially when rendering interiors. When a render looks too dark, we immediately try to increase the intensity of the lights. It's rarely possible, however, to achieve good, diffused lighting because the image burns straightaway. Let's analyze what causes this problem and how to solve it. ‘Any sampling system — which, in the case of a camera, is made up of its sensor — cap‘ures information along a certain response curve that is very different from the response curve in the human eye. That's why, without requiring any intervention on our part, cameras are programmed to add a compensation curve to the data they gather. The purpose is to bring the photo as close as possible to the perception that human beings would have when observing the scene in real life The human eye tends to perceive things much more clearly than sensors do. We can therefore see how, if this compensation curve were not applied, the result would be avery dark photo. This is how we get the dark renders we mentioned earlier. We don't have sensors in our case, but V-Ray is, in all respects, a kind of simulator” of them. As such, it replicates their various features, including sampling, which as we saw earlier, is different from human perception. For this reason, to produce photos with V-Ray, we simply have to do what cameras do automatically: apply a compensation curve — usually a Gamma curve with a value of 2.2 (the closest average value to correct compensation). Theoretically, an image could alternatively be “compensated” afterwards, for example, with the Gamma tool in Photoshop. There are, however, some contraindications, like the “bleaching” of colors and the clear incidence of artifacts in the shaded areas. For this reason we will demonstrate how to compensate an image during rendering. This will solve all problems from square one, just as any camera does. Note: The rendered images (Figure 2-1, Figure 2-2 and Figure 2-3) on the opposite page have also been used in Chapter 6 - Managing Materials, to help you understand how materials are assigned to objects.CHAPTER 2 - COMPENSATION USING THE GAMMA CURVE a Figure 2-1 isa classic example of an uncompensated image. The dark areas are too dark and the contrast is too intense. This makes the lighting impossible to control. The problemis that we are simply net replicating a camera's behavior. igure 2-1 Animage rendered without compensation, Tris, 00 dake and bas very strong contast Figure 2-2 is the image in Figure 2-1 compensated in post-production using Photoshop. The Gamma curve makes everything brighter but images are inclined to be bleached, and artifacts can emerge in the shaded areas. Figure 2-2 ‘The rendered image compensated in post-production. ‘The image contains significant arfacts in the shaded areas. Figure 2-3 has been compensated during rendering. The process occurs at the time of rendering itself, so the scene appears brighter in general, while the textures and colors keep their tones and correct contrast. In this case, no artifacts are visible in the shaded arcas. Figure 2-3, “The rendered image ‘compensated during ‘the rendering processPHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY ~ Applying Gamma to the Scene, but not to the Textures The average generic value for the Gamma curve, that is, the value that causes the image to best resemble human perception, is 2.2. By simply adding Gamma 2.2, we solve the problem of compensation. We could add Gamma to a render through the 3ds Max preferences, but if we add it to everything indiscriminately, something strange happens to the textures, Figure 2-4, Figure 24 An image rendered ‘without Gansina 2.2.(A), the image rendered with Gamms 22), the image rendered ‘without applying 1 the Figure 25 How the wood texture appears in the Material Faltor The image in Figure 2-4 (A) has not had Gamma applied to it. The one in Figure 2-4 (B) has, but it has been applied to everything. What happens to the texture of the wood, whose original color can be seen in Figure 2-5? Why does it appear so washed out after adding Gamma, Figure 2-4 (B)? In the previous paragraph we stressed how cameras automatically add Gamma 2.2 to shots, so here's little clue: textures are photographs. We therefore have to prevent them from receiving a double dose of Gamma, The bleaching of the image, Figure 2-4 (B), is due to the fact that the texture has had Gamma 2.2 applied toit at the time of shooting and then another dose of Gamma 2.2 during rendering. So to recap, we need to: 1. Compensate the render using a corrective Gamma curve, equal to 2.2. 2. Prevent this correction from being applied to the textures because, being photographs, they have already been corrected during shooting. Setting Up 3ds Max for Compensation So far, it's all been theory. Now we will look at how to interpret this theory in the best way possible, using 3ds Max and V-Ray. The method has been divided into two parts, both of which must be carried out. PART 1:This concerns the correspondence between the Material Editor, render and textures. Changes to preferences need only be done once, Figure 2-7, as they are saved afterwards. PART 2: This concerns the compensation of the image produced. In this case, we have two parameters to set for each new file, Figure 2-8.CHAPTER 2 - COMPENSATION USING THE GAMMA CURVE Compensation Part 1 - Avoiding Gamma on the Textures The following options will prevent texturesfrom receiving Gamma twice and from producing that washed-out effect; Figure 2-4 (A). These settings will make the colors correspond in ‘the Material Editor and the Render. Change your preferences by clicking on the title of the Customize menu, then on the Preferences... option, Figure 2-6. Now, in the Gamma and LUT tab of the Preference Settings dialogue box, Figure 2-7, activate these options, Figure 2-8. Figure 2-6 ‘The Customize drop. down menu with the Preferences option highlightet Figure 27 Preference Settings lskogue box with the Gamma and LUT tab selected and the lative options highlighted. Check these settings every time you reinstall Bde Max or change ‘workstation Here are some details about what each option in the Gamma and LUT tab in Figure 2-7 does: + Enable Gamma: This activates 2.2 correction. + Materials and Colors: By ticking the two options, we ensure that Gamma correction affects both the Material editor and the Color selector. The colors will appear lighter. + Input gamma: By setting a value of 2.2, we indicate that the “input” textures already have Gamma 2.2, (being photos), and should therefore not be altered. + Output Gamma: By setting 1.0, we tell 3ds Max to save the image without correction.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a Compensation Part 2 - For Each New File For each new file you need to allow the Gamma correction to be incorporated into the processing itself, through the Render Setup dialogue box, Figure 2-8, This Is opened by clicking on the F10 function key. + Set the Gamma to 2.2 in V-Ray:: Color mapping. + Activate the V-Ray:: Frame Buffer. Keep in mind that these should always be the first two operations you complete when you ‘open any new work file. Figure 28 Render Setup ialogse box with the two options Gamma end Enable bouilein Frame Buffer highlighted sn the VRay:Color mapping and \-Ray Frame buffer menus Considerations: Why do we use Gamma in Color Mapping and not Output Gamma (see Preference settings, Figure 2-7)? | always prefer simple and effective methods, but to explain why, we need to camry out a little technical analysis. V-Ray’s Anti-aliasing is made for optimizing processing so it doesn't perfect the calculation of the details in the dark areas, which are effectively less discernible to us. It sets a “threshold” under which any details in the shadows become approximate. This makes the processing faster overall. If we add Gamma through the “Output Gamma’ setting, it will be added after the processing and the shaded areas that are lightened could contain artifacts, caused by this approximation. For this reason, it’s preferable to add Gamma 2.2 in Color mapping, Figure 2-8, This way the Gamma is applied during processing and the artifacts don't appear. Note: When you change the Gamma preferences, the color picker in the Material editor also appears different. The color distribution is unbalanced and tends towards lighter colors. The whole system has been geared to resemble human sight, which is more sensitive to medium and light tones than itis to dark ones.CHAPTER 2 - COMPENSATION USING THE GAMMA CURVE Exercise: How to Compensate an Image In this exercise, you will see how to set up a render by applying the steps related to Compensation for the first time. Start 3ds Max and V-Ray and set the Gamma in your Preference settings as explained earlier in the paragraph Compensation Part 1 - Avoiding Gamma on the Textures; 1 Open the file Chap02-01-busnelli-bohemien-sofa.max, located in the folder P&R-VRay /Chapter 02/ Exercises. The file contains a 3D model from designconnected.com, with a neutral grey material assigned to it, a V-RayPhysical Camera and a Plane VRayLight. Complete the first two operations as explained in the paragraph Compensation Part 2: set the Gamma in Color mapping to 2.2 and activate the Frame Buffer, Figure 2-8. Activate Global illumination in the Indirect illumination tab, Figure 2-9, and finally, click on Render or press SHIFT + Q together. You will see V-Ray carry out some Prepasses, (which we will examine in depth in Chapter 3 - Global Illumination and Iradiance Map). ‘A good starting render, Figure 2-10, appears in the V-Ray frame buffer window, Figure 2-11, which we will analyze in the next paragraph. Breese Vay wnIO frst) omen | vay | hércimin | Setnge | Rane hen Figure 2.9 Render Setup dialogue ‘bor with the Indizecr illumination tab selected and the option for activating Global illsination, highlighted Tibeary ‘THIS EXERCISE CAN BE SEEN IN P&R-VRay \ Carrer 02 \ Vioeo \ Vine0-02-1.MP4 Fy Figure 2-10 ‘The render result This 3D model is called Bohemi: sofa by Busnel and comes from the designconnected.comshowing some ‘options for managing the sendered image Figure 2-12 Pat of the Modify pane! for the VRayLight with the Multiplier option highlighted Figure 211 ‘The VeRay frame batter window PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a V-Ray Frame Buffer The V-Ray frame buffer, Figure 2-11, is the window in which your renders appear. The V-Ray Frame Buffer in Figure 2-11 contains a set of tools which are very useful during the production and checking phases of the image, which we will analyze throughout the paragraph. An interesting characteristic of the V-Ray frame buffer is that it visualizes 32 bit images. These are images that contain more information than a video can visualize. When we save an image in 8 bit format, such as a JPG for example, some information can be lost. But exactly what information is being lost? Let's look at an example. Open the file Chap02-01-busnelli-FINAL.max, used in the Exercise: How to Compensate an Image. Type the value 300 for the Multiplierin the V-Ray light (Plane), Figure 2-12. If you launch a render, you'll get a particularly overexposed image, Figure 2-13. As egr Figure 2-13 Rendered image with marked overexposure in the central ateasCHAPTER 2 - COMPENSATION USING THE GAMMA CURVE shcseeiieninmmesi alana sinnerman Before continuing to explain how to control the exposure, let's analyze the meanings of the icons highlighted in Figure 2-11, and what they do: + Show corrections control (a): This displays the panel for controlling your corrections. + Force color clamping (b): This shows a “white patch” where there is overexposure, (which is what already occurs naturally). View clamped colors (c): This shows the overexposed areas in white and the correct areas in grey. Show pixel information (d): This displays information about the individual pixels. + Use colors level correction (e): This enables you to adjust the levels. + Use colors curve correction (f): This enables you to adjust the curves. + Use exposure correction (g): This enables you to adjust the exposure. When we click on the button (a), Show corrections control, Figure 2-11, the Color corrections panel appears, Figure 2-14. It contains a set of options that allow you to correct the exposure of the image in the frame buffer. igure 245 The image with overexposed areas shown ia back Figure 214 Calor corrections panel Figure 246 “The image with overexposed areas shown in white By clicking on the button (b), Force color clamping, you can deactivate the “white patch” on the overexposure and some areas with different coloring will appear. They represent the overexposed areas by degrees, Figure 2-15. Force color clamping"is usually only deactivated for checking the exposure and the button is generally left active. By clicking on the button (c) View clamped colors, you automatically deactivate Force color clamping and reveal the overexposed areas. This is another checking tool and is very similar to the previous one. Instead of showing colored areas, it colors the overexposed areas white and the correctly exposed areas grey, Figure 2-16. (tis concept is uiusreareo Iv P&R-VRar \ Cuarrer 02 \ Vioeo \ Vioeo-02-2.MP4 FG ‘To see the render under normal conditions, just activate the Force color clamping {(b), Figure 2-11, which is active by default.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a Exposure of a 32 bit Render If we change the exposure control, Use exposure control, Figure 2-17, we can easily understand how a 32 bit image contains more information than a video can visualize. Figure 2-17 Part of the VRay feame butter window with the Use exposure control button highlighted Click on the Use exposure control button, Figure 2-17, in the V-Ray frame buffer, Figure 2-17, then on the Show corrections control button. This will open the Color corrections panel, Figure 2-18, where you can change the exposure by moving the little triangle at the top, Figure 2-18. Figure 2-18 Part of the Color corrections panel showing the trizngulze symbol used to change the exposare The basic exposure value is +0,00 and indicates that the exposure hasn't been changed. If, however, you bring it slightly towards the left, Figure 2-18, you can lower the value. The image becomes less and less bright and the areas that were overexposed before will now contain visible details and outlines, Figure 2-19. This is an advantage of using 32 bit images. Figure 2-19 Rendered image result after correcting the overexposed ateas in the Color cortections panel Note: The effect of correcting the exposure of the image through the V-RayFrame Buffer can also be seen in Video-02-2.MP4,CHAPTER 2 - COMPENSATION USING THE GAMMA CURVE Exposure of an 8 bit Render If we save a render as a JPG (an 8 bit file format) and open it in Photoshop or in another photo-retouching program, then change the exposure, we will immediately see the difference between a 32 bit image, Figure 2-19, and an & bit image, Figure 2-20. Figure 2-20 Image result with exposure lowered in Photoshop You can see that the overexposed areas of the image saved as an 8 bit, Figure 2-20, become grey when the exposure is reduced, while in the 32 bit image, Figure 2-19, lowering the exposure reveals all the details correctly. Here the brightness has been reduced, but the lost details cannot be recovered. The problem is that, in this case, those details have not been saved anywhere. ‘Small“miracles” like this are also possible without using the V-Ray frame buffer. You just need to save the render as an .EXR format, (32 bit format, among the most used for this type of correction), and if you lower the exposure in Photoshop, you will achieve the same outlines asin Figure 2-19. The fact remains, however, that the V-Ray frame bufferis a very practical and immediate tool. In conclusion, the 32 bit format is useful when you need to change and manipulate an image, but once itis finished, you can go ahead and save it as a JPG (8 bit), or better yet, in an uncompressed format like .TIF. "Considerations: As you mightimagine, more could be said about the differences between _8, 16 and 32 bit formats, but the purpose of these examples is simply to highlight the utility of 32 bit images in managing overexposure.ot = by ane Ber) ae H2Re7 E = : Deu hee”. BaGlobal Illumination and Irradiance Map Global illumination and Irradiance Map are two keywords we use to enter the world of photorealism. The first tool for photographic simulation we will encounter is the very algorithm that made V-Ray famous: the Irradiance Environment Map, more commonly known as the Inradiance Map. The idea of working with drafts initially, and proceeding slowly towards the final product, is as old as art itself. An artist has the ability to look at a draft and see what the final product will be like. The outstanding flexibility of the Irradiance map allows us to easily adapt it to these kinds of situations. In this chapter, we will look at the idea behind the Irradiance map and its fundamental aspects, particularly exploring how to set up a draft render.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a Introduction to Global Illumination When alight source doesn't fall directly cnto a scene —for example, when the sky is covered in clouds or when the sun is filtered through curtains into an interior, a homogeneous and uniform environment is created, with what we call Diffused Lighting, Figure 3-1. Figure 3-1 Photogzaphic image created by Giordano Vaunsi of an interior render ‘without ditect lights, Tris only illuminated by diffused lighting When light encounters an obstacle, it doesn't stop, but bounces. It bounces an infinite number of times off surfaces, objects and dust, and all of these obstacles contribute to creating the diffused lighting we also call indirect lilumination. Up to a decade ago, it was unthinkable that a common computer could have the power needed to carry out such a complex and demanding calculation. Practitioners thus resorted to various kinds of tricks to roughly simulate the effect of indirect lighting. They would scatter various point lights around the scene, for example. This was very hard work and the results were mediocre. In the first years of the 21st century, the first software that allowed indirect lighting to be calculated, finally arrived, Photorealism thus began, and it found very fertile soil in the field of architecture. Considerations: |, personally, find the definition “photorealistic render” misleading. | don't like it. | prefer Photographic Render. Words materialize ideas and for this reason, | like to use different words every so often. This helps me grasp the deepest meaning of things. | must emphasise that live perception is one thing and photography is another. So what are we really reproducing with what we call photorealistic renders: reality or its “representation” through photography? There's no doubt about it: what we practice is a type of photography in all respects. From it, we obtain: language, problems, styles, and infinite possibilities for composition, lighting and creation. That's why | really like to use the term “Photographic Renders’, to remind us that, in the end, even if we use different means, what we are creating is actually a photograph. Various rendering engines have been developed in recent years and each has followed its own strategies for increasingly improving and speeding up the way indirect light is calculated. V-Ray immediately distinguished itself with its “special” algorithm, used to calculate the diffusion of indirect light: the Irradiance Map. With outstanding performance, speed and flexibility, the irradiance Map is the main algorithm we will use to spread light.CHAPTER 3 - GLOBAL ILLUMINATION AND IRRADIANCE MAP Irradiance Map V-Ray has many options for calculating Indirect Lighting, They allow us to balance quality and speed according to the type of render we are working on: tests, intermediate trials, final images or animation. ‘We won't go into the technical details of the various options V-Ray offers for calculating indirect light, but to start off, we will look at a series of five settings. These settings will be analyzed in the paragraph What the Five Global Illumination Settings Mean on page 24. They allow us to quickly define how the indirect lighting will be calculated in a test render. How to Set Up Indirect IIlumination Open the Render setup panel by clicking on the F10 key. Activate the calculation of indirect lighting in the V-Ray:: Indirect illumination tab, Figure 3-2, by setting the option to ON. Set the other options as shown in Figure 3-2. | commen | YAey | mdrecmnaten | sets | Ree Sones | Figure 3-2 Render serop dialogue box showing the ‘options to be set in the V-Rayis Indirect illumination, V-Raye: ‘Inradiance map and ‘V-Ray: Light cache tabs ‘As you may imagine, by setting Low and changing the Subdivs from 1000 to 500, Figure 3-2, we are reducing quality and processing time. This sets up V-Ray to carry out a very rough calculation of the Indirect lighting. What we are interested in at this early stage, is producing a draft. Its purpose will be to verify whether we are headed in the right direction or not. Artefacts like stains, grain and poor contrast between surfaces will vanish automatically ‘once we move from the draft to the final render. For now, your goal is to memorize the options used so as to acquire aptitude in these operations. Keep in mind, however, that these operations won't affect the substance of an image, but only its definition. If the image already doesn't “work” in the draft, we can't hope to solve the problem by simply manipulating the options in the Indirect illumination tab, Figure 3-2.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY a What the Five Global Illumination Settings Mean Now that we understand the meaning behind the /rradiance map, let's briefly analyze what each of the five Global illumination settings do in a test render. After setting Indirect illumination to ON, the other options should be set as follows, Figure 3-3, as already shown in the previous paragraph: Figure 3.3, Render serup dialogue thee shonving the ‘options thar need to be setin the V-Rays: Indirect illumination, ‘V-Rays: Irradianee map and V-Rag:: Light cache tabs 1, Set Light cache as the secondary bounce, that is, as the system for calculating what happens to the light after its first bounce. Light cache is definitely the most effective of all the possible methods, being very efficient in terms of speed/results. 2. Set Irradiance map to Low: This paints’ the indirect light very roughly, which is perfect fora draft. 3. Activate Show calc. phase. This allows you to view the rendering during the processing phase. Having it active or not will not change the final result but it’s an excellent way to see a preview straightaway. 4, Set Subdivs: to 500 in the V-Ray::Light cache. This is a low value, which is good for tests. 5. Activate Show calc. phase, as in point (3), but this time under Light cache. This is another way to get a quick preview of the scene. Only points (2) and (4) establish that we will be calculating draft Global illumination. So, to move from “draft’ to "final", these are the values you will change. Notes: The two “Show calc phase” options (points 3 and 5 in Figure 3-3) give you a preview ofthe final result while renderingis underway. Obviously, this won't change the final render outcome. Nevertheless, it’s a very useful function, particularly in the case of static renders, because it gives you an idea of what is happening straightaway. Hidden and forgotten objects, a material that hasn't been assigned, or even a render seen through the wrong camera can be detected immediately so you can stop and relaunch the render correctly.CHAPTER 3 - GLOBAL ILLUMINATION AND IRRADIANCE MAP —_—_—$—— What Are Prepasses? The word Prepass indicates the steps in the processing of a render, Figure 3-4. If we set the type to draft, only 2 Prepasses are carried out, while with other types there are 3, 4 and even 5 Prepasses. Figure 34 Rendering dialogue ‘box with the Prepass iter highlighted ‘Two settings allow you to regulate the number of Prepasses, or Steps. These can be found in the irradiance map rollout menu and are the Min Rate and Max Rate, Figure 3-5. Figure 35 Pactof the Render semp pane! showing the options inthe Tnmadiance map tab Ifwe select Very low from the drop-down menu, the numbers that appear in the check boxes are Min rate: -4 and Max rate:-3, Figure 3-5. When we set High for the final render, these change to -3 and 0, What does all this mean? With the Min rate and Max rate, we are indicating the minimum and maximum amount of detail we want, where 0 is the maximum. Here are some examples: + Very ow:..... -4and -3 = V-Ray will complete two steps (-4, -3) and two prepasses. + Medium:.....-3 and -1= V-Ray will complete three steps (-3,-2,-1) and two prepasses, -3 and 0 = V-Ray will complete four steps (-3, -2,-1, 0) and four prepasses. : Among the Current preset options, you'll also find Very High, which sets the “imum value to 1. If © corresponds to 1 pixel, choosing a value of 1 as the maximum. ail means that the render process will be carried out multiple times on each individual It only makes sense to have Max rate = 1 for small images that are rich in detail. By ing Custom from the Current preset menu, you can customize the Min rate and Max lues and if you enter -4 and -4, the processing will be completed in a single step, ‘one prepass. So Min rate indicates the minimum quality of detail with which to start (-4 is fairly low), while Max rate indicates the maximum quality to be reached (0 indicates 1 pixel, so the finest detail possible). The intermediate Prepasses are calculated automatically. One question naturally arises at this point: If the detail we wish to reach at the end of the processing is the maximum (Max rate = 0), why complete all these Prepasses? Why don’t we set Min/Max straight to 0/0 in order to solve everything faster in a single step? The answer lies in the next paragraph, The Metaphor of a Painter.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY oO The Metaphor of a Painter Imagine having to paint a big wall. You have a large bucket full of paint and three different- sized brushes. How do you test the colors? You take the biggest brush, paint a sufficiently large area and see if it's okay, Figure 3-6. You aren't interested in going all the way to the edges and painting in the details. You just need to get an idea, a quick coat, a draft. Nobody would paint a wall perfectly, just to try out a color. Once you've approved the test, it's time to paint the wall more carefully, attending to the corners, avoiding contact with the ceiling, the wall sockets and so on. You will also start using smaller and smaller brushes. Figure 3-6 An image suggesting ‘all with colors being tested You will use a medium-sized brush to get close to the edges of the wall, and when you are a few centimeters from the delicate areas, you'll finish off with a very small brush, in order to ensure the maximum possible control, precision and speed. The Irradiance map doesn't have brushes, but in a way, it seems to paint indirect light onto surfaces and it uses reference areas that are conceptually identical to the brushes. Using this comparison, -4 represents a large brush, and as we gradually come closer to 0, the brushes become increasingly smaller. This is what V-Ray effectively does in each prepass. It paints indirect light more and more accurately, using smaller and smaller areas each time, and stopping only at the points where it’s necessary. From now on, we will always use the presets Low and High because with just one click they also prepare other values for the Irradiance map. What we are interested in is speed and practicality, and not getting lost among all the options. Notes: Although we will always use the presets, it's useful in any case to know what the concepts of Min rate and Max rate mean and what happens during rendering.CHAPTER 3 - GLOBAL ILLUMINATION AND IRRADIANCE MAP The Relationship Between Prepasses and Scenes To getaa clear idea of how Prepasses influence the calculation of indirect ight in a scene, look at the following images. As you can see, each time a finer” Prepass is added, the appearance of the contact shadows — and the shadows in general — improves. Looking at the four versions of the image in Figure 3-7, you can see that while the shadows improve, other aspects remain completely unchanged. Figure 3-7 A sequence of images rendered using different Prepasses, from Very Low (1), 0 Low (2), then Medium @), and finally High (4), Tis simple scene is urinated by a genesi¢ ambient light Shadows aside, there are certain elements that don't change when you improve or worsen the calculation of Global illumination. They are: 1. The impact of the lighting on the scene. 2. The colors (and the textures, for that matter). From this we can gather that it's not necessary to have a precise calculation of the indirect lighting to verify whether the lights are working and whether we are succeeding in obtaining the effect we wanted. For this reason, it’s better to work with low values for the Irradiance map and the Subdivs of the Light cache the whole time, and only use the options irradiance map = High and Light cache = 1500 at the end, to obtain a higher definition render. fes: You can try this concept aut by launching different renders with the aptions Very v, Low, Medium and High for irradiance map in the file Chap03-01- armchair.max, in the folder P&R-VRay \ Chapter 03 \ Exercises.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY Mics How to Save a Render’s Settings Each setting we create in the Render setup panel — and not only there — can be saved as a custom preset. It’s a very convenient solution for carrying out a whole set of operations ina single step rather than having to repeat them each time. Just go to the Render setup dialogue box, Figure 3-8. Click on the Preset: drop-down menu at the bottom and choose Save Preset... Figure 3-8 Render setup dialogue box with the Preset: option Figure 3-9 Select the Preset highlighted. This option is avaible on every tab of the Render Categories dialogue box 10 setup dialogue box. choose a category After choosing a name for the Preset, only select the V-Ray ADV 2.xx.xx category, (V-Ray NFR 2.10.01 in this case, Figure 3-9), so as not to change anything else when you load the Preset. To obtain an even faster draft render, you can also save the following setting as a Preset: in the V-Ray:: Image sampler (Anti-aliasing) rollout menu, Figure 3-10, choose Adaptive subdivision instead of Adaptive DMC (the default value). The only thing that interests us for now is getting quick drafts, so we will tackle the meaning of Anti-aliasing when we deal with the final settings in Step-4 on page 173, | comoan | vay | étettaninaton | Seige | RenderSements | Figue310 | f= Render stup dsdogue box with the Adapive sulsivsion opion bighligred. This allows you to obtain a daft ven aster, Considerations: Personally, | often set another two options in the Settings: tab. | deactivate the Show Window so that V-Ray's messages doesn't appear during rendering, and | activate Low thread priority. With the latter option active, V-Ray has fewer priorities and it's possible to use other applications while rendering. ‘THE WHOLE DRAFT SETTING CAN BE SE=N IN P&R-VRay \ CHapter 03 \ Vineo \ Vinco-03-1.MP4 FjThe DSLR Camera in V-Ray Most of the difficulties related to using cameras in rendering don't particularly depend on knowledge of the parameters, especially if the camera we are talking about is the V-Ray Physical Camera. This tool is an identical copy of a real DSLR camera, and as such, it faithfully follows the same rules, The focal length, diaphragm aperture, exposure time, white balance and the effects of combining these properties, from the Depth of field to the Bokeh effect, are concepts that should firstly be learnt outside the software. In this chapter, we will lay the foundations for setting up a scene with a virtual camera, the V-Ray Physical camera.PHOTOGRAPHY & RENDERING with V-RAY oO A Comparison Between the DSLR Camera and the V-Ray Physical Camera In some respects the V-Ray Physical Camera, Figure 4-1, is identical to the dear old standard Camera in 3ds Max. It doesn't have a better sensor or a more expensive lens, since we are still ina virtual environment where nothing is physical. Ultimately, the V-Ray camera doesn't influence the quality of the scene, but it does provide us with a set of options that can make ‘our work similar to reality, at least as far as exposure is concerned. FARO r Figure 4-1 Past of the command ‘panel showing the Cameras button, the ‘VeayPhysicalCamera function and some of its options The V-Ray Physical camera is a simulation of a real camera, Figure 4-2, and is able to mimic its main properties. Basically, with a V-Ray Physical Camera we create a “photographic shot" of a 3D scene, just as a DSLR takes a photo of a real-life scene. Figure 4.2 Schematic representation of the ‘V-Ray Physical camera (A) and an image of « DSLR camera (B) Physical Camera : 3D simulation = DSLR camera : real world Logically, if our 3D world has been replicated faithfully, with the correct proportions and “without artifice’, nothing is more natural than to interact with it using this tool. Note: “Without artifice” means faithfully replicating a 3D world, Rather than resorting to special tricks, treat the scene as though It were real. Excluding objects with certain lights, assigning bright materials to the ceilings because they are dark, or reducing the light of the sun are actions that won't produce a simulation that is consistent with reality.CHAPTER 4 - THE DSLR CAMERA IN V-RAY a Luckily, we have some advantages over the real world. While it’s true that the Physical Camera can mimic the characteristics of a DSLR camera (aperture, shutter speed, and sensitivity), it still isn't actually a real camera and consequently doesn't suffer some of its setbacks, particularly in terms of low lighting. A photographer with a DSLR camera in low light conditions must always balance the exposure time with the sensitivity of the sensor. The risk is granularity because in real life, raising the sensitivity of the sensor has the side effect of producing little flecks over the whole image. With low sensitivity on the other hand, (where we avoid grainy images), we need a longer exposure time, and therefore must be careful that the photo doesnt blur and that it doesn’t contain any moving objects. Note: It's different if you are actually seeking a blurred effect to create dynamism, but here we are in the field of stylistic choices, where everything is intentional. All these problems have been partially solved thanks to the Stil Life genre, in which we don't have to deal with moving objects, as would a sports photographer, for example. Note: in the field of painting, the term StilLife indicates a pictorial depiction of inanimate objects (flowers, fruit, vegetables, game, or objects of use). In photography, this term hhas been adopted to describe the photographic technique for capturing any inanimate object. To conclude, here are some typical advantages of our virtual 3D environment: + Grain does not occur as a result of the sensitivity of the sensor. + Wedon't need a good tripod. + We-can use the DSLR camera simulator to facilitate our work. "Considerations: Over time and through experience, I've had the opportunity to meet several, very valuable people in the field of 3D graphics and rendering. It is by no means coincidence that the best always have a great passion for photography and practice it ‘either for amusement or in thelr profession. A photographic eye is definitely one of the ost important things to have as a personal skill. The secret is to treat the scene as if it | were real — position lights correctly, try to get an idea of reality through observation and find images to help you aim towardsa final outcome.