The September Carrara Challenge : Just Say NO to Flat 3D
DustRider
Posts: 2,739
The information for the September Carrara challenge has been posted in the Carrara Forum (http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/) I thought I'd better post information about the challenge here for those who have Carrara, but don't frequent the Carrara forum very often
If you're new to Carrara, have Cararra and haven't really used it, or maybe your planning on picking up Carrara on the 50% off sale that started today, this is the perfect challenge for you. The main focus of the challenge is to go back to the basics, and create an image with the best lighting and complimentary materials/shaders to get the best 3D render you can.
The real bonus for the new user with this challenge is that Infinite Skills Inc. is one of our sponsors. They are the publishers of the outstanding Carrara training videos by PhilW. This Is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about shaders, lighting, and rendering by participating in the challenge. Plus if you place in the challenge you will be able to get some fantastic Carrara training materials (the participant that gets first place will receive all three videos, including the training video that was just released here today, Carrara - Realism Rendering Training Video (http://www.daz3d.com/new-releases/carrara-realism-rendering-training-video).
Please join the challenge and "Just say NO to flat 3D"
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
Wow! You came up with a challenge idea fast. Sounds like a good one and the PhilW training videos are an amazing prize. I'm running over to the Carrara forum to check it out now.
Congratulations on your recent win!
(((swooshing noise as she hurries away)))
With the just released Octane Render Plugin for Carrara (OC4C - see the intro video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GeGGs_QU-I), I thought it might be good to note that for this challenge both external render plugins for Carrara may be used for the challenge!!!
One focus of this chalenge is to share your shader work in the WIP thread, so it would be fantastic to see both OR4C and the Luxus for Carrara plugins used for this challenge!
Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
The Challenge WIP thread is now officially open for posting WIP's!!!
Wow!
You've got some folks really getting a fast and impressive start to this one! I think this will be another great challenge!
Stezza's first entry is great! The fact that he put all the WIPs together and got it all posted in just a few hours is simply amazing.
News Flash!!
In addition to the great prizes from Infinite Skills, DAZ 3D once again will be providing their very generous support to the challenge (the first post in the September Challenge thread in the Carrara forum has been changed to reflect their support).
The prizes for Challenge participants from DAZ 3D will be:
1st place: $100.00 towards DAZ 3D owned item(s).
2nd place: $50.00 towards DAZ 3D owned item(s).
3rd place: $25.00 towards DAZ 3D owned item(s).
Two honorable mentions will each receive: $10.00 towards DAZ 3D owned item(s).
Thanks DAZ 3D!!!!
That's great news dustrider! I had better get cracking!
..so there is no modelling component in this particular challenge then?
That's correct KK!
You just need create or modify a material/shader in your scene (for the modification, it needs to be enough modification to significantly improve the quality of the rendered shader/object) and set up your own lighting (in the case of using an HDRI, you just need to add one additional light (i.e a spot light used as a rim light).
Oh, of course you have to use your own spin on the theme as well - which should be rather fun. I wanted this challenge to be a bit more Carrara novice friendly while focusing on learning the basics that really help make an image "3D".
Hope to see you in the WIP thread!!
...thank you. Modelling is not my strong suit but I love messing with materials and shaders.
So do I ;-)
Some of the past challenges did have some kind of modeling component, but usually there was another alternative offered as well. For instance, my first gig hosting, I wanted to demystify the Spline Modeler, but I also provided the option of using a volumetric cloud instead. The artist had a choice of using one or the other or both. The underlying idea was to get people outside of their comfort zones, both new users and veteran users alike. The idea behind the WIP thread was to provide a friendly forum for the sharing of ideas and to learn together.
It can be a bit scary to try something new, but please don't let a modeling component in a future challenge deter you. Simple models still count as models for the purpose of a challenge. Besides, you may try something, or someone may suggest something that makes it "click." I was like that with the vertex modeler, and someone suggested something and I finally got it. Could I make a model to sell? Probably not, but if it's good enough for my scene and I feel that it will make the impression I want with the viewer, then it is good enough- N-gons be damned! ;-)
The WIP thread is already up to 6 pages - with some REALLY creative entrys/posts!!
As EvilProducer noted, the challenges are really about learning to do things in Carrara. So if you have Carrara, and an idea for an entry - Please enter!! If you need help, feel free to ask questions (there are NO dumb questions), everybody in the forum is very helpful, and even the best don't know everything and ask for help from time to time ;-)
Besides, there are some fantastic prizes this time, especially for someone who wants to learn Carrara. Like they say, you can't win if you don't enter!
Don't forget, nearly a page of that is devoted to a tittilating conversation about a skin tutorial, and innuendo. ;-)
If that doesn't get some looks, I don't know what will!
We're already up to page 8 of the challenge with some very interesting and informative WIP entries. The challenge theme seems to be bringing out some real creative ideas, including one based on the CLUE board game. We also have some entries using Genesis/Genesis 2, showing clearly that Genesis does work in Carrara 8.5!
If you have Carrara, and an idea that fit's the challenge theme, please stop by and enter - the prizes are great!! I copied the first couple of paragraphs from the challenge and pasted it below so you can get a quick idea as to what the challenge theme is. Stop by and join the fun!
Kashyyyk provides an amazing explanation of how to use Carrara's replicators to show the water droplets from the arms of a monster emerging out of a lake or pond.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P105/
There are always so many great tips and tricks in the WIP thread.
There are several Carrara-related sales today, including the Pro version of the program, a vertex modeling tutorial, Tim Payne's store (has some great realistic skies and light domes).
I saw that in my newsletter. It's always cool to see a new Carrara product.
I've been a bit absent due to the Labor Day weekend and working on my procedural skin. Now it's time to start getting the other elements together!
We have quite a few entries now with some very interesting and informative WIP's.
Stezza has done an outstanding job showing how to create pirate cloths using transmaps (this would also work for DS). You can find the start of his mini-tutorial WIP here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P22/
Diomede64 shows how to setup lighting ans shaders on a candle starting here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P46
Head Wax shows us a great spin on the theme - Albert in a vase on a table here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P54
Kashyyyk shows how to texture a monster here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P58
EvilProducer has a great instructional WIP on how to create a purely procedural skin tecture for V4 starting here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P67
Kashyyyk shows his talents again showing how to create water droplets falling off his monster starting here: waterhttp://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P72 with a quick view of the great results here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P105
sukyL give us a preview of a very interesting project here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P75 with the first wip post of the project here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P100
RingoMonfort give us a glimps of his challenge entry using G2F here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P91
Dustrider enters the challenge showing how to improve materials imported from DS shaders for use in the Octane plugin for Carrara here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P84 and here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P89 with a glimps of the final project here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P98
Diomede64 gives us a great view of how he will put his candle to use with the Clue board game here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P95
Varsel checks in with his first WIP post with a great chair he created in Hexagon here:http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P111
EvilProducer shows use the creation of Hermit the Amphibian modeled in Carrara starting here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P112
Great rundown dustrider.
Unfortunately the link I posted to the procedural skin shader tutorial was removed. I assume it's because the tutorial had some nudity and the puritans would get offended.
Sorry to be cranky.
Nice summary of what's going on with the challenge. I've got to check out Hermit the Amphibian now.
Sorry to hear your tut link was deleted, it had some good information. I'm guessing it was removed because there weren't any age controls on the linked tut :-S
EvilProducer has been very busy, he has Hermit fully rigged now!
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P123/
How about Diomede64, he's already working on his second entry with some great WIP's showing how to work with customized terrains!! http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/45561/P121/
Sorry to hear your tut link was deleted, it had some good information. I'm guessing it was removed because there weren't any age controls on the linked tut :-S
Crap. I meant to bookmark that tutorial for later use. I modeled and rigged a couple of human figures and it would be nice to be able to use them with procedural skin shaders. I will track it down.
That is one thing that I like about this month's challenge. It is open to every level of usage. You can model and rig your own amphibian, or you can load Victoria 4 or Michael 6 on premade props. This month's challenge is about the lighting, which applies equally to both.
Crap. I meant to bookmark that tutorial for later use. I modeled and rigged a couple of human figures and it would be nice to be able to use them with procedural skin shaders. I will track it down.
That is one thing that I like about this month's challenge. It I open to every level of usage. You can model and rig your own amphibian, or you can load Victoria 4 or Michael 6 on premade props. This month's challenge is about the lighting, which applies equally to both.
I can PM you the link. The Puritan Police can't do anything about that. ;-)
It's not puritan police, it's the fact the we do have many young members whose parents may get a wee bit miffed if their dear little darlings suddenly got an eyeful, when that happens it doesn't do much for DAZ 3D reputation as a family friendly site and we still do not have age related content filters and flag's on this forum :down: so can only allow hyperlinks to sites that do have filters in place.
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on what is puritanical. There was nothing salacious. What if I posted a link to David? I know an image of that statue was in a junior high text book of mine, full frontal and everything. Now what if I posted a link to a tutorial on how to sculpt him in a 3D program?
Hey, even I have images I can no longer post to the forums.
Hey, EP - got the link to the tutorial, thanks.
If I ever manage to produce a working set of skin shaders and dynamic hair for my original figures, I will post the result to the Carrara renders thread. A while back, I posted some screen shots of the two humans and their dog in the vertex modeling thread. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. It was very easy to rig the models for use in Carrara, but I let the project drop rather than rig for Studio/Poser. Then for Carrara projects, I got sidetracked in order to see if Genesis and Genesis 2 work in Carrara 8.5 - which they do with some limitations.
aside - Roygee is using Genesis 2 in a pre-8.5 version of Carrara in this month's challenge. Roygee is amazing.
@Chohole - I get it. We gotta have rules for the public square, and you have volunteered to keep an eye on the square. Thank you (see, it is not thankless). But, just to tweek authority, here is some great inspiration for this month's challenge.
http://americanart.si.edu/collections/index.cfm
The page does not have an age filter, nor does the page itself have nudity. But, to EP's point, the page is the link to the online art collection of the Smithsonian, which does have nudes online. I'm sure the other major art museums have the same issue.
Anyway, love ya, Chohole. I get what the TOS is trying to accomplish. But, you must admit that it is pretty funny that the forum rules for a company whose signature program (Studio) seems primarily targeted at people who want to render sexy females in skimpy clothes would require deletion of a link to a tutorial on how to produce materials for human skin.