Trading Desks - Boston

Thanx Erick. I've been messing with it lately. Mapping takes half the time now.

My biggest issue thus far has been with mapping materials. I recently learned how to map using the UVW map modifier - SO much easier than creating a copy of the same mateiral and scaling it differently for each new object.

Along these same lines you should look into manipulating the UVW map gizmo for even more control over mapping (scale, transform, rotate). I used MAX for several years before I realized this feature was even available. E

I have to do some procrastinating, so, my opinion :) The issues of materials you're talking about, and other techie stuff, will come to you. You obviously have some grasp of it already. What distinguishes good rendering from great rendering is the same thing that distinguishes good photography from great photography. Composition, light, how the view you see looking through the camera says something about the space you're shooting in and the object(s) of interest in that space. Nail the shot and the lighting, and work the rest out later.

I hear ya. I did my undergrad in industrial design so the transition to 3d renders for architecture's been fun, but it's only been 5 or 6 months since I've started using 3ds. Luckily, I have been able to cross-reference knowledge from sketch-up, solidworks, and pro e (which use crude versions of MR for renders). My biggest issue thus far has been with mapping materials. I recently learned how to map using the UVW map modifier - SO much easier than creating a copy of the same mateiral and scaling it differently for each new object. You should have seen some of the crazy extensive materials pallets I had in some of my older files a few months back. I believe I was using my old method of adjusting the scale of the floor and other materials in the above images - mega fail :(. Thanks again for the comments; its humbling and, also, inspires a drive to get up to a higher level with my images.

I dunno, the first one didn't do much for the furniture but it was a more interesting shot. Compositionally, the second one looks like the shot you get when an architect who's not a photographer picks the camera angle.

Antoine, the 2nd image is much better as a view but you have to fix the poor looking carpet and environment image.

That second one is much much better!

Thanx guys. I appreciate the input. This was an alternate view which was supposed to accompany the original renders (see attached). I thought I'd try to "jazz-up" what would usually be a mundane image. I guess I jazzed it up too much. I might revisit this one in the future to make corrections; although, the job's already history. [ATTACH=CONFIG]41148[/ATTACH]

Tron (wish I'd have thought of that name) if your object was to sell the furniture why did you center the camera over the monitors because your eye is drawn right down the middle and it's really distracting. If I didn't know the focus was supposed to be the furniture I'd think the monitors were the most important thing. I'm also finding the light wash coming in the windows to be the second most distracting thing and it makes me want to put my sunglasses on. I think your lighting it good and I like the maroon chairs.

I think you've simulated a worse lens than a real photographer would use :)