Landscape WIP

[Arganth]

so im really trying to improve what i can do in softimage as far as final rendering texturing lighting

the scene itself so far is relatively basic not much going on

but i really need help with how to improve it, because i know it can look ten times better based on things i dont really know yet

so any help with lighting, texturing, additions, etc feel free to chop me down like no one elsehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/DizzyT70343/porch2.jpg

[Ethangar]

Just some things that stand out.

The scale seems to be all over. If the stairs are that size then the hand rail looks like it would be around your knees. That throws the scale of the rest of it off.

Bevel off any hard corners. Nothing in real life has a 90 deg razor edge like that.

Model the boards of the deck. The image map isn't holding up.

The white on the windows and door are a little to luminous. They almost look self lit.

There is a lack of spec on everything. Even the wood would show spec hits.

The wood and the wall don't appear to have any bump on them at all. That will help with the spec to.

[Arganth]

Couple of questions for you ethangar

first off thanks for the suggestions

as far as the beveling...should i spend the time and bevel everything or just attach the rounded corners node to the texture just wondering

as far as the wood goes...im sorry i dont know alot yet but what do you mean spec hits

and do you have any idea on how to set up lighting or a way i can manipulate what i have any further...i was going to experiment with the area lighting system but i dont know anything about it

[Ethangar]

Couple of questions for you ethangar

first off thanks for the suggestions

as far as the beveling...should i spend the time and bevel everything or just attach the rounded corners node to the texture just wondering

as far as the wood goes...im sorry i dont know alot yet but what do you mean spec hits

and do you have any idea on how to set up lighting or a way i can manipulate what i have any further...i was going to experiment with the area lighting system but i dont know anything about it

I'm still relatively new to XSI myself, so I don't know how much technical help I can be either. The rounding plugin would work. I just don't know how much control it would give you. Its likely surface based and in that case it may round things at one setting say for the wood where you may not want the pillars as rounded as say the banister. So there is likely to be pros and cons to it depending on how the surfaces are set up.

Spec hits are the bright spots on any material that is being hit by light. In real life its a reflection of the actual light source but in 3D its a software fake.

Lighting is one of the hardest things to do well. I usually find it easiest to set it up like real life. There would be a sun. Set that first and position it where you find it works best. Then start thinking about what that light would do in real life. It would bounce off the deck to under the awning. It would bounce off the walls. The color of the light would change according to what its bouncing off of to. So start adding low intensity fill lights with the right color to show that.

Thats about the best lighting advice I can give.