Description

In this exercise, you will practice using PBR materials, modeling, lighting, and rendering. You will also use compositional theory from art and design to organize elements in a 3D scene to create an image.

Instructions

  1. Watch linked tutorials in learning resources.
    • NOTE: These are not step-by-step tutorials for how to complete the assignment, rather they give you an understanding of Blender tools and concepts that you can use to solve the exercise requirements. This is not an animation exercise, so please do not submit an animation.
  2. Create a new project folder.
  3. Design an outdoor sculpture garden using a PBR workflow for the objects in the scene.
    1. Model the architectural space
    2. Model the objects present in the garden (don’t spend too much time on them, the emphasis is on materials for this assignment).
    3. Organize the space and camera to create pleasing image compositions.
    4. Add realistic lighting
  4. Practice modeling, texturing, lighting, and rendering. Include the following in your Blender scene:
    • Polygonal objects: Model abstract and architectural objects using polygon modeling techniques you have learned. You can also experiment with boolean modifiers and curve tools. At least one of the polygonal objects must use a PBR texture pack that includes a base color, normal, roughness, and may also include other textures as well like metalness and ambient occlusion, and height. Follow tutorials to learn how to apply them to your model.
    • Minimum of three PBR Materials: You can use the random material generator to get a minimum of three material ideas to use in your scene if you cannot decide which materials you prefer to use.
    • Typography: Add text using the Text tool in Blender.
    • Curves with geometry: Add curves and configure their geometry attributes to create procedural shapes based on bezier and other curves.
    • Lighting: Use either HDRI lighting or Blender’s sky node to light the scene.
    • Background elements: Background elements can include a floor, backdrop, terrain features, and/or other elements that help build a composition.
  5. Inspiration:
  6. Save your material texture packs to a folder called textures in your project folder.
  7. Add lights and adjust the background elements or color to enhance the composition.
  8. Render using cycles
  9. Configure your render camera with an appropriate focal length and compose your layout.
  10. Configure the render settings sampling to be high enough to reduce noise. Somewhere between 250 and 750 should give results with low noise.
    1. Enable adaptive sampling if using Blender 2.8-2.9 (Blender 3.0 is slightly different).
  11. Render an image. Save and import the image into Photoshop to adjust saturation, contrast.
    1. PNG is fine, however rendering an EXR and using the ‘HDR Toning’ feature in Photoshop will give the best results.
  12. Save or export the image as LASTNAME-pbr.png, etc. in the project folder. Name the files in an organized in a logical way.
    1. Do not submit an EXR as the final image, they are for image production process only.
  13. Remove large Photoshop files that you may have in the project folder before compressing for upload.
  14. Save the 3D scene file as LASTNAME-pbr in the project folder.
  15. Compress the project folder once you’ve completed the tutorial and rename it LASTNAME-pbr.zip.
  16. Upload the .zip file to the assignment dropbox.
  17. Double check that you’ve included all files and that your .zip file can be downloaded and opened.
Learning Objectives

  1. Become familiarized with the PBR workflow.
  2. Practice good composition from art and design theory.

Demonstration Videos

These demonstration videos show how to set up PBR materials and realistic HDRI environment lighting.

PBR Materials Texturing and Lighting Videos

Composition Theory

    The Secret of Making High-Quality Art (in Blender and Everywhere) by Gleb Alexandrov

    Blender PBR Tutorials

    To get a deeper understanding of how Blender's rendering system works, have a look these tutorials

    Adding Type

    PBR and the Principled BSDF Shader

    Modeling with Curves and Booleans

    Blender 2.8. Modelling with Curves, how to make pipes

    Blender 2.8 Subsurf & Boolean Modifier Tutorial

    Blender Make Pipes Horns Spouts with Curve Beveling Blender 2.8

    Inspiration

    Texture and material resources

    Use these websites to find textures to apply to your model.

    PBR Theory

    These guides discuss some of the physics behind the physical properties of materials and how various texture maps in 3D applications can mimic these properties.

    Rubric

    Criteria Description Assessment Weight
    Attention to Detail This criteria looks at if the assignment was submitted on time, if each step was completed to a high degree of accuracy, and if file naming conventions were followed. 5 pts
    Learning by doing (Completed all steps) This criteria assess whether you completed the assignment's given set of instructions. This indirectly infers how well you acquired foundational skills and theory. 5 pts