I was very enthusiastic about Blender a year and more ago. I love the realistic results that I see here and in some demos by using Cycles rendering, and so I’ve tried using it again a couple of times since then, but I am always disappointed. Even trying to light the simplest scene doesn’t work. I’ve read so many tutorials, and watched video demos, but it just doesn’t work for me. Even lighting a single, simple object fails. I have added all kinds of lamps, of all strengths, etc. I’ve tried using planes with emission materials as well. But there is always no light or very little. I’ve tried using environment lighting. I just can’t get the scenes to look any different than the default gray lit scene, with lighting from one side, and dim at that. I can start with just the default cube, add a light source, and render, and all I will get is a dull, crude and poorly lit, grainy cube. I have the latest version installed, and have reinstalled it just in case. If I use Blender Render, it’s OK but then lacks the realism of Cycles. I have not changed ANY default settings from the installed program.
Consider resetting Blender factory settings via instructions here: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Preferences
Then consider watching this tutorial from Andrew on lighting: http://www.blenderguru.com/videos/mastering-lighting/
Well, why don’t you upload one of your failed lighting attempts to pasteall.org, dropbox or whereever you like - for us to have a look (remember to pack all textures)?
From your description I can only assume that there is a fundamental misunderstanding on your part about how Cycles and/or lighting in Blender works. Especially environment lighting with HDRIs is pretty straight forward (I hardly use anything else) and should give nice results instantly - granted the HDRIs are of a decent quality.
Best advice I can give you is to go here http://blenderwiz.tumblr.com/scroll down and read the part that starts “Nobody tell this to people who are beginners” It’s from Andrew Price and it’s words to live by.
Thanks, but as I said I have reintstalled Blender and I have not changed any settings at all.
Thanks, but as I said I have reintstalled Blender and I have not changed any settings at all. There really aren’t any “failed scenes” to post. Even the default scene is barely visible.
As for the suggestion to read Andrew Price’s post, it’s not a lack of trying or “giving up”. Scenes simply do not have any light. And if you read my post, I said I have added all sorts of lamps and planes with emission materials and that doesn’t help either.
I have followed numerous tutorials, but the result I get is not the same as what is supposed to happen. The scene in the tutorial looks good, but my scene just doesn’t have enough light.
And it’s not my system or monitor. I have a state of the art computer and monitor. My photos and all programs look fine.
Well, I’m not sure how we are supposed to help you if you refuse to give us any substantial information… The problem is that there are about a gazillion possible reasons for your unsatisfactory render results. How can we possibly know which is to blame if we don’t see your files?
So, please, tell us which tutorial you followed, what result was expected from that tutorial and what result you get. And then show us the corresponding file of yours.
And concerning the default scene: Of course that will look like rubbish when rendered - there’s hardly anything in it except a dim grey background, a cube with a greyish default material and a meagre point light. That’s hardly a render benchmark or show off setup…
I’m not refusing to show my file. Everyone should have the default cube file on startup. Just render that, and YOU will probably see a gray cube, not very interesting, but at least VISIBLE, and smooth gray. But all I get is a barely visible and grainy gray cube. I will try to post the rendered result to show you. And I am certainly NOT trying to set up a scene to “show off”! I would never do that, since I am still learning to use Blender.
This may be a shot in the dark, but are you sure you’re not trying to use Blender on a cheap and badly calibrated LCD monitor?
Because if it’s one of those screens that rapidly wash out when you move your head, it might very well be your problem.
Another shot in the dark , check the Color Management in the Scene Data tab, Gamma or Exposure may be off, it has to be 1 and 0 respectively and render should be at Default, other than that post the file so ppl cen check your start-up file settings.
If you use the default settings Cycles starts out with and have high expectations, you’re going to have a bad time. At least this is the case if you didn’t do your homework. (Yes the manual is kind of weak, but so much at sites like this and on YouTube or Vimeo if you just google.) It’s setup the same as preview, not meant to look good but rather to give the fastest render that should give a reasonable idea of what’s going on in your scene. Lights are weak by default too. (Good values are different for different kind of lights but point light doesn’t have much punch until 750 or so.)
Go under render settings and dial those render samples up from 10 or so to some value over 250. Then adjust light paths. (For light paths it’s easiest to just try the different presets.) Your cube should go from grainy to something considerably sharper and more well defined. Once you settle on a scene and work out details, then it’s worth dialing samples up past 500.
Of course good render settings typically take longer to do their job. (Days even.) This is why it defaults to a preview-mode level.
I’m still finding some things don’t always behave as expected (glass shader is one), but it’s definitely worth experimenting with settings and material properties to nudge them in the right direction.
Thanks for the replies, but I don’t think anyone understands what I’m saying. Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions? I see so many questions posted here, but they are about more involved issues, while I can’t even get basic scenes to show up. Blender used to be OK, but now there simply isn’t enough light or detail to make it even usable.
Is ‘use nodes’ on? If your scene was blender render before you’ll need to update the materials setting using the ‘use nodes’ button, make sure your lights are using nodes.
You can also scale the emission planes up to increase its strength/distance. That should give you drastic differences.
lol
Strange. Somehow I still don’t see you posting a screenshot or even a scene file although you have been asked for those quite a few times.
So, for the umpteenth time now: You seem to be doing something fundamentally wrong. But since none of us is clairvoyant, you will have to give us something to work with. Without seeing your scene files, how on earth are we supposed to know what settings you messed up?
If even the startup scene is not rendering, then just start Blender and save that out as a .blend file, for heaven’s sake.
You say you have changed nothing but maybe you have accidentally. The way Blender works all settings are saved in the file, so someone else trying out YOUR file will tell you if he sees it the way you do (screenshot too).
I do have one more suggestion . Try opening one of the many files that are referenced in the forum, like the benchmark BMW or other. see if you see that properly rendered.
It seems some people here are getting annoyed with my asking for help. But why would I post my scene if it’s just the startup scene which EVERYONE has if they did what I did? To be exact, step 1 is to install Blender, step 2 is to start Blender, step 3 is to change to Cycles rendering, and step 4, click on the render icon. I did NOTHING else but those steps. Anyway, thanks to those who tried to help. While I really appreciate those who developed Blender, and who continue to do so, and all for FREE (!), it seems I won’t be able to enjoy using it. I will still look at the galleries and enjoy what others are able to do though.
People are asking you to post the scene so they can see if anything has gone wrong. As somebody pointed out - all of the render settings are saved in the file - so if you post the scene, we can render it and potentially get the same issues you are seeing. If that happens - we will be in a far better position to suggest a course of action.
Also - posting a screenshot or render of what you are seeing may help too.
Have you tried downloading a scene from blendswap. If you try to render a scene somebody else has set up and get the correct result - that will at least help rule out a corrupt install or hardware issue.
Who cares how dimly lit the default scene is? It’s meant to be a starting point, not something to show off Blender’s lighting capabilities. If you want good lighting you have to make it yourself. Quit telling us to render the default scene. That doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. Show us an example of a scene you have made where you were unable to create good lighting. Then we can discuss how your lighting could be improved. This is not rocket science.
OP - this is what the default scene looks like if rendered using cycles on a fresh install and default setting. Is what you are seeing significantly different to this?
bill2reg:
The only way anyone can help you out, and believe me this forum is indeed very friendly, is by posting a screen grab of your issue.
Press ctrl F3, save the image and include it in your post. Even if it is the default scene.
It seems like the issue you’re having no one else is having, so by sharing what’s wrong in yours picture it will be easier to find out a solution.
Otherwise you’re asking us to guess, and that is way beyond the scope of this forum.