caars wrote:I'm loving the new images! It looks like I've got some work to do ... I've been using my random generator to help create a module, and it's currently got about 13 dungeon levels (this particular little creation uses the BT1 and 2 standard of 22 by 22 for a dungeon level), with about the first half of the levels each having their own set of monsters (about 16 each), and then the second half "sharing" monsters in sets of two (so each level "chooses" between 16 monsters, but the 16 are shared between two levels instead of just one - with the first of the two having a slight preference toward encountering the weaker 8 monsters in the "set" and the second of the two with a slight preference toward the strong 8 in the "set"). That's all to say that some of the monsters will end up automatically using the new portraits (i.e. like the bugbear was actually using that old "extra" bugbear portrait from before Methuselahs started doing his re-renders, so that old portrait automatically got replaced by the new one). Generally, if one of Methuselahs portraits was reasonably close to what I figured the monster should look like, I used it, otherwise I just used the older one (e.g. the bugbear used the old art since none of the newer renders had anything "bugbear" like - and so the new bugbear automatically replaced the old; but I was actually using the goblin as a stand in for the kobold - and so that one I'll have to manually go in and change since there's actually a "new" kobold).
That's a really, really long way of saying that it looks like I'm going to have to go through my whole monster list to make sure if there is now a new portrait specific to that monster, that it actually uses that portrait - that's a good thing!
Yeah, the Bugbear requires hair, something I haven't gotten to just yet. It's why you're not also seeing gnolls.......yet. I'm still learning the in's and out's of Look at My Har (Daz Studio's hair rendering engine.) Pre-made hair sets look great. Mine, not so much. Working on it.
Some of these models have morphs I sculpt out in ZBrush. The Kobold being the primary example. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I got it as close as I could, exported an obj, threw it in ZBrush and then sculpted away, until I got what I was looking for. When I finished it, I just imported it as a morph and voila.
One critique - on my machine the pictures for the Guild and the Tavern are *really* dark (as in I can barely see anything at all). I don't know if that's on my end, or if you're seeing that too...
Yeah, this is an issue with physical-based light rendering. I'm still not used to lighting in Iray. It's different than what I'm used to with Mental Ray and (unfortunately now) Arnold in Maya. The light you're seeing, is from physical emitters. So, the light is actually coming from the candles and fire pits, themselves. In other words, it's realistic lighting. That's why it looks so dark. I was going for lighting, like you would see in Game of Thrones, old fantasy films, etc. The Tavern Maid was actually rendered in the bar, but the lighting was so poor, due to locations of the realistic lighting emitters. I actually had to throw a spot light on her, just to make her visible.
A few other notes: one whole "class" of classic monster that is definitely missing (that I wouldn't have noticed until I made the monster and realized there wasn't a portrait for it) are lycanthropes. Okay, okay ... actually some of the beastmen do for the more exotic types in a pinch (and the tigerman could also serve as a rakshasa in a pinch), but two classics that I definitely noticed the absence for were the wererat and the werewolf (I'm actually using the normal rat and wolf for those right now).
Rakshasa is on it's way. No, really. As for Beastmen, ironically, I just rendered the Beastman and Beastman Shaman this evening. I do have a model for a wererat, werewolf and werebear, but only the werebear has LAMH follicles. I do have a "rat-man" model, that does have LAMH follicles, but it's HORRIBLE compared to the other wererat model I have. I'll make those a priority. They just don't look good, without the hair. There's only so much you can do with textures, when trying to re-create hair. The rat image itself, is a good example just how poor textures are, when it comes to flat models trying to emulate hair and fur.
Love the new selection of undersea monsters (although I haven't really used underwater much in anything yet) - the only random criticism I've got is IMHO, the stippling pattern on the seafloor is giving me a definite impression of "smallness." For most of the undersea portraits that isn't a problem at all (they don't "look" smaller to me than what I'd expect), but I have to admit that the dragon turtle in particular actually literally made me think it was the size of a pet turtle. It really stood out compared to another undersea "dragon" type (I forget what it was called) that doesn't have a seafloor in the background which meant that I could imagine it as pretty big.
I went a little purchase happy about a month and a half ago, buying some new Daz content, which is where the underwater scene came from. It started as a purchase, as I've run into problems now, with Maya. I mistakenly updated to the subscription based version of Maya and Autodesk, in their infinite wisdom, scrapped Mental Ray (now owned by Invida and soon to become Maya's version of IRay) in favor of Arnold, but in order to USE Arnold, you have to have a license. -_- I'm debating trying to export my Maya scenes and bring them into Daz Studio, to render in Iray.
The Sea Dragon was my first render. I added the ground to the rest of them, as I planned on surprising you guys with an underwater dungeon and that UltraMarine scene from Daz was going to be the Horizon for it. I thought the images looked better with the floor. If Dulsi wants me to just render them without the sand floor, I can. BTW, the Great White is actually animated. I just wanted quantity on this batch. Quite a few of these static images are actually animated, but I'm concerned about file size.
I hate that dragon turtle, but it's the only one I have.
Liked the old vampire, but *really* like the new version! For that matter I'm liking the addition all of these new undead (which, ironically, is making me miss having a "new" mummy and lich).
Lich is also on it's way, thanks to the vampire bundle I bought. Same with the Vampire Warrior and the Death Knight. Mummy is a bit of a problem, but I think I have a solution.
All in all, I spent about 300$ on models from Daz, which ironically, I probably shouldn't have. My store got bought out a month ago, by new owners and they let me go. -_- I really wish I had finished law school. My Art History degree is absolutely worthless.
Of course, honestly, kudoes on *all* the new stuff. There isn't really anything I'm not liking!
On my current "to do" list is to add an option to the random dungeon generator that creates a "city" (i.e. has a tendency to arrange things in a streets and 1x1 buildings pattern), along with more classic "mazes" (setting room weight to very low doesn't really look "labyrinth" like, IMO) and perhaps a "D&D" style (right now it really likes to create stuff that looks more "classic bard's tale" - which is by design - but I'd like to give it the ability to generate something that looks more like the pattern of hallways and rooms you'd draw if you were making a dungeon for pen and paper D&D, if that makes sense).
Well, enough rambling from me!
I really wish we had a way to put diagonal walls in the engine. There are so many dungeons from old D&D modules I'd like to re-create, but the limits of the engine prevent it.
I'm glad you liked the new images. More are on the way.