Render Problem

Render Problem

I tried to follow Podperson’s instructions to make a leaf twig with a front and back image of a leaf. I used two different leaf images but I did something wrong. I took each png image and used the “lasso tool” in preview to take out the background. (I selected areas in the image I didn’t want and deleted those areas. I get smoother edges of the image doing this rather than using the “instant Alpha tool”)

As I rotate around the leaf and render it out at the different views certain sides render out alright but other angles produce some leaves rendering out as a bottom leaf view when it should be a front (top) leaf view. Some sides of the leafed twig render out with a Grey or Black plane behind some leaves.

Excuse the expression but I’m “Stumped”.

Can someone please help me? I've attached an image and the project.
My best regards
Jeanny

First make sure your refractive index on the leaf material is 1. (That's causing the discontinuities in the transparency)

Next, make sure that the specular is black or is black where the object is transparent (you may need a new texture map). (That's the gleam in the transparency.)

Also, make sure you've maxed out transparency/reflection depth in render settings. (Will cause patches of black.)

Still Leaf Render Problems

✓1 Made sure my refractive index on the leaf material was 1
✓2 Turned the specular to black on both leaf materials
:icon_thumbup: Great! Silver planes are gone!
Just trying to the make sure I understand what is going on to avoid this problem in the future. Are the silver planes the gleam in the transparency?

3 I thought I maxed out the transparency/reflection depth in render settings by going to the thin Grey Tool Bar at the top of my computer and choosing: Render > Render Preferences - then in it’s properties setting Max. ray depth: “24” (that was all the higher I could go)
:frown: I still have the patches of black.

So then I messed around with the gamma and dither setting (Wow dither can achieve some cool abstract designs) - which didn’t work. Now I hope I got them back to their default settings.

:frown: I’m still running into the problem of the front leave image of some of the leaves rendering out as the back image of the leave

I tried changing the position (hierarchy?) of the two different leaf images but that didn’t seem to help.

:?: Do you have any other corrections or suggestions for the two remaining problems?
Thanks
Jeanny

If your leaves are made of two planes close together, try separating them slightly more. (This is a guess.) <--- ignore.

I'm not sure why this works, but if you go to each of the planes you're using as a leaf and change sections width and sections depth to 2 then the problem goes away. (Whaaaa...?)

I'm guessing it's a subtle bug in the rendering pipeline.

Jeanny said:

:?: Do you have any other corrections or suggestions for the two remaining problems

Click to expand...

Uncheck "Instantiate" at the particle-tags and the default "Max. ray depth: 6" will do it BTW:

Cheers
Frank

Interesting that toggling instantiate also makes the issue go away.

podperson said:

Interesting that toggling instantiate also makes the issue go away.

Click to expand...

Not really - because the instancing system is more for use with real geometry and "Instantiate" will speed up rendering while dealing with alpha maps needs disabled instantiating.

Cheers
Frank

Oh you two are Great!!! Thanks so much!!! Each one of you have contributed to what I hope is going to get me finishing my first project. It never would have happened without all you people on the Cheetah Forum that helped.
My best Regards
Jeanny

Still One Render Problem Left

Nuts! While the major problems of the silver and black planes in the render is solved. . . when I rotate the twig around 180 degrees I notice each leave image renders out the same on both sides. It is either a front image on both sides or a back image on both sides. Have any ideas how to solve this?

Oh and just a small question. . . what does BTW stand for?

Thanks
Jeanny

Jeanny said:

Oh and just a small question. . . what does BTW stand for?

Thanks
Jeanny

Click to expand...

By The Way.

Not quite sure what you´re up for but I noticed your leaves aren´t good for any rotation - I guess that´s most likely because its pivot point is the center of the polygon rather then where the petiole starts.

Cheers
Frank

BTW: I´m still not sure what the project will look in the end but don´t you think it wouldn´t be much more easy to glue these 8 leaves manually?

Och! I’m glad you are bringing these problems to view. My final goal is to make a tree that I can use in different scenes. I thought If I could just make one good tree I could use it in different ways:

1 Animate the leaves color so that over time they change from Light Spring Green to Dark Deep Summer to Somewhat Red Brown for Fall.
2 Have the branches of leaves sway in the wind
3 Have the leaves just rustle in the breeze
4 Have the leaves Fall: (flutter to the ground)
5 Sometimes I only need one tree, sometimes a small group of them, sometimes a whole woods or forest.

Ummmm - What is a petiole?

When you suggest glue the leaves manually do you mean to just place each one around the branch individually? I suppose that would be necessary if I want them to drop off the tree.

I also noticed my twig needs more tweaking. There is a space between many of the leaves and the twig.

These are really ambitious projects.
I attached a simple branch from your objects: adjusted proportions, set up the pivot point for one leaf. This makes it really easy to snap a few leaves to the branch and scale&rotate them - they stick to the branch.

Cheers
Frank

Master Beckmann

I guess WE have our work cut out for us. :lol: (I’m just trying to be funny)
Seriously I would so like to accomplish this and I am willing to work hard for it.

Thank you so much for putting the Branch file together.

I am so impressed with everything you do. Even your instructions and tutorials are professional and attractive. I don’t ever expect to be as good as you but you most certainly inspire me to go beyond mediocracy.

O.K now I will put some effort into learning the transform Gadget tool and snapping.

I searched for information on the Forum and found the video tutorials from Martin and some more good info from you. I haven’t had a chance to try anything yet but wanted to thank you for your help.

Are the leaves supposed to stick to the twig and move with it when you use snapping?

I will try some more tonight and get back to you.

My Best Regards
Jeanny