It's not actually a challenge,  just an invitation to share how you use the existing tools in iclone to get your best renders. In an effort to check out the new tools and updates specifically in the lighting area, in recent versions of Iclone,  I challenged myself to get the nicest render I could and liked,  best is a subjective term so the emphasis on what I liked, there is no right or wrong.   

The idea is simple,  import the basic Christian CC character that everyone has in their Iclone 7,  and use the Lut, IBL, and light settings to get the best look you can.  No posing , no texturing ....only cameras, lighting and the tools found on the "Visual" tabs. You are free to import your own lut templates and ibl images. I aimed to keep as much detail as possible, such as frown on forehead and the pinstripes on shirt - which was difficult because the whites kept glowing. - so I had to keep tweaking. The purpose of this challenge is to dig deep into iclone lighting tools and push it's limits.  Lighting and shadows are everything for quality renders.

note,  - I did separate the lips just a bit because I didn't like the way the mesh was connecting - it didn't look natural.

PS - the challenge is also open to the Iclone staff to see if they do anything I can learn from,  or experiences the challenges I do to get such renders. :P

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"To define Tao is to defile it" - Lao Tzu

A scene like the loft would be better suited for this. Just a character without background is not ideal for what you are asking

Could do more with texturing (especially the eyes) but I stuck to the rules...



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But that's what makes it a challenge,  to rely on lighting tools and camera angles only to make 1 character look interesting. - Using a background is almost like cheating,  same image as above,  but now with a background and slightly different lighting angle.  Funny how adding the background and adjusting the lighting angle makes him look happier than my original render. but no change in expression or camera angle.

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"To define Tao is to defile it" - Lao Tzu

@gordryd  -  Nice one,  interesting how your pinstripes look much different than mine - your shirt render looks more like a softer cotton and your character looks older, probably due to the extra details on the textures like the freckles, and the neck. the way the light is shining on his hair almost makes it look like he has gray hairs.

Fascinating how just the different lighting makes our same characters tell different stories.  

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"To define Tao is to defile it" - Lao Tzu

I would at least want to use the digital human shader as that makes a difference also.

The loft scene we have done already so many times and it is more sort of an architectural challenge, so I think a person is better.

Actually, Christian has by default the Traditional shader, which would makes this even harder.

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Exactly @animagic -   I remember in iclone 6 I used to complain about the glaring when trying to get quality well lit renders,  I did it this way to see how much has improved since 6....it has gotten a lot better.  I also thought it would be a good practice for newer users to have a deeper understanding of how much the basic lighting tools we currently have can affect the mood of a scene.  A lot can be accomplished with Iclone's current render engine,  but you really have to dig in.  The older users of iclone understand this because we've been trying to get better more realistic renders for years without the fancy new shaders,  so we understand how much every little tweak matters.  We had to walk 15 miles just to get a decent render,  barefoot,  and we loved it!! lol

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"To define Tao is to defile it" - Lao Tzu

I will play...:P

I tried to make him more fierce...

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@animagic well done,   the spectral glow effects on the character implies that he has a special power!! -  your shadow work is exceptional,  very realistic - it's especially noticeable on the shirt wrinkles - you managed to get a quality shadow gradient found in natural lighting.  I was having a hard time with the shadows.  .

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"To define Tao is to defile it" - Lao Tzu

I used the Tone Map option under HDR, which increases the contrast. I normally don't use it because you get artifacts when animating, if I recall.

I just noticed that I forgot to turn on Ambient Occlusion. It's actually better without AO in this case.

I think it will be liberating to move away from hyper-realism.

Still, I love working with Head Shot and I have finally been able to get a decent self-portrait. I've found that extremely difficult, probably because you know your own face.

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