A long time ago i thought about trying higher resolution low samples and messed around with it for a day and just figured it probably wasn't useful. But after seeing this and knowing it can be viable in some situations is super helpful!
It really depends on what you want to do. If you just put in an HDRI, it often looks ugly. A good reference is youtube cinematographa videos that recreate shots from movies. You'll rarely see anything lit with just natural ambient light, but you'll also have a lot of bounce from the environment.
Ha! I can't believe I never used the colors on my collections before. So much more organized! A tip within your tips, thank you! Great vid! Thanks for sharing the tips... looking forward to the future content here!
I'd been moving away from HDRI lighting on the suggestion of another Blender user and was semi-aware that I've not been getting as good a result, so thanks for making the case for how happy cycles is with an HDRI setup
Had no idea you could make an entire collection set to be hidden from camera but still reflect in the scene with the "indirect only" toggle. Super useful! Honestly an entire video just on those restriction toggles is a good idea. That's either a video suggestion for you or a note to myself to make one! 😅
Great video, also the "Indirect Only" combined with view layers + hold outs + cryptomattes can be a life saver on complex client projects. You can set up very custom render outputs into various layers, mattes, combined, subtracted, all managed and output via the compositor - super flexible. Especially since you can render a single view layer at once if needed - like if you just wanted to update one subject or do a single layer with much higher samples than the rest (I did this for a vdb smoke pass). I also came from C4D + Redshift, definitely don't miss C4D (though mograph is much more artist friendly than geonodes). I really like the look of Cycles and how easy it is - but I miss how fast RS was with interiors (Cycles' biggest weakness by far). That said, I'm just amazed how stable Blender + Cycles is, I had crash anxiety in my last year with C4D + RS with how often it'd die while the viewport preview was running. Yet in Cycles I've done silly things like rendering in 3 viewports and it doesn't even slow down 😅
Personally use PSA + HDRis because unfortunately in architecture a sun must be present at the right physical position for the rendering to be legit. It’s a step up from the base lamp sun that doesn’t work with real world values. Great tips!
One thing that should be mentioned is that not all HDRs are created equal and some lack dynamic range. This results in a low intensity sun which can be combated by using a sunlight. There are tons of beginner renders that have a hard shadow but lack light contrast because of that. And not everything needs an hdri. It really depends.
Good work, though I wish you had a bit of a better solution in the end with that bounce card, with how it has a direct line where the bounce cast/shadow start.
I've been using arnold (mtoa) for years in film production setting and have couple of years of experience with redshift in houdini and I can't say that renders in cycles look any worse if the scene is the same. yes it lacks some options but the image is totally fine imo. and lighting prosess in blender is my favorite even compaired to solaris.
@@dagobject huh! Interesting. I’ve had different experiences - especially when you get into caustics, glass stuff, or even just indirect lights, I miss redshift a lot. Thanks for sharing!
cool video but i've never heard anyone say cycles doesn't look as good as arnold lol. cycles was made by one of the lead devs of arnold based on the things he didn't like in arnold.
@@xanzuls I came up on Arnold and really loved its photo real light and glass. It’s a totally fair point, just a matter of preference. But cycles is CRAZY fast and much more simple to navigate for sure
I'm surprised you didn't switch to Octane as an x C4D user. There is a free version available to blender too through there prime tier. It limits you to one card, though if you have an 4090 you'll be set for most jobs and Drop and Render is there for the big boy jobs.
HDRIs are great, but "Sky Texture" is underrated AF.
What’s the difference?
Not as good as an HDRI unfortunately, PSA is better than both but it's expensive.
my favorite title ive seen all year
that bounce card thing is definitely new to me, thank you so much!
A long time ago i thought about trying higher resolution low samples and messed around with it for a day and just figured it probably wasn't useful.
But after seeing this and knowing it can be viable in some situations is super helpful!
It really depends on what you want to do. If you just put in an HDRI, it often looks ugly. A good reference is youtube cinematographa videos that recreate shots from movies. You'll rarely see anything lit with just natural ambient light, but you'll also have a lot of bounce from the environment.
Thank you for these tips! Your work is amazing.
Ha! I can't believe I never used the colors on my collections before. So much more organized! A tip within your tips, thank you!
Great vid! Thanks for sharing the tips... looking forward to the future content here!
Haha! Glad it was helpful!!
Great Video! Informativ and fun to watch.
You definitely got me excited for the next week!!
Denoise in the compositor using the actual denoising data for better results.
@@NathanRitchie word ^
I'd been moving away from HDRI lighting on the suggestion of another Blender user and was semi-aware that I've not been getting as good a result, so thanks for making the case for how happy cycles is with an HDRI setup
So helpful, especially light bouncing.
Thanks for these Great Tip and Tricks!!! 👍😁
Underrated. Seriously. Very helpful tips packed neatly into a seven minute video
Had no idea you could make an entire collection set to be hidden from camera but still reflect in the scene with the "indirect only" toggle. Super useful! Honestly an entire video just on those restriction toggles is a good idea. That's either a video suggestion for you or a note to myself to make one! 😅
Instant sub! Will start using these on my channel! Thanks for sharing Elijah : )
Great video, also the "Indirect Only" combined with view layers + hold outs + cryptomattes can be a life saver on complex client projects. You can set up very custom render outputs into various layers, mattes, combined, subtracted, all managed and output via the compositor - super flexible. Especially since you can render a single view layer at once if needed - like if you just wanted to update one subject or do a single layer with much higher samples than the rest (I did this for a vdb smoke pass).
I also came from C4D + Redshift, definitely don't miss C4D (though mograph is much more artist friendly than geonodes). I really like the look of Cycles and how easy it is - but I miss how fast RS was with interiors (Cycles' biggest weakness by far).
That said, I'm just amazed how stable Blender + Cycles is, I had crash anxiety in my last year with C4D + RS with how often it'd die while the viewport preview was running. Yet in Cycles I've done silly things like rendering in 3 viewports and it doesn't even slow down 😅
4.2 Alpha had a great default HDRI in Cycles but got rid of it in full release. I managed to find it and set it as default in 4.2
Personally use PSA + HDRis because unfortunately in architecture a sun must be present at the right physical position for the rendering to be legit. It’s a step up from the base lamp sun that doesn’t work with real world values. Great tips!
@@AD-Dom ahhhh arch vis. Totally makes sense
One thing that should be mentioned is that not all HDRs are created equal and some lack dynamic range. This results in a low intensity sun which can be combated by using a sunlight. There are tons of beginner renders that have a hard shadow but lack light contrast because of that. And not everything needs an hdri. It really depends.
@@hasselhoff3379 so true! Good footnote. Despite HDR literally meaning high dynamic range, there are some LEMONS of HDRIs out there 💀💀
Wouldn't a low energy area light be a better option for creating "bounce cards". Less noise, and more control.
Great work bro, gone to some fundamentals 👍🙃
Good work, though I wish you had a bit of a better solution in the end with that bounce card, with how it has a direct line where the bounce cast/shadow start.
@@rasdasa wish I could resolve that better! But light be bouncing yk? Could probably fight it with light linking, but that’s for another day
@@sweetboy.motion yeah, I know that feeling. Anyways, great work regardless, subscribed after that vid!
great tips, great channel!
I've been using arnold (mtoa) for years in film production setting and have couple of years of experience with redshift in houdini and I can't say that renders in cycles look any worse if the scene is the same. yes it lacks some options but the image is totally fine imo. and lighting prosess in blender is my favorite even compaired to solaris.
@@dagobject huh! Interesting. I’ve had different experiences - especially when you get into caustics, glass stuff, or even just indirect lights, I miss redshift a lot. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing
Great content !!
incredible thumbnail
cool video but i've never heard anyone say cycles doesn't look as good as arnold lol. cycles was made by one of the lead devs of arnold based on the things he didn't like in arnold.
@@xanzuls I came up on Arnold and really loved its photo real light and glass. It’s a totally fair point, just a matter of preference. But cycles is CRAZY fast and much more simple to navigate for sure
already usse this baby
Have you tried redshift for blender?
Good video mate!
Ok, but what about the sky texture?
These are some great tips! Those bounce cards really do make a difference! Y'all... Write that down! haha
Wow, looks like I found a new one
I'm surprised you didn't switch to Octane as an x C4D user. There is a free version available to blender too through there prime tier. It limits you to one card, though if you have an 4090 you'll be set for most jobs and Drop and Render is there for the big boy jobs.
@@adamross2208 great idea. I need to try it out with blender.
i forgot about the bouncies entirely wow
I am your 501th Subscriber
@@V_C_C welcome my friend 🫡
Blender do support redshift
cycles is good out of the box you just have a skill issue frl your video is literally a nothing burger
@@wattux so true!