Mood Master 2 for DAZ Studio 3

By Dreamlight

Version 1.3 - Last revised Feb 13 2010

Foreward
Thank you for purchasing the Mood Master 2 by Dreamlight. We hope this product will give you as much joy as we had designing it.

Left image: Rendered using Light Dome PRO. Middle image: Mood Master render. Right image: Final Mix composited using Photoshop.

What is Mood Master 2?

Mood Master creates an additional effect layer that can be used for touching up an existing render. It can produce effects such as z-depth (depth fog / haze), fast fog, noise, gradient, rain, snow, lens flare and sun glow. Mood Master 2 is intended to be added on top of your existing render, as a layer in a 2D painting software, such as Photoshop and The Gimp and is not intended to be used as a tool to design your main render. Mood Master 2 saves you losts of time and gives you unlimited creativity with lots of power. It can completely change the look and feel of your renders without rerendering the original render. You can tweak it forever and quickly add new moods. Mood Master 2 comes with 20 presets and allows you to save your own presets.

The Workflow
A typical workflow: 1. Design and render your main DAZ Studio render as usual. Save this scene as your main scene before adding the MM2. 2. Having your main scene loaded, add MM2 and tweak the effects. Produce a MM2 effect render. Save this as a separate scene. 3. Combine the two renders in Photoshop or The Gimp If you want to change the mood, you can simply start over from step 3 or by loading the Mood Master 2 scene again. Note that you should keep a separate copy of your main scene and your Mood Master 2 scene. NOTE: The Mood Master 2 camera can not be moved or rotated. Its meant to be exactly the same as in your original render. Mood Master 2 will not work with animation at this point. Animation features will be added in future versions. Please note, that once the MM 2 is loaded to your scene, it will delete all your lights and black out all the surfaces. This is NOT reversible, so please keep a copy of your original scene BEFORE adding the MM2.

How to use Mood Master 2

Using Mood Master 2 is very simple. You just add the Mood Master 2 prop to your scene, by going to the DAZ Studio 3 -> Mood Master 2 folder in your Content Tab. Once added, your scene will turn completely black, all lights will be deleted, all UberEnvironment props/lights (if any) will be deleted and all ambient channels of all

surfaces will be set to 0%. This is normal. Please note that his is NOT reversible, so keep a copy of your original scene before adding the MM 2. This is also the way MM2 is designed. You are meant to work on an additional layer, and not re-do or re-render your original image. Head over to your Scene Tab, and select the Mood Master 2 prop. In the Parameters Tab, you can now see all the effects. At the top you can turn each effect on / off and below is a separate list of features for each of the effects. Note that not all features will be previewed correctly due to restrictions of Open GL and your graphics card. The final render will always look as intended though. When youre done tweaking, you just perform a normal DAZ Studio render and save your image. You can then open your main render and the Mood Master 2 effect render in Photoshop or The Gimp and match them together.

Using Presets
You can locate the various presets in the same folder as the main Mood Master 2 icon in the Content Tab: DAZ Studio 3 -> Mood Master 2. To load a preset, simply double click on any of the preset icons. You dont need to choose any scene objects for the presets to load.

Saving Presets
Adjust the Mood Master 2 settings to your taste. Double click the Save Preset icon, located in the same folder as the main Mood Master 2 icon in the Content Tab: DAZ Studio 3 -> Mood Master 2. Browse to a file location and choose a filename. Note that on some systems, such as Vista you may be denied access to system folders and may need to select a different location, such as the desktop before saving the preset. You can then create a subfolder within the content/Mood Master 2/ folder and for instance name it to My Presets. Then drag and drop the new preset file to its new location. You can of course place presets in the main Mood Master 2 folder as well. .

Left image: Rendered using Light Dome PRO, with Mood Master Deep Fog, Deep Fog Texture, Noise and Rain. Right image: Rendered using Light Dome PRO with Mood Master Deep Fog and Sun Glow.

The Effects
You have 10 effects at your disposal. You can blend all the effects in an unlimited way and you can also do several Mood Master 2 renders and stack them on top of eachother in Photoshop / The Gimp for even more effects. Now, lets break down each of the effects. 01 - Deep Fog 02 - Deep Fog Texture 03 - Deep Fog Sky Fall Off 04 - Fast Fog 05 - Noise 06 - Rain 07 - Snow 08 - Sun Glow 09 - Lens Flare 10 - Color Gradient

Image rendered using Light Dome PRO. Deep Fog applied using Mood Master.

1. Deep Fog
This is the main feature of Mood Master 2. Basically, what it does is to create a depth effect, that can be used for a fog or haze effect in your render. In the Parameters Tab, you can alter several components of this effect: Fog Start Distance - this is where the fog starts Fog Depth how thick the fog is or the distance to where it hits maximum level Fog Color the color of the fog effect Fog Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the fog effect

Left image: Original Light Dome PRO render. Middle image: The effect render produced by Mood Master. Right image: The final mix.

This can not only be used as a white/grey fog, but also as light blue haze, orange desert/Miami look, deep blue underwater effects or why not sci-fi atmosphere, hellish red fog or a toxic green smoke. It can be used as a very subtle effect or with a deep almost demonic impact.

Without re-rendering the original image you can get unlimited combinations!

Image lit using the Studio Light PRO. Mood Master Deep Fog added and colored Red. This particular render also uses the MM Lens Flare and additional postwork in Photoshop (The applied motionblur). Image rendered by Steve Pendleton.

Deep fog works both indoors and outdoors and will work no matter how your scene or props looks like. You dont need to place your camera (The MM2 camera) in any special way. Deep Fog works in depth and will always work no matter how you rotate your camera. Note that you cant move the camera once you add the Mood Master 2 to your scene.

Subtle MM deep fog effect, lit with Light Dome PRO. Image by Waldemar Belwon.

Subtle background fog added using Mood Master. Image by Waldemar Belwon.

Lit using Studio Light PRO. Deep Fog & Deep Fog Texture added using Mood Master. RGB values shifted to blue for both layers. Image by Steve Pendleton.

2. Deep Fog Texture

This is used to add a variation to the Deep Fog, so that it looks more like a real fog or smoke effect. In the Parameters Tab, you have the following functions: Texture Rotation rotate the pattern Texture Size select the size of the pattern Texture Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the effect

Left image: Lit using Studio Light PRO. Right image: Effect render produced using Mod Master Deep Fog with Deep Fog Texture. Both images by Steve Pendleton.

Lit using Light Dome PRO. Deep Fog, Deep Fog Texture and Deep Fog Fall Off added using Mood Master. Image by Steve Pendleton.

Image rendered using the Light Dome PRO 2. Haze added with Mood Master 2 Deep Fog with Deep Fog Fall Off.

3. Deep Fog Sky Fall Off

When adding a distant haze effect, you will sometimes want to avoid adding the effect to the entire sky or some parts of the image. This function lets you add a mask / black gradient that hides parts of the fog. Functions in the Parameters Tab: Horizontal Position shifts the x position of the effect Vertical Position shifts the y position of the effect Gradient Rotation rotates the gradient Gradient Vertical Stretch selects how fast the gradient should turn black Fog Sky Fall Off Opacity how strong the effect will impact the Deep Fog

Left image: Effect render produced using Deep Fog. Right image: Effect render produced using Deep Fog with the Deep Fog Fall Off applied.

Left image: Original render using the Light Dome PRO. Middle image: Deep Fog acting as haze. Right image: Deep Fog acting as haze with the Deep Fog Fall Off added.

The fall off doesnt need to occour in the sky/upper part of the image. You can rotate the fall off, move it to any place in your image and even stretch it to fit your scene. Normally, when using this feature as sky fall off you only need to adjust the vertical position and gradient vertical stretch.

Image lit using Light Dome PRO with Mood Master Fast Fog.

4. Fast Fog
Fast fog is a simple one layer fog that will instantly add a foreground fog effect. It comes with the edges toned into transparency so that you can add fog in certain areas of your render, while keeping others parts clean. Parameters Tab settings: Horizontal Position the x position of the fog Vertical Position the y position of the fog Fast Fog Rotation the rotation of the fog effect Fast Fog Size the size of the fog clouds Fast Fog Color the color of the fog Fast Fog Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the fog effect

Image rendered using Light Dome PRO with Mood Master Deep Fog and Noise effects.

5. Noise
This adds an overall noise effect. Functions in Parameters Tab: Noise Rotation rotates the noise pattern Noise Size selects the size of the noise pattern

Image rendered using Light Dome PRO. Deep Fog with Texture + Noise and Rain effect applied using Mood Master.

6. Rain
The Rain is a single layer effect creating the illusion of heavy rain. Adjustments in the Parameters Tab: Horizontal Position the x position of the rain effect Vertical Position the y position of the rain effect Rain Angle the rotation of the rain effect Rain Size the size of the rain drops Vertical Stretch the more stretched, the faster the rain drops appear to fall Rain Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the rain effect

Note: The edges of this effect are toned, so that you can select where you want the rain effect to be visible and where you want it to be hidden.

Scene rendered with Light Dome PRO and Mood Master. Image by Waldemar Belwon.

Scene rendered using Studio Light PRO and Mood Master with deep fog, fast fog, deep fog texture and rain effects. Image by Waldemar Belwon.

Image rendered using the Light Dome PRO. now, Rain and Deep Fog with Deep Fog Fall Off and Deep Fog Texture added using the Mood Master.

7. Snow
Same as rain, but adds snow flakes instead. Adjustments in parameters Tab: Horizontal Position the x position of the snow effect Vertical Position the y position of the snow effect Snow Rotation - the rotation of the snow effect Snow Size the size of the snow flakes Vertical Stretch the more stretched, the faster the snow flakes appear to fall Snow Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the snow effect

Note: As with the rain effect, the edges of this effect are toned, so that you can select where you want the snow effect to be visible and where you want it to be hidden. The snow effect can be mixed with rain to create stormy weather conditions. You can also render several snow layers with various sizes / rotations / positions to create a heavy snow fall effect.

Image rendered using Light Dome PRO with Mood Master Deep Fog and Sun Glow.

8. Sun Glow
The Sun Glow can be used to mimick the strong additional glow effect as seen in images with strong light sources, such as the sun or any other light source. Adjustments possible in the Parameters Tab: Horizontal Position the x position of the effect Vertical Position the y position of the effect Rotate Glow rotation of the effect Glow Size the size of the glow effect Horizontal Squeeze the x size of the effect Vertical Squeeze the y size of the effect

Glow Color the color of the glow effect Sun Glow Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the effect

The MM Sun Glow itself is very simple, but when mixed with the Deep Fog, it can add that extra punch. Left image: Sun Glow. Middle image: Deep Fog with Sun Glow. Right image: Final mix with the original render.

Image rendered using Light Dome PRO and Mood Master Deep Fog with Lens Flare.

9. Lens Flare
Same as the Sun Glow, but creates a Lens Flare effect rather than just a glow. Parameters Tab adjustments: Horizontal Position the x position of the effect Vertical Position the y position of the effect Flare Rotation rotation of the flare effect Flare Size the size of the flare effect

Left image: Mood Master Lens Flare. Middle image: Mood Master Lens Flare with Deep Fog. Right image: Final mix.

Note that the flare effect, as all effects, besides the Deep Fog, will be added on top of your image. That means a flare will always be infront of buildings and such.

10. Color Gradient

This is similar to the Sun Glow effect, but rather than creating a circular effect, the Color Gradient works like a linear effect. It can be used to tint the sky or parts of the image. Parameter Tab adjustments: Horizontal Position the x position of the effect Vertical Position the y position of the effect Gradient Rotation - rotation of the gradient Gradient Stretch how quickly the gradient becomes maximum effect Gradient Color the color of the gradient effect Gradient Opacity the lower the value the more transparent the effect

Left image: Original Light Dome PRO. Middle image: Mood Master Color Gradient render. Right image: Final mix.

The gradient can be used to tint parts of your image. Often, this can be seen in movies or tv series, such as C.S.I Miami where parts of the sky are colored in orange for an additional warmth effect.

Compositing in Photoshop or The Gimp

Compositing is very easy. You just load your main image into Photoshop or The Gimp add a new layer and then load the Mood Master 2 (MM2) effect render. Select the entire MM2 render and copy and paste it into your new layer. Select Screen Blending mode and adjust opacity to your taste. You can also duplicate the MM2 layer in case you want it even stronger. You may change the color of the layer by adjusting the curves. You can add additional effects if you want. You may also stack several different MM2 renders on top of each other for even more variations and effects.

Mixing using Photoshop

You can of course, use Photoshop or any other software that supports layer to mix the Mood Mask with your original image. 1) Create a new image and fill it with black (RGB 0, 0, 0). Make sure it has the same dimensions as your Daz|Studio renders. Lets call this image the MIX. 2) Open your original render and the Mood Master render. 3) Select your original render, hit Ctrol+A and then Ctrl+C. 4) Select your Mix image. Hit Ctrl+V. Change the overlay effect to SCREEN. 5) Select your Mood Master render, hit Ctrl+A and then Ctrl+C. 6) Select the TOP LAYER of the Mix Image and hit Ctrl+V. Adjust overlay effect to SCREEN. 7) You can now adjust each layers opacity or adjust the colors if needed. (Image>Adjust>Curves)

Mixing using Gimp

Gimp is a free image processing software from www.gimp.org. You can use Gimp to mix the layers produced by Mood Master, just as you would use Photoshop. 1) Create a new image (Ctrl + N) Make sure it has the same dimenstions as your Daz|Studio images and fill it with black (RGB 0, 0, 0). Well call this image the Mix Image 2) Go to your Mix image and select Open As Layer. Select your original render. 3) Again, select Open As Layer and select your Mood Mask render. 4) Open the Layer Window (Ctrl + L) and select both layers to screen mode. 5) Adjust both layers opacity to desired level and/or adjust the RGB values (Layers>Colors>Curves) 6) Repeat with as many layers as you want

Using Mood Master 2 for Additional Effects

If you make a clean black & white Deep Fog render, a so called Z-depth render, you can use it as a mask in Photoshop or The Gimp for additional effects, such a DOF (Depth Of Field). To make that work, follow these steps: 1. Load Your Image 2. Create a duplicate layer and blur it using Gaussian Blur 3. Add the mask to that layer and then insert the MM2 render into that mask. You may need to invert it. 4. The mask will now control the blurred image and create a DOF effect

Using the Remove Reflections Function

In some renders, keeping the reflections will add to your image. However, there are times where you want to remove the reflections. For instance, when you have several windows in a city scene. In the Content Tab, where you find the main load Mood Master 2 icon, you can find the Remove Reflections Icon. This is to remove any reflections in the scene. When you apply Mood Master 2 to your scene, any reflective surfaces will reflect the strong fog effect and this may cause windows or reflective surfaces to become overpowered. Double clicking on the Remove Reflections Icon will remove any surface reflections excluding special shaders that may need to be removed manually.

Using the MM Expansion Pack with Mood Master 2

In order to use the MM Expansion Pack (sold separately), you must select one of the sub-props parented to the main Mood Master prop (in the Scene Tab) and then click on the appropriate Mood Master Expansion Pack Icon (In the Content Tab).

Support & Links

Free Technical Support
http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?p=2160832#2160832

Dreamlight Website http://www.dream-lounge.com Dreamlight 3D Club, DAZ Studio Online Training & Mentoring http://www.dream-lounge.com/dreamlight/dlc.htm Dreamlight DAZ 3D store http://www.daz3d.com/i/shop/artistlist?artist=257762&_m=d

Credits:
Mood Master design by Waldemar Belwon Mood Master 2 design by Peter Rex Additional Mood Master 2 design by Waldemar Belwon Coding by Preben Pedersen

Copyright 2010 Dreamlight AB, Waldemar Belwon Copying or modifying parts of this document or the document in whole in any form is strictly prohibited.