Iray Lighting Solutions Tutorial Set

Daz Studio Product Release

Details

Lighting your indoor or outdoor set in Daz Studio can be one of the most time consuming activities when setting up a scene for render. Most artists will have lighting as a pain point during their workflow and it is not always easy to get to the root cause of why lighting may not work on a set.

In this tutorial set, Drew Spence shows you how to set up lights from scratch for both indoor and outdoor environments. He also picks his top ten recommended resources from the Daz store and demonstrates how these work, saving you time in your workflow.

Drew has designed lighting for hundreds of sets for the production of his Force Six, The Annihilators and comic series and he is pleased to share his lighting experience and adventures in creativity.

This product includes

Search transcription integrated inside the videos. Find search results on the video timeline. Every word spoken is indexed. Maximise the use of your tutorial’s content. Tutorial videos include subtitles

About the Presenter Drew Spence

Drew Spence is a graphic comic writer and illustrator from the United States. He creates under the title of The Dynamic Universe . He has combined his music and video into several works- including Mark of the Griffin , which is both a graphic novel and web series. He is part of the instrumental group Fallout Shelter which provides the soundtrack. The other band members are Domino Grey , Dynamics Plus and Xodus Phoenix.

What’s Included and Features

• Iray Lighting Solutions Tutorial Set
  • Four MP4 videos
  • Searchable integrated transcripts
  • Subtitles included
• Part 1 : Indoor Lighting for Iray
• Total running time : 35 minutes (introduction) + 1 hour and 16 minutes (main session)
• Section 1 : Creating lights from scratch
• Case study used : Medieval chamber set with fireplace and candle lights; designing lighting for a fantasy set
  • Why monitor calibration can be essential for your art
  • Composition focus : ensuring the main subject(s) are well lit and highlighted
  • Point lights
    • How point lights work
    • Types of paint light
    • The advantage of linear point lights
    • Point light geometry
    • Recommended Luminous Flux Settings
  • Spotlights
    • Lighting a specific area
    • Positioning
    • Beam length
    • Applying to the main subject
    • Using a spot light to creating leading lines
  • Emissive Lighting
    • Adding an emissive.
    • Flame props

• Section 2 : Product Recommendations
• Case study used : Dramatic medieval keep set with three characters
  • Consistency in lighting for sequential art
  • How to use IRay light probes
    • Selecting colours and intensities
    • Keeping light levels low for light probes
  • Demonstration of flaming torch products
  • How to use a Ghost Light Kit
    • Selecting light colours
    • Placing ghost lights underneath characters.
    • Test of an Iray ghost light kit 3 (God Rays) through a window
  • Epic props : Godrays and volumetric light for Iray
    • Particle spread in god rays
    • Volumetric light through a window, great for dramatic atmospheres.
  • Recommended Learning Task Included
• Part 2 : Outdoor Lighting for Iray
• Total running time :30 minutes (introduction) + 1 hour and& 20 minutes (main session)
• Section 1 : Using DAZ Studio’s Built in Lighting
• Case study used : Using an island beach set with a single character
  • Picking the render frame size
  • The Sun
  • Default HDRI background : The default lighting conditions for a set.
  • Sky dome mode options
  • Dome rotation
  • Using Iray Sky 36
  • The headlamp off
  • Iray settings : About tone Mapping
  • Iray settings : Camera properties
  • Checking the sun in an environment
  • Duplicating the sun and using this as an additional lighting source
  • Blend renders in postwork (same scene lit differently) for final lighting options.
  • Using instances of DAZ Studio in your workflow for rendering
• Case study used : Medieval Melee action fight scene
  • Solving blown out lighting problems
  • Tone mapping
  • Fix lighting in the scene rather than in postwork
  • Environment mode, lighting resolution,
  • Turning off the HDRI default dome: lighting from scratch
  • Environment Sun node (special effect)
  • Latitude and longitude
  • Environment sun settings
  • Altering the sky backgrounds
  • Rendering night scenes
• Section 2 : Recommended Resources Demonstrated
  • Longitude and Latitude Lighting and Render presetsfor DS Iray
  • Dreamlight : Quick Iray Outdoor presets

Force Six, The Annihilators #46

Force Six 46 Mr. Jeopardy, the Man from Nowhere.

Where did the man from nowhere come from? Who is truly in Jeopardy when Lucky Lucien pushes his…? It’s a terrible test when pins are pushed and levers are pulled. Somewhere in a dark corner, the snake coils. Wheels turn when The Dragon and The Doll story arc reaches its Part V. Mr Jeopardy, The Man From Nowhere. Pinned and penned by Drew Spence

Force Six, The Annihilators

They were a team of specialists assembled to bring order to a chaotic universe. Something went wrong when right became their final choice. See the transformation from Renegade outcasts to Legends. They are Force Six, The Annihilators. Drew Spence writes and illustrates a graphic comic, mixing science fiction with science fantasy. It’s a superhero space saga as a group of renegades, gifted with special abilities and artificial enhancements, charge and change the fate of all those they come across. They are the Force Six, The Annihilators and this is the story of their rise, fall and ultimate redemption.

Force Six, The Annihilators #45

Force Six 45 Day of The Dragon, Night of The Doll

Hands build and hands destroy. Force Six member Kojin Ahsaguri comes face to face with Jean D’Pardoe in a meeting of mind and reanimating the matters between life and death. The future and past collide in this dramatic episode of the Dragon and the Doll story arc. It’s episode 45: Day of the Dragon, Night of the Doll. Toned and tinted by Drew Spence

Want to know what the hype is about? Read a free book and see for yourself.

Force Six The Annihilators by Drew Spence- The Destruction of Redder Coltrane 50Th Celebration Redux Version. (still free to read since this free-thing is working so well)

The full series is available on comiXology. Individual episodes, collections (like a graphic novel or trade) and full seasons.

Want a physical copy to hold in your hands? Our books are available in print. IndyPlanet.com -with high-quality, deluxe format printing by Ka-Blam.

Like what we do and want to see The Dynamic Universe expand?

Share, like, comment and engage! Join the Patreon and get all the comics free and more, like wallpapers and such.

https://www.instagram.com/dynamicamusic/

https://www.facebook.com/TheDynamicUniverse

OPTIMIZE: Render Engine and Scene Optimizations Tutorial

Details

Take the OPTIMIZE: Render Engine and Scene Optimizations Tutorial.

If you are running DAZ Studio on an older machine or one that doesn’t have many resources (CPU processor speed, RAM, and graphics card memory), then it becomes crucial to learn how to quicken your render times!

Two approaches to this problem are to optimize your render settings and be efficient with setting up your 3D scene in the first place.

This 2-hour tutorial has two artists discuss both of these approaches. Slater Lewis (Tugpsx) and Drew Spence (Griffin Avid).

Various render engines are examined by Slater including iRay, 3Delight, Reality, and Octane. Slater has been heavily involved with render engine beta testing in the past, so he has a good understanding of what works for render settings. He includes a PDF document of tips and tricks for Iray. The irony is that Slater uses quite an old machine for his DAZ Studio artwork (8 years old), so he is motivated to find optimizations for his own work!

Drew Spence talks about the question “Should art be limited by hardware?” and addresses how we can get around those confinements with several direct tips, as well as recommended DAZ Store products. Drew uses a variety of these suggested products on a mass basis for his graphic novel “Force 6 Annihilators”, where he creates hundreds of scenes to render for the artwork.

About the Presenter: Drew Spence

Drew Spence is a graphic comic writer and illustrator from the United States. He creates under the title of The Dynamic Universe. He has combined his music and video into several works, including Mark of the Griffin, which is both a graphic novel and web series. He is part of the instrumental group Fallout Shelter, which provides the soundtrack. The other band members are Domino Grey, Dynamics Plus, and Xodus Phoenix.

Drew Spence is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and holds various certificates from graphic arts to web design. Drew Spence was the CEO and Editor-in-chief of Producer’s Edge magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to all aspects of music production. The magazine was packaged with a DVD which included sound samples, instructional videos, and software. He currently lives on Long Island, New York and produces his work from the aptly named Fallout Shelter Studios, where he creates crafty and clever comics using CGI and photorealistic image manipulation.

What’s Included and Features

• This Bundle Includes:
  • OPTIMIZE: Render Engine and Scene Optimizations Tutorial
  • Optimize video : 2 hours in length.
  • Slater’s Iray tips : PDF document
  • Video Content : Time Index
  • Part 1 : Slater Lewis
    • 00:01 Using Face Transfer to create a custom character based on
    • Willem Dafoe!
    • 00:02 Slater is working on an older 8 year old machine, with just a 3Gb RAM graphics card
    • 00:03 Recommendations if you have an i7 processor
    • 00:03 About textures
    • 00:04 Know your Iray sections
    • 00:06 Using a wet/moist skin shader for a character’s skin.
    • 00:09 3^rd party software recommendations to tweak shader maps and generate bump maps

• 00:12 Hunting down the cause of Firefly problems
• 00:14 About tone mapping with film ISO settings and aperture shutter speeds
• 00:15 The tone mapping gamma setting.
• 00:18 About the Reality plugin
• 00:19 Between 3DL and Iray : how to choose which render engine as an artist
• 00:20 Render Settings : render engines available.
• 00:22 Octane render engine : large materials library
• 00:24 Preset shaders for skin in Octane
• 00:31 A reminder that you can still use Iray with just your CPU.
• 00:34 Using two GPUs
• 00:36 Use a main and an auxiliary viewpoint
• 00:37 Draw settings on the Viewport
• 00:41 Top three Iray settings for optimisation
• 00:43 Remember to render to a new window
• 00:45 The number of iterations for Iray – where to set

• 00:50 The Environment map and replace the default HDR lighting for your project
• 00:53 IRay render engine sections

• Objects
• 01:19 Billboards
• 01:20 Composite rendering
• 01:21 Billboard products overview
• 01:24 A DAZ scene with several ideas to optimise the scene.
• 01:26 Past hardware limitations for creating your storyworlds
• 01:28 Canvases
• 01:30 Resource Saver Shaders Collection product : cuts down the render time of shaders
• 01:32 Tools for convert Iray shaders to 3Delight or vice-versa
• 01:34 The Scene Optimiser product
• 01:38 Settings in Scene Optimiser
• 01:43 Example of using Scene Optimiser

• 01:47 Fractal generator for creating backgrounds
• 01:57 Capture the information of how long a render takes
• 01:59 The DAZ Studio log file

https://www.daz3d.com/optimize-render-engine-and-scene-optimizations-tutorial

Force Six comic series in print. Two new books added to collection.

We have two new releases for print. For those that keep asking about how to get a physical copy of our comics- we have dropped The special Redux version of Season I’s main story arc. It’s a digital remastering of the big one that started it all. The HUGE Season IV book is ready for your trade-traditional tactile tendencies.

The Destruction Of Redder Coltrane Force Six 50th

Magazine Sized Trade Paperback Full Color Page Count: 172

The Destruction of Redder Coltrane Force Six 50th Redux – The first story arc on the Force Six series is reduxed for the 50th episode celebration. Force Six member Jackie-5 and her partner, the Beta One asset, are sent to the planet Fronterra to terminate the war criminal Tiber HenGemon. When the work order gets expanded, more Annihilators are called in to…annihilate. The Destruction of Redder Coltrane presents a collected packaging of season I, the main story arc. We see Jackie-Five, Fire Destiny and Kojin Ahsaguri confronting Redder Coltrane and his band of criminal outlaws. When the smoke clears, you’ll be fully clear on what it means to be an Annihilator.

Available on IndyPlanet.

Season IV The Complete Collection – Tomorrow Always Changes

Magazine Sized Trade Paperback Full Color

Page Count: 648 Print-on-Demand ($89.95)

Season IV The Complete Collection Tomorrow Always Changes Episodes 32 through 48 are combined into a massive collection. Some memories should never fade. If a yesterday could determine who I am, then it must be said that my today could determine who I will be -tomorrow. The Drew Spence Force Six Annihilator series reaches its 4th season as we explore themes, thoughts and temperaments. The story of the future-retro action mercenary squad continues. The story arcs in this collection include Kat and Mouse, Remember to Forget You, Lost Train of Thought, Spirit of the Invincible and The Dragon and the Doll.

Curious to what the hype is about? Read a free book and see for yourself.

Force Six The Annihilators by Drew Spence- The Destruction of Redder Coltrane 50Th Celebration Redux Version. (still free to read since this free-thing is working so well)

The full series is available on comiXology. Individual episodes, collections (like a graphic novel or trade) and full seasons.

Want a physical copy to hold in your hands? Our books are available in print. IndyPlanet.com -with high-quality, deluxe format printing by Ka-Blam.

Like what we do and want to see The Dynamic Universe expand?

Share, like, comment and engage! Join the Patreon and get all the comics free and more, like wallpapers and such.

https://www.instagram.com/dynamicamusic/

https://www.facebook.com/TheDynamicUniverse

3D Print for Odion and Kuse

Killer Butterfly gets a killer set of figures.

The Killer Butterfly comic book series has the title characters 3D printed.

If you remember my earlier blog post about getting some of the characters from my various comic series printed by https://mixeddimensions.com/ – this is a second set that I submitted. Quick Recap: there is a plug-in for Daz Studio (3D software for composing 3D assets) that converts your scene into a printable format and can also upload your project to their site as a job. The cost ranges depending on what you submit and your chosen dimensions.

“Currently, the available sizes are 4″,5″,6″, 7″ 9″ and 12″. We may offer additional sizes and scales in the future. Stay tuned!“

I wasn’t sure how the different sizes would translate so I printed several of the figures at different scales. The Odion and Kuse from the Killer Butterfly comic are 9″ figures. I love the attention to detail. They even got his tatts right! The figures come on a real wooden base and have pegs under their feet to attach them to the base. Very sturdy and the best purchase so far. This will be the selected scale for my display figures. It’s very inspiring to see figures of your original characters as collectibles.

Very cool details.

Also arriving last week, was Beta One from Force Six, The Annihilators. I added him next to the Jackie-5 figure to complete that iconic cover from Season I, episode 02.

More figures to follow.

Curious to what the hype is about? Read a free book and see for yourself.

Force Six The Annihilators by Drew Spence- The Destruction of Redder Coltrane 50Th Celebration Redux Version. (still free to read since this free-thing is working so well)

The full series is available on comiXology. Individual episodes, collections (like a graphic novel or trade) and full seasons.

Want a physical copy to hold in your hands? Our books are available in print. IndyPlanet.com -with high-quality, deluxe format printing by Ka-Blam.

Like what we do and want to see The Dynamic Universe expand?

Share, like, comment and engage! Join the Patreon and get all the comics free and more, like wallpapers and such.

https://www.instagram.com/dynamicamusic/

https://www.facebook.com/TheDynamicUniverse

Force Six, The Annihilators #44

Force Six 44 The World fell and You Remained True and unshakeable!

The World Fell and You Remained…
Part III of the Dragon and the Doll will find Force Six member Kojin Ahsaguri standing at the crossroads of two worlds. To look forward is to complete his mission and uncover the sinister plot of Jean D’Pardoe and his possible allies -the Synthoids. Or, he can look to the past and see the ‘what was’ in all of us. Will she be there- after the waves recede? Find out in episode 44 The World fell and You Remained True and unshakeable.
Story and Art by Drew Spence.

Force Six episode 44 panel pull. Aftermath accountings.

Force Six, The Annihilators

They were a team of specialists assembled to bring order to a chaotic universe. Something went wrong when right became their final choice. See the transformation from Renegade outcasts to Legends. They are Force Six, The Annihilators. Drew Spence writes and illustrates a graphic comic, mixing science fiction with science fantasy. It’s a superhero space saga as a group of renegades, gifted with special abilities and artificial enhancements, charge and change the fate of all those they come across. They are the Force Six, The Annihilators and this is the story of their rise, fall and ultimate redemption.

Force Six figures configured.

Beta Two from the Force Six comic book series.

The Daz Store/ Daz Studio is the creative source and environment where most of our comic book assets originate from. Mixed Dimensions is a company that created a GamePrint Plug-in that translates the Daz item into a 3D Printable version. Mixed Dimensions now includes a system that computer prints the color directly on the model, where they used to be hand-painted. You can check their site and get a relative estimate on size and cost- since it differs per job submitted.

Jackie-5 standing on the Season I Collection.

I made Force Six and Killer Butterfly characters and some of the packages arrived this week. Beta Two was rejected for being too fragile and not having any substantial connecting points for his joints. I redesigned the asset and was still warned that he was too fragile to meet their quality standards. I asked them to make the figure anyway. I ended up making a few modifications to the collectible once I received it to increase its durability. I was worried about quality and detail versus weight and was pleasantly surprised at how light the figures were. That means I can order larger pieces without worry.

Beta Two. Pins added for additional support.

Once I submitted the figures I did need to submit additional texture files that were not captured in the original submission. It was basically a process of opening the Daz scene and using the surfaces tab to navigate to the texture maps, and sending them in a zip file. Daz does NOT allow their geometry to be resold without a license and that is determined on a case-by-case basis. So no, you will not be selling collectibles or toys of Daz-store sourced items-just like that. You will need to contact their support and open a dialogue.

Um, what else? What’s most impressive is the attention to detail and how they can add wires and cables and other finishing touches. The customer support was really good. I expect to be ordering more products from Mixed Dimensions in the future.

My random FAQ.

How does it work?

Aside from watching all the videos or reading the instructions, you make a scene and parent all the items together that you want to consider one item. The plug-in, once installed and serial-number activated, takes several images and scans of your item and uploads it to their site. You decide on size and are given an estimate. Place your order and that’s really it, unless there is an issue.

How long does it take to get your model?

Depends. Current world-situation aside, it should depend on the number of orders and all the other normal factors. I ordered my goodies during the holiday season so it was suggested to be six to eight weeks and arrived in the eighth week or two months.

What makes the Game Print plug in so special?
They have a process that closes the geometry and fixes a lot of the normal 3D print scanning deficiencies.

Can I print it on my own 3D printer?

Yes, there is an option to only order the STL file and for a small processing fee (I think, like 2-3 dollars, don’t quote me) you can download just the printable file. My original orders were only for the STL files, but the fantasy of printing at home- at a high quality $orta evaporated.

A lot of detail for such a small figure. Wow, well done. Game Print

Thank you Game Print!

You can read a full story arc for free of the Force Six comic series.

Force Six comics are available on comiXology in digital format

We are The Dynamic Universe. We create graphic comics. They sit between traditional strips and a 3-D style of photorealistic drama. Enjoy the science-fantasy action adventure with terrific tints, great graphics and compelling story-telling. Read the comic and enjoy the soundtrack. Story and art by Drew Spence.

Force Six, The Annihilators #43

Force Six 43 The Mask and the Masquerade
Force Six, second-in-command, Kojin Ahsaguri was sent to Chrystalis City to secure a Syn-tech contract with the powerful Megastructure Techcoon Dr Kanosha. Beneath that world, wheels turned as Jean D’Pardoe returned take control of his former gang. The Dragon and the Doll story arc continues in episode 43: The Mask and the Masquerade. Story and art by Drew Spence.

Force Six, The Annihilators

They were a team of specialists assembled to bring order to a chaotic universe. Something went wrong when right became their final choice. See the transformation from Renegade outcasts to Legends. They are Force Six, The Annihilators. Drew Spence writes and illustrates a graphic comic, mixing science fiction with science fantasy. It’s a superhero space saga as a group of renegades, gifted with special abilities and artificial enhancements, charge and change the fate of all those they come across. They are the Force Six, The Annihilators and this is the story of their rise, fall and ultimate redemption.

Force Six, The Annihilators #42

Force Six 42 A Class Act and a Contract Signed in Blood
Force Six member Kojin Ahsaguri goes deep undercover as OverBoss Lau Noir. He enters a world of corporate greed and corruption. It’s a desolate vision of a dystopian division. When a displaced doll meets a dangerous dragon, it could lead to a hostile takeover …of another kind. Episode 42 begins The Dragon and the Doll story arc. Available on ComiXology for $1.99