Here is an experiment with medias, I add a stellated dodecahedron just for fun (
stars are on stage actually).

Lionel.

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Attachments:
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Preview of image 'nova_star.png'

The media looks interesting, but just as a general thought and some humble
constructive feedback for your future pics to come: your images often look quite
grainy and edgy, which draws a bit too much away at least my attention from the
main ideas. Are you using anti-aliasing at all? What about slight focal blur? A
bit more smoothess would in my opinion add much in quality to your tests and
renders as a whole. =)

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On 08/01/14 15:35, Pekka Aho wrote:
> The media looks interesting, but just as a general thought and some humble
> constructive feedback for your future pics to come: your images often look quite
> grainy and edgy, which draws a bit too much away at least my attention from the
> main ideas. Are you using anti-aliasing at all? What about slight focal blur? A
> bit more smoothess would in my opinion add much in quality to your tests and
> renders as a whole. =)
> 

Oddly, I like the graininess of his images. Is it possible that this is
a deliberate artistic decision?

John
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

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Doctor John <j.g### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> On 08/01/14 15:35, Pekka Aho wrote:
> > The media looks interesting, but just as a general thought and some humble
> > constructive feedback for your future pics to come: your images often look quite
> > grainy and edgy, which draws a bit too much away at least my attention from the
> > main ideas. Are you using anti-aliasing at all? What about slight focal blur? A
> > bit more smoothess would in my opinion add much in quality to your tests and
> > renders as a whole. =)
> >
>
> Oddly, I like the graininess of his images. Is it possible that this is
> a deliberate artistic decision?
>
> John
> --
> Protect the Earth
> It was not given to you by your parents
> You hold it in trust for your children

It's hard to please to everybody, here is another renderning of the same image
with a little more antialising and focal blur (I don't like to work with focal
blur because the long time of render before to see the result - and also I don't
have the mastery of this feature).
Generally I try to obtain images not so smooth, nothing in nature is really
smooth. I will like to add some dust in my images.

Lionel.

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Preview of image 'nova_star_blur.png'

On 9-1-2014 8:34, Fractracer wrote:
> It's hard to please to everybody, here is another renderning of the same image
> with a little more antialising and focal blur (I don't like to work with focal
> blur because the long time of render before to see the result - and also I don't
> have the mastery of this feature).
> Generally I try to obtain images not so smooth, nothing in nature is really
> smooth. I will like to add some dust in my images.
>

While I agree with DrJohn about graininess as an interesting approach to 
some images, I like this one better mainly because of the jaggies that 
were a bit too apparent in the first image. Well done, sir!

Thomas

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Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
> On 9-1-2014 8:34, Fractracer wrote:
> > It's hard to please to everybody, here is another renderning of the same image
> > with a little more antialising and focal blur (I don't like to work with focal
> > blur because the long time of render before to see the result - and also I don't
> > have the mastery of this feature).
> > Generally I try to obtain images not so smooth, nothing in nature is really
> > smooth. I will like to add some dust in my images.
> >
>
> While I agree with DrJohn about graininess as an interesting approach to
> some images, I like this one better mainly because of the jaggies that
> were a bit too apparent in the first image. Well done, sir!
>
> Thomas
Thank you for your appreciation. It is true that the first image was a little
bit too grainly, especially the borders of the star...
But this star was just an object I have placed here to try me scene, I am
working with other objects to see which is better (airplane, knots, human...)

Lionel.

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"Fractracer" <lg.### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> It's hard to please to everybody,

Heh, don't get me wrong, my intention was certainly not to question your
artistic views. Of course you do the way you prefer and you do the best you can,
no worries at all. =)

> here is another renderning of the same image

Namely this is what I'm talking about: minor tweaks and adjustments resulting in
major improvements. =)

> (I don't like to work with focal blur because the long time of render before to
> see the result - and also I don't have the mastery of this feature).

To give an example of how I tend to do it, I always use focal blur when
everything else is in place in my scenes. Inserting and adjusting focal blur
steps in when I'm finalizing my work. And anti-aliasing is what I use every time
at that point as well.

What it comes to render times, it's just an inevitable fact that POV-Ray is a
lot about patience; quality never happens quickly. Countless and again countless
of hours on just test renders when finetuning stuff is "basicday.jpg" for every
POVer out there, without even talking about days or even weeks for the very
final renders. Afterall, it's not in any ways "required" to have everything at
the very max for good results. As I already said, minor adjustments often lead
to major improvements, even if it's just a test render or a WIP, and without the
rendering times even getting that much of a pain really.

(And of course, I'm not a POV "master" either; my own educational background is
in linguistics - a master degree from Helsinki university to be precise, and my
main hobby is music; I'm a songwriter, singer, guitarist and bassist in the
first place. POV is my important nr. 2 hobby since the version 2.0 always when
other stuff in my life allows.)

> Generally I try to obtain images not so smooth, nothing in nature is really
> smooth. I will like to add some dust in my images.

I think you misunderstood me a bit. I did certainly not mean it as "clean" or
"clear" or anything like that, as we're not living in a sterile world dome.
Dust, smoke and particles are of course always out there. I rather meant certain
"softness" and "depth" that would namely increase the quality of the images and
that could also bring some more "life" to the scenes. Thus, what I tried to mean
was that nature is not jagged, grainy or pixellated. ;)

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"Pekka Aho" <pek### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
>Heh, don't get me wrong, my intention was certainly not to question your
>artistic views. Of course you do the way you prefer and you do the best you
>can,no worries at all. =)

Don't feel wrong, I accept all comments as they are constructive, I am not
either a Pov master, I know I have many things to learn again and all views and
advices on my works are welcome. And your advice allow me to improve the quality
of this picture.

>To give an example of how I tend to do it, I always use focal blur when
>everything else is in place in my scenes. Inserting and adjusting focal blur
>steps in when I'm finalizing my work. And anti-aliasing is what I use every
>time at that point as well.

Yes, it is the better way to do.

>(And of course, I'm not a POV "master" either; my own educational background is
>in linguistics - a master degree from Helsinki university to be precise, and my
>main hobby is music; I'm a songwriter, singer, guitarist and bassist in the
>first place. POV is my important nr. 2 hobby since the version 2.0 always when
>other stuff in my life allows.)

I know Povray since more than ten years, but I really use it since 2012
(earlier my old PC was not enough powerful).
Music! Hey! I have played bass guitar some years ago (hard rock 'n roll n'
blues...)
And my hobbies are drawing, painting and writing (poetry and short novellas).

>I think you misunderstood me a bit. I did certainly not mean it as "clean" or
>"clear" or anything like that, as we're not living in a sterile world dome.
>Dust, smoke and particles are of course always out there. I rather meant
>certain "softness" and "depth" that would namely increase the quality of the
> images and that could also bring some more "life" to the scenes. Thus, what
> I tried to mean was that nature is not jagged, grainy or pixellated. ;)

I don't know if I misunderstood you, I don't think, you are right when you
say that nature is not pixellated, and for images the softness is necessary.
The problem with computed images is that objects are often slicks, and it is
hard to reproduce some natural facts or phenomenons, or to get a dirty approach
of the rendering - with dirty I mean dust, scratches...

Regards.
Lionel.

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"Fractracer" <lg.### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> Don't feel wrong, I accept all comments as they are constructive, I am not
> either a Pov master, I know I have many things to learn again and all views
> and advices on my works are welcome. And your advice allow me to improve the
> quality of this picture.

Good to hear my advice was found helpful! \o/ The 2nd image is a lot better
indeed. =)

> I know Povray since more than ten years, but I really use it since 2012
> (earlier my old PC was not enough powerful).

For my part, I had several years of less active time with POV mainly due to my
studies some years back, but slowly and steadily been more active again during
the last 3 years or so. Also built myself a new PC last summer and everything
been even better after that again.

> Music! Hey! I have played bass guitar some years ago (hard rock 'n roll n'
> blues...)
> And my hobbies are drawing, painting and writing (poetry and short novellas).

Cool! It's been mostly classic hard rock and 80's heavy for me through my whole
life so far. :D And a bit of bluesy stuff here and there too. I'm also writing
lyrics for my songs. =)

> I don't know if I misunderstood you, I don't think, you are right when you
> say that nature is not pixellated, and for images the softness is necessary.
> The problem with computed images is that objects are often slicks, and it is
> hard to reproduce some natural facts or phenomenons, or to get a dirty
> approach of the rendering - with dirty I mean dust, scratches...

Agreed yes, and thanks for the clarification, hehe.

Hopefully we'll see some more of your images soon again! =)

(I'll try and get something new up and finished as well some day now. My head
been full of ideas lately, but been a bit short on time from my other projects
during the recent weeks + also the general lack of energy after long and
challenging days at work. :D)

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"Pekka Aho" <pek### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> For my part, I had several years of less active time with POV mainly due to my
> studies some years back, but slowly and steadily been more active again during
> the last 3 years or so. Also built myself a new PC last summer and everything
> been even better after that again.
>
Povray is a big consumer of time, need long hours to prepare a scene, but some
results are here to satisfied the work.


> Cool! It's been mostly classic hard rock and 80's heavy for me through my whole
> life so far. :D And a bit of bluesy stuff here and there too. I'm also writing
> lyrics for my songs. =)
>
70-80's music is all my youth! This last years I did not follow what happens in
music. But I know that the kids listen often the same music (when I see
teen-ager with Motorhead tee-shirt I have a smile! They listen a grand-father!
:)

>
> Hopefully we'll see some more of your images soon again! =)
Alike, I have seen some of your images and they are good!
>
> (I'll try and get something new up and finished as well some day now. My head
> been full of ideas lately, but been a bit short on time from my other projects
> during the recent weeks + also the general lack of energy after long and
> challenging days at work. :D)

Yes, time again, not enough of one life!

Lionel.

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