Tutorial/Help For Worldbase-XTreme-Kit?

Pipefox

I picked up the Worldbase-xtreme-kit and a couple of its expansion products yesterday when it was on sale. It seems like a super cool and useful product!

I think I must be doing something wrong though. When I've tried to render some sample landscapes, all I end up with is a completely black screen. The render shows absolutey nothing; just total darkness.

I'm still quite new with DAZ so I'm sure the mistake is on my end. I must be misunderstanding how it's supposed to work.

Can anyone direct me to a tutorial or help page or anything for the Worldbase-Xtreme-Kit that explains how to use the product? I'd hate to have paid all that money and not be able to use it.

Thanks very much for the help! ^_^

Fishtales

Worldbase doesn't work in Iray unless the dome is made translucent, it works fine in 3Delight though.

Try these dome settings for a start. I use these as a start for all Skydomes but each dome needs further work to get them right.

This thread might be useful.

http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/63014/yet-another-iray-skydome-technique

 

Pipefox

Thank you very much, Fishtales!  I had no idea about the dome, and I was indeed working with Iray, so that's probably what my problem was right there. I'll go try again with the settings you suggested. I'm very grateful for your help!

pkappetein

Hi,

I am new to this,  so forgive me of being stupid.

Do you create this as an image seperately  or are you just putting this into your scene  and then adjust the settings since I think it al reflects on the props as well ?

If I was reading it properly.

Connatic

I have been experimenting with using the Sun-Sky Environment Mode combined with a Skydome.  So far the method Fishtales has described is not giving me the results I expected, but it does work.  I am probably missing some crucial setting, but I get a beautiful sky with the sunlight being way too dim, almost like an underwater scene.

So I tried some other combinations and the most important fact I have discovered is that the Sun will still be active in Dome and Scene Mode if the is no image map assigned to Environment Map.while Infinite Sphere w/Ground is chosen and Draw Dome is On.

I can get a very nice result using the SkyDome in the WorldBase-Xtr by using these Surface settings:

Sunset-1.jpg used

Sunset-1 on Base Color w/1.00 1.00 1.00

Diffuse Str = 0

Translucency Weight = 1

Translucency Color has Sunset-1 w/1.00 1.00 1.00

Glossy Color has Sunset-1 w/1.00 1.00 1.00

Refraction Index = 1

Refraction Weight = 1

Cutout Opacity (No Map) = .77

Any setting not list is a zero.

I am not sure if every setting I am using is actually influencing the outcome, but it IS using the Sun and a geometry-based Skydome with a map. Another plus is that the Scene lights will work with this setup.  This will be good for interior scenes with sunlight entering windows plus interior lighting active.

Fishtales

A little something about using the sun and a skydome. If there are lots of clouds in the image on the skydome then, if the sun is behind one, it will be dull, as you would expect. Moving either the sun or turning the skydome until the sun shines through between the clouds will give a brighter light.

This one shows the cloud shadow.

And this one shows the light coming through the clouds using Worldbase. (I also used some clouds from a Stonemason product ?Winter Wonderland? or something like that, I can't remember at the moment :) )

Click on image for full size.

quantum-2653005

Has anyone else noticed the tree line has a problem where the alpha mask doesn't seem to match up?  You can see small horizontal strips just above the tops of the tree tips where it looks like the alpha mask is shifted down, so there are artifacts.  I've looked at the surface tab for the tree sections, 1-4, and there are alpha maps.

How does one go about contacting a PA about things like this?

thanks