Ben Birdsey <cla### [at] mailcom> wrote:


> This is a really GREAT render.  I really like the masonry and the design
> of the castle, etc.

Thanks.

> How is the wall lit?  It might be really useful to *try* a radiosity
> render.  If it's supposed to be lit by the mist, IMHO I think the shadow
> of the railing and a lot of other stuff is way too distinct.

This is a radiosity render.  There are only two light sources in the
picture, one under the mist (which is scattering media) and one at the ball
of light.  Most of the shadows are from the latter.  The tall hazy shadows
are from the former.  I'm assuming that scattering media + radiosity handles
these lights correctly, but I may be wrong on that.

> Like others, I also think the individual stones need to be bumpier. 
> Maybe you could use a bump_map or something.  The texture should be a
> mix of some smooth pattern like bozo and some creased pattern like
> wrinkles or crackle. (check out some natural stone masonry in your
> area).  Plus, if you are using crackle with metric 1.0(?) to make the
> bricks, you might want to increase it to 1.2 or something.

I'm planning on adding some bumps to the iso, but haven't done so because
that's fairly easy, but will slow the render, so I'm waiting until more of
the details are in place.

> Also like others, I think the glowing mist is too bright.  If it's
> media, maybe you could put a dark, indistinct, huge figure somewhere
> near the top.  It would make a dark area in the mist and give the
> spellcaster a target.

Hmm, that's an idea.  Have to think about it.  I think it might take
attention away from some of the other things I've been doing.

> Again, I agree about the sky.  If everything is supposed to be this
> bright, how can you even see the stars (or whatever those specks
> are...)  Have you tried to see the stars at night when you have any
> significant light nearby?  Try looking out a window of your house at
> night.  Everything you see is way dark because your eyes are adjusted to
> the light.

In some ways, the sky is still too bright.  It casts a lot of light into the
deep shapws.  At the same time, it casts light onto the shingles on the top
of the tower, something I spent too $#%^ing long on to have it swallowed by
darkness. ;)  Have to consider what to do.

> Keep up the great work.

Intend on it.

Geoff

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