Source image: http://www.silverblades-suitcase.com/tutorials/htm/38.html
3D Post Work – Post Production Tips
I often think that most of the real work comes after you’ve created an image in 3D. I am talking about the process of post-work or post production. In this stage you can seize the chance of correcting or embellishing your image.
For example, you may have been quite satisfied with your rendered scene, you leave it aside for a couple of hours or a day and then take a look at it again. Stephen James ‘Silverblade the Enchanter’, creator of Silverblade’s Suitcase writes, “Post-work can dramatically improve your renders, fix faults, add new items”. You will find Silverblade’s tutorial here
Don’t forget to make several copies of your work so that if you mess up you have your saved copies to fall back on!
Here is an example from ‘Miss Purethoughts of Chasteland’ or Deedee Davies of a before and after post work. She used Michael 3 from Daz3D as her starting point.
Sometimes your problem may be to make a scene look more real by making the image less ‘perfect’! Roland Peelen in Post-Production Trends in 3D Visualizations writes,“Post-production might well be the most under-appreciated part of creating 3D visualizations. It gives you the power to easily make some changes; put in the sky you like, add some dirt, make the colors more vibrant and even correct some little mistakes in your 3D mesh”. For his full article go here.
Post-production apps
Here are some apps to help you with your post work: Pixelmator for Mac OS X: http://www.pixelmator.com/ costs 13.99 Euro or $14.99, here is the link for the tutorial.
Gimp is an open source Image Manipulation Program, which you can find here: http://www.gimp.org/. The software operates on GNU/Linux (i386, PPC), Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista), Mac OS X, you may be asked for a contribution.
Adobe Photoshop CC for image editing and compositing, and After Effects here: http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html, costs $19.99 a month, includes a new mask tracker.
Source image: http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html
The full version of Paint Shop Pro X6 costs $54.99, among the features are easy layer creation, support for third-party plug-ins, mask tracker, faster high dynamic range (HDR) tools and built-in video learning.
Then there are, among others, Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya for Microsoft® Windows® 7 (SP1), Windows® 8 and Windows® 8.1 Professional operating system. You will need to check the various payment options. Here is the main Autodesk site.
This six-minute video is about 3ds Max post-production features: http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/video/youtube/watch-v-Lg6Nrl0tt6c-feature-youtube-gdata.html
Finally, don’t forget to read the details of the hard and software requirements before downloading.
And, remember, “When the rendering’s done your work has just begun”!
-Val Cameron/Dreamlight
PS: Want to make your photos and renders POP? Master Photoshop and become a 2D Postwork Master HERE.
What amazes me are the numerous photomanipulations of models found on Deviantart such as: http://foxfires.deviantart.com/art/Lament-of-Sea-419336315
Hi Kurt,
It’s interesting, but your link happens to combine two different artists on dA. http://foxfires.deviantart.com/ is the work of an artist named Aimee Stewart, who happens to be one of my favorites while, if I click it, your link actually takes me to a work of art by Consuelo Parra called Lament of Sea. Her page is actually http://aeternum-art.deviantart.com/ and I like what I see. Both artists use photomanipulation in their work. Very strange how that worked out. lol
Just wanted to say thnx for all your work. Have followed you for years, decades even idk lol, and I never really speak, but I thought you should know, its very rare I have something new to learn in 3d or anything to do with computers programming or the like. But every so often you have these little ideas that I never considered since your in 3d so focused and I’m doing so much broad spectrum,I appreciate your insights and ideas. That is very rare for me yo say to anybody, thnx again, keep up the great work – PS I have seen alot you fo for instance the moods and in program post production or should I say pre-post, and I was wondering, have you ever considered breaking out of sddons to Daz Poser etc and making your own standalone program for all this, sort of like PhotoShop with the brushes idea? Not sure how you might fo it depends on exactly WHAT you put in it. But if you ever do and need any help, shoot me a line, maybe I can pitch in since what you’ve done for free for everybody more then warrants it