These are some renders I did between jobs.
Work and Play
3
Architectural Digest Renders … Again
In 2004, I was commissioned to do some interior design renders for Architectural Digest Magazine. It was to be the first time that they had ever done a feature on the use of 3D visualization for upscale interior design. They enlisted the help of premier Art Deco aficionado and designer Harry Schnapper, who recruited architect Brian Billings to design the space. I was referred to journalist and author Christopher Petkanas by Michael Woodcox, who was then head of product development at Autodesk. Fortunately for me, he’d seen my work, and it stuck with him enough for him to mention me. Thanks Michael!
Over the course of the years, I’ve progressed from using Lightscape to Vray for production rendering, getting briefly sidetracked with Maxwell (which I was unable to use for production). I eventually chose FRYRENDER for production work. In 2007, I redid the scene for FRYRENDER. One of those renders is in my online portfolio.
Since early 2010, I have been testing and then using Arion Render for most of my production work. I was asked by Philippe Pigeard of Cadlink (a reseller of Rhino, Arion, and many CAD/CAM softwares) to produce the scene in Arion for his use as a demonstration. I am quite pleased with the results and wanted to post them here.
New Surreal Structures Website
After four years, my business web site has finally gotten some love. The main reason it had languished for so long was because it was rather difficult to update. Now that it is in WordPress format, it will be much easier to maintain.
Check it out here, or use The Surreal Structures Home link up top.
Introduction to Arion videos
I have produced several instructional videos geared to helping people get started with the Arion Demo.
YouTube - Introduction to the Arion UI - Part I: Customizing the Workspace
YouTube - Introduction to the Arion UI - Part II: Using the Explorer Module
YouTube - Introduction to the Arion UI - Part III: The Material Editor
There will be more videos in the coming days. You can check for updates and additional content at RandomControlLab’s YouTube channel
You can download the Arion Render Demo here: Arion Render Demo
A Bathroom
Arion Bathroom
Hi Everyone. This is a pet project I started over 5 years ago, using a reference photo, but didn’t get very far with. I originally started the model in Rhino and had intended to use another unbiased engine, but the results were very disappointing and I quickly lost interest in the scene. I was going over some old backup drives and came across the folder containing all my references, custom textures and dismal attempts. I decided to dust it off and see what I could do with it in Arion.
A Quick Tip: Make it puffy
I have been doing a lot with 3ds Max Cloth and Garment Modifiers lately. It is common to use the Push modifier to make objects “puff” out, but I found that using the Cloth modifier on a closed box can give you puffiness without scaling the object. The box needs to have enough segments for the Cloth modifier to work on – try 10x10x10 for a cube. If you use an Editable Poly, enable NURMS smoothing for soft corners, and leave it disabled for sharp creases.
Apply the Cloth Modifier to your closed box and in Cloth Properties, pick your box and select a fabric type. In the Pressure parameters, set Pressure to 1 or 2. The higher the Pressure value, the puffier your object will be. Disable Gravity and click Simulate (damped).
Making A Throw Pillow With Cloth Simulation in 3ds Max
Here is the pillow tutorial that I’ve been promising for a long time. There is no audio.
Rendered pillow
Watch the video: Pillow Tutorial (48 MB Quicktime MOV)
You can go further with your pillow model by doing another Cloth simulation using the Pressure parameter in the cloth properties, and using a couch or chair as a collision object in your simulation. I’ve attached a textual script that explains some of the finer points for you to follow while you watch the video below.
Candle Jar Tutorial
This is a short tutorial on creating the candle jar from my last two pet projects. There are many ways this object could be accomplished, but this is how I did it. I used Max 2011 and the Graphite Tools. Even if you don’t need a puffy glass candle jar, this is a good exercise in working with editable polys and how to control smoothing.
Approximate modeling time is 10 minutes.
Here is the Flash version of the slide show: Candle Jar Tutorial in Flash (4 MB) You can follow along with the script below.
Candle Jar
Reading Corner
I created this little scene to showcase the photography of my friend Kimberly Massengill, who allowed me to use her work in my last production. Her blog is here.
Reading Corner
You can see the large version here.
I should add that no cyber zebras were harmed in the making of this image, though some chenille and a good-sized Nauga-beast gave it up for the cause.
Lounge With Beige Sectional
Hi everyone,
This is a personal work that is a result of my experiments creating upholstered furniture with Cloth simulation. The scene is inspired by a photo from a furniture catalog. I modeled everything except for the plant leaves and branches, which I altered from a model from the Evermotion Library #41. The roughness maps, bump maps, fabrics and carpet texture are made with my custom Filter Forge filters and Photoshop.
Beige Sectional