Video Tutorial: Using Sunsky & Sun Spot For Physical Skies

[Matt]

Hi

Someone mentioned wanting a video tutorial for Denis Pontonnier's Sunsky plugin.

Decided to make one as I love this plugin!

I also go into the Sun Spot plugin too, as well as how to use the 'Time Lapse' function.

I'll warn you now, it was a little late when I did this, so I ramble on a bit!

Also, some of the settings I'm not 100% sure on what exactly they do, but have tried to show their effect.

This tutorial is mainly aimed at those who haven't checked out this awesome plugin yet.

QT H.264 36mins (140MB WinRar)
Sunsky / Sun Spot Video Tutorial

Cheers
Matt

[Hopper]

Well now .. I would have to say that rocks. Thanks for taking the time to do that Matt. The content is extremely useful and actually answered a couple of questions I had about the plugin. I started toying with it when we were doing the museum "lighting challenge" but couldn't really figure everything out.

Thanks again.

[serge]

Very much appreciated, Matt. I haven't worked with this plugin yet, so this tutorial will be a great start.

[VFXCast]

Matt, would love to have this one on VFXCast

[Oliver]

Very cool tut! Thanks alot.
[The hue value works, it seems, from -2.0 to 1.0, to go one time full circle. Showing some weird banding, as well. And the LW internal Dome Light set to a small angle replicates the DP_Infinte light (minus the obvious great additions Denis did, like Colour Temperature and Light Shape, and slightly better quality at same render time), with an angle of 0 being the same as an LW internal Distant Light.]
I am doing a lot of tuts at the moment, and I really have to say, as fascinating some presenters' topics are - their voices make you fall asleep. Your presentation was top notch!

Greets.
Oliver.

[JeffrySG]

I haven't used this plugin yet, looking forward to watching the video Matt! Thanks!!

[Sensei]

Awesome video.. Although for the first thought it was big, but after all it's 40 minutes.. I am now trying to reproduce it in mine real-time renderer.. and surprisingly everything is fine..



Parameters seems to be quite like in real physics, except this 1km distance to sun (should be 150 mln km).. And real sun diameter is 1.4 mln km.. If plug-in would give you chance to enter sun diameter in km, there would be no problem with 10 m distance as long as diameter is also in scale..

[COBRASoft]

Matt: great as always! Nice job.

Sensei: tell us more about your previewer please. Does it more than FPrime?

[Sensei]

Originally Posted by COBRASoft

Sensei: tell us more about your previewer please. Does it more than FPrime?

I don't want to intercept thread..
It's discussed and videos are available to download in these threads:
http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90805
http://www.spinquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14788
It's using Advanced Camera Tools and Nodes since the beginning, which gave better stability..

[COBRASoft]

Sensei: thx, interesting

Matt and Denis, I'm wondering why the Infinite light is so much slower than the Distant light. I mean, if NT or DP could make a Lighttype specilised in simulating the sun and doing nothing else but the sun, could it be made faster? It won't be as fast as the Distant light, but perhaps here and there some code could be optimized to gain speed.

Greetings,
Sigurd

[Sensei]

DP Infinite from video had 16 rays casted to scene if I remember correctly, so it's 16 times slower than distant light. If ray-tracing routine will be speed up by f.e. gfx card, then it'll STILL be 16 times slower.. It's like with anti-aliasing passes: 9 AA passes, is around 9 times slower than 1 pass..

[JeffrySG]

Matt the video was great! Cheers!

Also, if you wanted the scene to be accurate as far as shadows you could use what ever setting you have in the diameter angle of the actual sun to be the same same as the DP Infinite shadow angle. As the apparent diameter of the light emitting object determines the angle of the shadow spread.

I haven't tried it yet, but couldn't you use a new LW dome light as well? I thought they were the same as LW distant lights but allow soft shadows.

[zapper1998]

I should buy FPrime Looks like a good way to preview...

[archijam]

Nice work Matt. Now we just need dPont clouds (tm)!

Originally Posted by Matt

Also, some of the settings I'm not 100% sure on what exactly they do, but have tried to show their effect.

Just don't touch the big red button.

Originally Posted by zapper1998

I should buy FPrime Looks like a good way to preview...

That's not FPrime .. follow the links sensei posted.

[multipass]

i think he meant the previewer in the tutorial matt posted


very nice tutorial thanks for the info