Realistic Reflections with Arch Shader

[Falam]

I need some help, I've got a scene rendered using lights,FG & GI. When I render without GI, the scene has the typical FG look, which in this case, makes the scene render, blah. GI adds to the missing parts, the problem is the reflections, all the objects are using the Arch shader, I've tweaked this shader numerous times, the two problems are, there was a thread on XSIBase to get a brushed metal look with this shader, that I cannot access no more. I tried a HDR mapped as a environment for the shader and for the scene, the reflections are not near photo quality realistic. The only other option which I haven't tried yet, is IBL. Although with IBL, it creates a dome, this is a completely closed object the rays from the IBL won't penetrate the the geometry, even if I shrink the IBL with all the lights and the dome, it won't conform to the object where I want it too, any suggestions to get close to realistic reflections.

[Kzin]

I need some help, I've got a scene rendered using lights,FG & GI. When I render without GI, the scene has the typical FG look, which in this case, makes the scene render, blah. GI adds to the missing parts, the problem is the reflections, all the objects are using the Arch shader, I've tweaked this shader numerous times, the two problems are, there was a thread on XSIBase to get a brushed metal look with this shader, that I cannot access no more. I tried a HDR mapped as a environment for the shader and for the scene, the reflections are not near photo quality realistic. The only other option which I haven't tried yet, is IBL. Although with IBL, it creates a dome, this is a completely closed object the rays from the IBL won't penetrate the the geometry, even if I shrink the IBL with all the lights and the dome, it won't conform to the object where I want it too, any suggestions to get close to realistic reflections.

lighting is different from reflections, means different lighting does not change your reflections.

perhaps you mean this link: http://www.xsi-blog.com/archives/197

[Rork]

please add images to your question, as this is a highly subjective topic and can easily end up having people talking about other 'issues'. ;)

rob

[Falam]

please add images to your question, as this is a highly subjective topic and can easily end up having people talking about other 'issues'. ;)

rob

I had the splotches eliminated, from one day to the next, I can't eliminate them.

[Kzin]

beside the horrible fg settings, your image lacks glossi samples. it looks in general that you need higher aa values.
how many local glossi samples you use and whats your render aa settings.?

[Falam]

beside the horrible fg settings, your image lacks glossi samples. it looks in general that you need higher aa values.
how many local glossi samples you use and whats your render aa settings.?

I solved that after posting, it was too late in the night. I'll update soon.

[Falam]

beside the horrible fg settings, your image lacks glossi samples. it looks in general that you need higher aa values.
how many local glossi samples you use and whats your render aa settings.?

I solved that after posting, it was too late in the night. I'll update soon.

Update
AA Settings are 2/3 (Min/Max) I turned off GI, because I couldn't eliminate the blotches, I need to achieve more realistic reflections for the door and the walls, even though nothing is textured, yet.

[Kzin]

you should use unified sampling, best for this kind of rendering.
try min1/max100 and q2. local samples set to 8. and disable spec in lights and set highlight balance to 0 in mia mat.

[Falam]

you should use unified sampling, best for this kind of rendering.
try min1/max100 and q2. local samples set to 8. and disable spec in lights and set highlight balance to 0 in mia mat.

Thanks that worked out better, any more suggestions to get more realistic reflections ? I have a environment map plugged into the material and I tried the same thing with the pass, neither seem to help ? I know that the Arch shader is physically correct, how can I get this shader to produce close to realistic reflections, what is the secret ? I have lights in my scene, should I remove them and let FG do all the lighting, or it doesn't matter, I can keep them in the scene, whatever helps ?

[Kzin]

if you put a envmap in your shader means this overrides the scene envmap.
for realistic reflection its best to rebuild the envmap and use planes or simple geo on which you map your hdr. place them in correct distance to you object like it would be in the real world. you get then realistic glossi reflections from those planes because the distance is different. every pixel in the envmap has the same distance from the reflection so it blurs all the same. but in reality, the farther away an object the more diffuse the reflection will be.
another one is to use textures to drive the glossiness, anisotropi and anisotropi angle because no object in real life is that perfect, also not a mirror. to get realistic results, do a search for references in the inet or outside.

[gustavoeb]

Hello Falam, have you tried unified sampling?
It is not Arnold (it is lightyears away really) but you are kind of able to render stuff with Brute-Force GI. It is slow, but a lot easier to setup, and doable for scenes that dont have too complicated of a GI situation (like direct sunlight coming in from a window and filling the whole room with light, that is way too complicated). I recommend you read this: http://elementalray.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/unified-sampling-redux/ before getting down with unified sampling. Unified sampling will also help you get smoother glossy reflex, dof or wharever that is blurrylike.
I dont recomnd you use unified sampling in SI2012, but it has been tweaked quite substantially in 2013 and it is now usable.

Even if Brute-Force does not fit your scene, I would have FG at least at automatic. I never could use Expert with success, FG is already way too complicated for one to want even more control over its clumbersome controls... IMHO

[Falam]

Hello Falam, have you tried unified sampling?
It is not Arnold (it is lightyears away really) but you are kind of able to render stuff with Brute-Force GI. It is slow, but a lot easier to setup, and doable for scenes that dont have too complicated of a GI situation (like direct sunlight coming in from a window and filling the whole room with light, that is way too complicated). I recommend you read this: http://elementalray.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/unified-sampling-redux/ before getting down with unified sampling. Unified sampling will also help you get smoother glossy reflex, dof or wharever that is blurrylike.
I dont recomnd you use unified sampling in SI2012, but it has been tweaked quite substantially in 2013 and it is now usable.

Even if Brute-Force does not fit your scene, I would have FG at least at automatic. I never could use Expert with success, FG is already way too complicated for one to want even more control over its clumbersome controls... IMHO

I'm begin to achieve the look I'm after Thank you, Unified sampling helps speed up the render, quite well with FG & GI and high reflections !

[Falam]

Here is an update, tell me what you think.