My End of Section Challenge

[Golddy]

Hello the community !

Since we do share our work, here is mine. I would like to share mine like a step by step view, for better understanding on how we can progress through different process, and help some students if I can.

But before I want to explain, what’s come inside my head, when creating this End of Section Challenge, and here is the story :

" A detective from a common big city was send to a little town, as some of us heard about the town was left behind by their inhabitants. Nobody knows what happen in there, and that’s definetly why this detective was send there. This detective is reknown worldly, but he is know like a mysterious man, always all in black dressed with a black hat, and not really a talkative man !

Had he been send there for revenge ?
Who knows ? But, that’s not the question of the day.

When he come first to this town, he short stopped right in front of a strange bridge, reaveling at his end, a tunnel leading straight to the city.
Without hesitation, he decided to cross the bridge. When he does his first step, the weather starts to turned bad. The rain surged over the bridge, the fog settled up, and the lake, although silent, was hiding something in the haze."

So, it’s where I choose to start from. With that kind of story in my mind.
And finally, you have below, where I go to with this story :).


Eevee :

Cycles :

What do you finally think of it ? I don’t know what to think about my rain, not totally happy with it, if you have any suggestion or remark, don’t hesitate, I will take it !


Thanks for reading me and maybe sorry for my english :).

[zeRgenTa]

@Golddy

I don’t know what to think about my rain, not totally happy with it.

I think the problem is the shape, rain drops should be more or less round. here (shutterstock.com) is some high speed stock footage for reference.
I think there is a way to add motion blur but I haven’t ever used it. I think that it would add that streaky look you seem to be after.

[FedPete]

This is a really great addition t the bridge scene! And I’ve seen a lot.
The rail does give more meaning to the fog and reflective (wet) tiles.
maybe you’re not satisfied with the raindrops.
But it’s the next step in learning.
Improving yourself in each project.
It is a good project, well done!

[NP5]

Very good scene.
A tiled road? It looks good it is just an artistic choice.
Nice rails, lamposts, fog.

Raindrops are a great idea. It is difficult I quite understand the shape you used but as others say it is not what is really there. The effect we perceive, that you are aiming to recreate, is from motion blur. Which would also require animation to get the effect in one of the frames I suspect. A lot more than the course goes into.

For all that you have a great result and it is up to you if it is worth the time to try to make more realistic rain. Most probably won’t notice, often much of computer graphics is faking things.

[Golddy]

Thanks for all your feedbacks ! I really appreciate it !

I totally agree with all of you, the rain doesn’t look like the rest of the scene and that create a little gap with the original idea and design. Even if it’s not totally perceptible for all.

When I first render it, I’ve noticed it, but I was wondering if it was me.
But from now, you totally convince me, with all your feedback.

So, I will work on changing that raindrop shape, and see if I can step up with that.
I think the motion blur is a great add aswell, for accentuate that realistic design that I’m looking for, but it won’t be easy I suppose.

A lot to go into, but it’s a good time aswell to improve my knowledge.
And of course, in parralel, to continue the course.

Honestly, I really appreciate how your course are made, because we go a lot into the things and understand how it works (and especially in the options).
It’s not all about creating something, and just copying it. It’s really about creating something, personalize it, and make it your own.

Thanks for all your replies ! That really help me.

[Golddy]

Hello !

Here I’m back again after a few days of testing different things.
Honestly, it wasn’t easy, and in this case, we really see the limits of Eevee Render for realistic purpose.

I do regret to sacrifice a part of the translucent material apply on my raindrop. But it’s cause by the motion blur. I do some research on it, and it seems that motion blur is using alpha aswell as my raindrop material, creating some troubles.

Anyway, I’m pretty happy with the final result, and the render seems to be more consistent with the original ambiant and idea.

However, I don’t understand all the strings of the motion blur, especially because it seems that different renders from different quality, give different results.

For exemple, I do render the last Eevee image with volontary low quality (around 16 samples), but the material seems to be more appropriate and more detail. If anyone have some explanation to this or more details on motion blur, I looked forward to this your reply.


Enough talking, here are the renders


Last render from my previous post :

New Eevee :

New Cycle :

Finally, what do you think of all of this ? Which render do you prefer ? Any suggestions ?

Thanks for the support and the replies !

[FedPete]

@Golddy

Eevee image with volontary low quality (around 16 samples)

I believe the Eevee sample rate is only of importance in calculating better shadow results. As in higher samples, softer shadow transitions. Not 100% sure, because Eevee is still improved.

[FedPete]

I am really impressed with your work. I find it quit realistic. You can be proud of yourself.

[NP5]

Very nicely done. The rain looks better now.

[Golddy]

Thanks for your words !
I find the final result quite good aswell.

I believe the Eevee sample rate is only of importance in calculating better shadow results. As in higher samples, softer shadow transitions. Not 100% sure, because Eevee is still improved.

So if I well-understand, that mean if I want to improve my translucy with higher samples, I need to play around with light and shadow ?

Else, that seems consistent, I have read that increasing the samples in Eevee is giving more precise / realistic colors to your scene. I deduce that the fog is darkened my scene maybe, provoking less light refractions when I raise up my samples.

Anyway, I will try to sort that out later, through my progress in all the course. And furthermore, I think I could still add some complements to my scene later on, like adding splash effect on the water under the bridge and the tiled road, make the rain rebound on surface.

I will keep you informed through this post, if I still get some improvements in my scene .

[FedPete]

You can test this in Eevee using two
lamps, the cube, and a floor plane to see the shadow.
Set view to “Viewport Shading” and change the Eevee samples.

Also, look at Eevee shadow ‘cube size’ ‘Cascade size’, One is used by sun type lamp, the other for other lights. But I forgot which was which. (I am using Blender 2.91)