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Songbird Remix's Product Preview Thread
- Thread starter Ken Gilliland
- Start date
Szark
Awesome
I just want to publicly say a big THANK YOU to Ken for updating his products to Iray etc and making his new ones with the same. Plus I love how I can just load up a bird with one click. Yes it is a lot of work with probably little payback (well I hope not) but I for one really appreciate Ken's efforts. It's not often seen in the business.
Here's a bird from one of my projects I hope to get to this year... the Helmeted Hornbill... a great article by Cornell Labs
The Helmeted Hornbill Is a Living Treasure—and That's a Problem
The Helmeted Hornbill Is a Living Treasure—and That's a Problem
I totally agree- thank you Ken! I know how more work it is just doing all the updated textures and MATs for 4 render engines now, much less all the improvements Ken has been making in the models and easier-to-use as well. A LOT of work! I sure appreciate it!
Hornbills.... Yes, they were featured in Life of the Birds and yes, their mates wall the female inside the tree nest cavity to protect the eggs and young. The female allows this and waits for the male to come back daily with food-- a sign of ultimate trust.
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The updates.... The model upgrades is a ton of work and the initial sales during their reintroductions has been less than inspiring but I look at the long game-- an updated model extends the shelf life but more importantly, I actually use my models in my own artwork, so upgrading a model benefits my work as well.
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While developing/improving my models in the updates, I do test renders to make sure the stuff I'm keeping still works and the stuff I've added actually does what it's supposed to... plus, it gives me a chance to take a break from the grueling work and do something sort of fun
Here's the Sandhill Cranes using many of the new feature in WF4 model updates... new crest, breast and throat materials, a crane-like rump morph, plus a cleaner, blended hip to thigh connection. I've also reworked parts of the texture. The legs are significantly better. I still want to add to crane's back, while the brownish feathers mixed with white feathers is correct, it looks too patterned and "planned" to me, as well as flat. A reworking and perhaps some displacement will be in the works. Also, I'll probably make the breast feather transparencies a little more "stringy". Again, that's why I do "test" renders
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The updates.... The model upgrades is a ton of work and the initial sales during their reintroductions has been less than inspiring but I look at the long game-- an updated model extends the shelf life but more importantly, I actually use my models in my own artwork, so upgrading a model benefits my work as well.
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While developing/improving my models in the updates, I do test renders to make sure the stuff I'm keeping still works and the stuff I've added actually does what it's supposed to... plus, it gives me a chance to take a break from the grueling work and do something sort of fun
Here's the Sandhill Cranes using many of the new feature in WF4 model updates... new crest, breast and throat materials, a crane-like rump morph, plus a cleaner, blended hip to thigh connection. I've also reworked parts of the texture. The legs are significantly better. I still want to add to crane's back, while the brownish feathers mixed with white feathers is correct, it looks too patterned and "planned" to me, as well as flat. A reworking and perhaps some displacement will be in the works. Also, I'll probably make the breast feather transparencies a little more "stringy". Again, that's why I do "test" renders
amazing!
One of the biggest issues I had with my old shorebirds set was the Snowy Egret. I was never happy with it and tried to console myself by saying "there is only so much you do with a generic model". Well, in revising that 2009 model, I decided that I could do better. While it's still not as good as it could be with a dedicated model, it at least now looks like a snowy egret
Oh yeah. Much nicer!
Watch a Black Heron Fool Fish by Turning Into an Umbrella
I have this pose in Pose Pack II Songbird ReMix Pose Pack 2 - A Ken Gilliland 3D Creation
I have this pose in Pose Pack II Songbird ReMix Pose Pack 2 - A Ken Gilliland 3D Creation
Flint_Hawk
Extraordinary
That is a great video Ken!
I'm back to work again on updating Shorebirds. I've been on hiatus for the last 10 days due to a visit to my local ER. No worries, apart from missing a gall bladder, I seem to be my old self again.
Here's the updated Wood Stork along with some cattle egrets and a snowy egret in my Big Cypress habitat
Here's the updated Wood Stork along with some cattle egrets and a snowy egret in my Big Cypress habitat
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