Behind the Scenes: Railway Station
Head into Seifi’s artwork journey as he ventures by varied render engines to skillfully grasp his hyper-realistic artwork.
INTRODUCTION
Hello, I’m Alireza Seifi, a 3D designer and surroundings artist born in Tehran, Iran. My major discipline of curiosity and focus was cinema and movie music so with that background, I joined the 3D business like many different individuals within the early 2000’s and began my profession in 2005 severely. In that point, I used to be primarily centered on recreating historic monuments and structure utilizing 3DS Max, V-Ray, and Brazil render engine.
Since I’ve labored with most render engines, I wished to share my expertise and historical past of working with these as properly.
Damavand Tomb Tower / 2011. 3DS Max, V-ray
Tehran Publish and Telegraph Constructing / 2013. 3DS Max, V-ray
Later in 2016-2017, I attempted to modify to a extra fashionable structure type, archviz, and product visualization. It was at that time that I stated goodbye to my previous favourite render engine, V-ray, and switched to Corona Render which was and could be very consumer pleasant, inventive, and produced life like outcomes with out tweaks and sophisticated settings.
Melbourne Townhouse Replication / 2017. 3DS Max, Corona Render
On the similar time, the revolutionary Fstormrender was additionally launched for 3DS Max, with which I made a whole lot of renders.
Nonetheless Life / 2018. 3DS Max, Fstormrender
I can say that earlier than working with Fstorm, I had began working with Octane Render and Cinema 4D. I used to be a bit bored with 3DS Max and wished to modify to Cinema 4D however Fstorm was type of an easier model of Octane for 3DS Max, Due to this, I stayed in 3DS Max extra and produced extra renders with Fstorm.
MainFrames Lab / 2019. 3DS Max, Fstorm
It was round 2020 that I nearly stopped working with 3DS Max and switched into Cinema 4D and Octane Render. Octane render has a selected non secular look which was very satisfying to me, and in addition very useful as a result of I used to be switching to a extra retro-style picture creation.
Galaxy Hill / 2021. Cinema 4D, Octane Render
Whereas working with Octane Render was very satisfying, I used to be attempting to create larger scenes however I progressively confronted the VRAM challenge in Octane which my laptop computer GPU couldn’t deal with. So, curiously, I switched again to Corona Render once more not in 3DS Max however this time in Cinema 4D, and it shockingly gave me the precise retro consequence I used to be on the lookout for. The deep shadows and particular sense of Corona lights have been excellent; nonetheless, the sunshine all the time wanted to be managed by blockers like in some other engine to get extra dramatic and centered lighting. In complete, it was extra dependable and satisfying for me to work with CPU-based render engines than the GPU engines, though the latter provides sooner outcomes as the primary one is extra correct, value it to attempt when you’ve got a robust CPU.
The Elevator / 2022. Cinema 4D, Corona Render
It was round 2022 that I grew to become extra desirous about Unreal Engine in addition to Blender. After a little bit of working with Blender, I began actually having fun with Blender and Cycle. My major impediment in Cycles was that I used to be not capable of produce my desired outcomes I used to get from different engines previously so my outcomes with Cycles all the time got here with a lot of trial and error. I watched a whole lot of tutorials and I ought to say that I used to be actually influenced by the works of the well-known Blender artist, Ian Hubert, and I actually recognize his and different Blender artists’ efforts in discovering and displaying the talents of Blender and Cycles to individuals. That manner, I progressively began producing extra works and renders with Blender and Cycles.
Ships in The Metropolis / 2024. Blender Cycles
INSPIRATION
I’m deeply impressed by goals, lucid goals, and nightmares, so infrequently I used to recreate a part of a dream in CGI. Railway Station was additionally primarily based on a lucid dream I noticed a couple of months in the past; what I can bear in mind was an Artwork Nouveau type with a whole lot of corridors during which I used to be transferring by. The environment was one thing between a retro shopping center, a museum, and a Nineteenth-century railway station just like the well-known Artwork Nouveau Metro in Paris, so I attempted to attain that mixture as a lot as potential. Someplace empty and deserted, like on a Friday afternoon, but in addition cosy and nice to relax like European Nineteenth-century city designs.
PROCESS
Previously, I used to make some sketches earlier than creating the scene however I don’t do it in recent times anymore. Reasonably, I favor to dam the scene instantly within the 3D program. The primary and most time consuming a part of this challenge was discovering good/associated stained glass textures and a few useful Artwork Nouveau references to see the structure and construction connections and after that, I began modeling.
Modeling
In regards to the modeling course of I can say that regardless of the previous, I don’t use subdivision modeling anymore however I do use the mid-poly technique which is helpful each for life like rendering and in addition sport modeling. It’s principally primarily based on beveling however I ought to all the time suppose forward in regards to the bevel numbers to keep away from jagged edges or have base mesh duplicates as backups for sophisticated objects earlier than beveling.
I had ready this scene for Unreal Engine so all of the objects have been modular and straightforward to array.
However my laptop computer’s previous GPU, the GTX 1080, was not capable of give good outcomes for the stained glass utilizing Lumen; Unreal has additionally stopped supporting its life like render possibility, the RayTracer, for previous GPUs like mine, so I needed to render the scene with Cycles in Blender.
Addons
Right here, I ought to confess that probably the most advantageous characteristic of Blender over different 3D packages is its helpful addons and asset browser, which make the method sooner and simpler for impatient individuals like me who need to see the ultimate consequence within the shortest period of time. This manner I wished to share the record of addons that helped me lots within the challenge:
Blenderkit for quick readymade supplies and objects:
Utilizing Blender Kit, I used to be simply capable of load a bunch of various supplies that I didn’t have the nerve to make from scratch coping with 100’s of difficult shader nodes distracting me from specializing in the artistic aspect of the challenge.
Hardops Boxcutter and Machin3tools for quick hardsurface modeling instruments:
With out these instruments, it’s nearly unimaginable for me to create quick exhausting floor fashions. HardOps array/bevel/mirror/modifier/boolean/.. instruments all gathered within the Q menu actually make the modelling course of 10x sooner.
Additionally, Machin3tools options just like the align instrument, right-click save/export menu, and so forth., are crucial for any challenge. I personally can’t work with out them. For instance, since I exploit Substance Painter lots, the Machin3tools save menu provides the quick chance of FBX, OBJ, and so forth., export and lots of different choices with simply urgent Ctrl+S.
Sketchfab and its Blender import addon for life like 3D scanned fashions:
I can’t specific the significance of Sketchfab for I’ve not completed any challenge with out utilizing Sketchfab 3DS scans, be it both the 3D landscapes, industrial/mechanical fashions, characters, and so forth. On this challenge, I used the prepare mannequin from Sketchfab.
Eco-Scatter and GScatter for scattering:
Eco-Scatter is an especially user-friendly scattering addon for Blender that I exploit for any challenge with scattering. Perhaps many individuals haven’t heard about this addon, however I ought to say it’s unbelievable.
After all, I favor scattering instruments with biome assist like Graswald GScatter, which have premade grass fields or ecosystems like 3DS Max Forest Pack Professional, however sadly Graswald has stopped releasing the addon for newer variations of Blender, so I can’t at present use it for my initiatives anymore, and I actually miss it.
Free Blender Vegetation Library:
I used Blender’s free plant library for this challenge and others as properly. It’s very helpful and I even typically export its fashions and convert them to make use of in Cinema 4D as properly.
Quixel Bridge (at present fab) property:
Like many different individuals, I exploit Quixel Bridge (at present fab) for each challenge. I used the stone/marble supplies and the grass fashions for this challenge from Quixel Bridge.
PolyHaven addon:
As all the time, I used the PolyHaven addon for quick HDRI lighting of the scene. On this scene, I first used PolyHaven to search out probably the most appropriate HDRI for surroundings lighting, and I additionally used the Blender solar for directional lighting, particularly the sunshine passing by the stained glasses and their impact on the ground. Though I exploit PolyHaven for HDRI lighting, I typically neglect that it has a really high-quality mannequin assortment that, for my part, is perhaps the best or one of many highest high quality 3D fashions available in the market.
Rendering
Right here is the ultimate render with some post-production. I nonetheless miss the LUT chance in Blender, however the AGX and new Khronos together with curves manipulation give very satisfying outcomes. This manner, I apply the LUT in Photoshop with different results.
RENDER: Railway Station
I wish to prolong my particular due to the BlenderNation workforce for giving me this chance. Thanks for taking the time to learn my article. Be at liberty to succeed in out with any questions on my social media. Have an incredible day!
In regards to the Artist
Alireza Seifi is a 3D visualizer and surroundings artist primarily based in Budapest, at present engaged on 3D surroundings and filmmaking initiatives.
