Jaguar MK2

[Pawel]

My Jag model. Rendered with AO approximate, plain light, plus one lamp.
Anyone know any info/tutorials on car headlights? Here they seem to look OK to me, but in my other (more realistic) renders I can't really get a convincing look.
Any comments welcome
(click on image to see the quality view)

[bigbad]

This would look great if it had hdri map and rendered. Good work.

[Pawel]

Thanks bigbad. I've tried some hdri renders but I'm not satisfied with any of them so far, usually the headlights are the biggest problem. I'll place a few here soon.

[bigbad]

Originally Posted by Pawel Thanks bigbad. I've tried some hdri renders but I'm not satisfied with any of them so far, usually the headlights are the biggest problem. I'll place a few here soon.

What's the problem with the headlights?

[Anayo]

I like it a lot. I'd like to cruise around in one of those.

[tichi]

very nice model, for headlights maybe you could look at this tutorial
(www.max-realms.com/modules/tutorials/headlighttut.php)
or try to paint some texture and than displace glass to get some kind of relief which will refract the light.

[pildanovak]

I guess matt ebb had a very nice glass material in the "Lighthouse", which is on this forum. He coded something new for it, look at his posts there. I think the glass there was looking very much like something you might want to achieve(although not on a car)

[ardee]

Beautiful model, beautiful car,

I've long lusted after a 1965 3.8 Manual with OD, British Racing Green with Tan Leather, Chrome Wire Wheels and a Coombs Conversion.

My first purchase after I win the lottery.

--
http://www.digital-air.co.uk/

[Pawel]

Thanks a lot for the comments. Bigbad, the headlights just don't look right in my hdri renders, usually they're too dark and the reflection is to flat. Maybe it's Blender's raytracing problem, but when the reflection has to be calculated through the glass it looks a lot worse than without the glass. Anyway, I'll place a few renders soon.

[Pawel]

Some more "environment-less" renders, which just show the detail

[Pawel]

3 more shots

[nikitron]

Павел! You are good car-maker!

[Photoguy]

Looks lie a very clean model, 5 stars I'd say!

[bigbad]

Make sure that the headlights have enough depth. At least 6 ray depth.

Edit:Never mind it didn't work

[Pawel]

Thanks, bigbad. I'll definitely try that out! - I used the standard 2 rays, thought it would be enough, but clearly my physics isn't up to par

[Mellowfellon]

Mind showing us your lights , AO setup?

[Pawel]

The lighting is very simple: one sun light at 1.0 intensity plus approximate AO at 1.3 intensity plain light with 1.0 correction (as seen in the pic). I find this setup good for just showcasing your model, providing the reflections look nice. For more realistic hdri shots I would use much weaker light(s) - if any. I'm doing some hdri setups now so I'll post them soon.

[Mellowfellon]

WOW thanks, very kind. These renders are screaming for a storyline, they are just waiting for you to give them a que. Super cool work.

[Felix_Kütt]

err, try something else than approximate AO.

approximate is good for toony/styled animations and test renders,
but don't use it for finals like this.

[Pawel]

Originally Posted by Felix_Kütt err, try something else than approximate AO. approximate is good for toony/styled animations and test renders, but don't use it for finals like this.

Any concrete suggestions?
As I wrote in a previous comment, I treat this as a good method for showcasing a model - it 'feels' more real than just a few lights, even it it's a fake, and you can appreciate the volume of the model. I'm doing some hdri renders with hdris for reflections AND lighting, but again using approximate AO. Do you know of any other way to use hdri than AO?