Show off your KSP Blender Renders!

[briansun1]

Hey guys, this is my first post here I am a Blender beginner and if you have tips feel free to share them with me! Just btw. this KSP to Blender addon is awesome!

http://i.imgur.com/K978MyX.png

I've just started with blender too and something I've found pretty useful is the fly mode for the camera (num 0 then Shift+F). Also them backgrounds...

[esinohio]

Hey guys, this is my first post here I am a Blender beginner and if you have tips feel free to share them with me! Just btw. this KSP to Blender addon is awesome!

http://i.imgur.com/K978MyX.png

Oh nice! I love the blurred background. Awesome touch! Gonna have to try that myself sometime.

[KerbalEssences]

I've just started with blender too and something I've found pretty useful is the fly mode for the camera (num 0 then Shift+F). Also them backgrounds...

The camera is really annoying to set up right. That might just fix it! Thanks!!

[ShawnPhillips]

I may need to learn just enough about blender to import my crafts, then export them to 3D Studio Max. sense I actually know how to use 3D Max I would feel much more comfortable using it for my renders.

[SpaceXray]

Does anyone know where to get space HDRI's? I can't seem to find any at all...

[esinohio]

Have not tried the specific hdri but you can find one here

http://www.hdrlabs.com/sibl/archive.html

Look for the Milkyway

edit, I just looked at it and it should do what your looking for

[SpaceXray]

I was looking for a way to make a background like this, but I have no idea how:

[esinohio]

oh that is one great picture for a background. Have you tried using that image an either an environment texture or image texture for the background? Then you'll have to play around with positioning the image from your camera view using a mapping node.

So, if you go to your node editor. Select the background at the bottom (looks like a little planet). So if you picked an image texture you should see something like Image texture --> Background ---> World Output.

You just need to add two more nodes to make it work. Try:

Texture Coordinate ----> Mapping ----> Image Texture -----> Background -----> World output

(Generated)

Then play with the mapping node to change the position of the image in the background. You have scale values, Position, and Roation to get everything just so.

Hope this helps.

[KerbalEssences]

And I've done another render. Slowy getting the hang of it!

[SpaceXray]

Wow, you saved my life! Thank you!

[esinohio]

Wow, you saved my life! Thank you!

Welcome!!!! Now lets see some renders!

[SpaceXray]

Few, finally rendered thanks to your help:

Edited March 2, 2015 by SpaceXray
New render

[esinohio]

The Aegis Air Defense Destroyer prowling the seas of Kerbal looking for another target.

[briansun1]

oh that is one great picture for a background. Have you tried using that image an either an environment texture or image texture for the background? Then you'll have to play around with positioning the image from your camera view using a mapping node.

So, if you go to your node editor. Select the background at the bottom (looks like a little planet). So if you picked an image texture you should see something like Image texture --> Background ---> World Output.

You just need to add two more nodes to make it work. Try:

Texture Coordinate ----> Mapping ----> Image Texture -----> Background -----> World output

(Generated)

Then play with the mapping node to change the position of the image in the background. You have scale values, Position, and Roation to get everything just so.

Hope this helps.

How do you do "environment texture or image texture for the background?" ?

[Dooz]

I made this a while ago,

I think its my best 3d render.

also I made this Minmus

Sorry For the large images.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Dooz

[SpaceXray]

The Aegis Air Defense Destroyer prowling the seas of Kerbal looking for another target.

http://i.imgur.com/dsx6qJT.png

Nice! How do you do engine exhaust? Because I'd really love to add some life to the engines in my renders!

[esinohio]

How do you do "environment texture or image texture for the background?" ?

Here is a pretty straight forward video that shows you how to use a HDR background.

http://youtu.be/qgfw2QwXtA4

To use an image texture just click the image texture option instead of environment as shown in the very beginning of the video. Then you'll have to dive into a bit of the node editor to add those nodes I mentioned above. I'm trying to find a good example video somewhere of that process. If you feel bored you can go to youtube and just search Blender cycles nodes

Yet another method to throwing a background into a scene can be found below. Enable "Import Images as Planes" addon in your user preferences and then follow along.

http://youtu.be/zhYtJ_VmvXE?t=26m52s

Yet another method entirely of doing all this is using the compositor.

http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/01/11/tip-rendering-with-a-background-image/

Using that method might work for you as well.

And lastly, not background specific but great information on using the material node editor and properly doing textures

http://youtu.be/W07H7xeUnGE

Cgcookie.com and Blenderguru.com are just a few places I've found with awesome information.

- - - Updated - - -

Nice! How do you do engine exhaust? Because I'd really love to add some life to the engines in my renders!

I just use a basic fire sim in Blender. Great fire sim tutorial here:

http://youtu.be/u-zK7Bu8cAI

He makes a campfire in the tutorial but in the setup he goes into detail on most of the sim settings. The sim detail is independent of the render detail so no matter what quality you use for the actual render, using a very highly detailed simulation will extend the render times a LOT!!! Then actually increasing your image sample size will start to increase render times into sometimes hours. Getting that setup right for efficient render times is when you get into render layers, different scenes, compositing... all sorts of fun compositing! It can get nutty. I'm just trying to keep it more simple and not crush my processor too awful much here

On that note.... the old techie in me would be remiss if I didn't point out your pegging your processors at near 100% for extended periods of time so you have remembered to keep those heat sinks clean right??

Edited March 3, 2015 by esinohio

[briansun1]

Here is a pretty straight forward video that shows you how to use a HDR background.

http://youtu.be/qgfw2QwXtA4

To use an image texture just click the image texture option instead of environment as shown in the very beginning of the video. Then you'll have to dive into a bit of the node editor to add those nodes I mentioned above. I'm trying to find a good example video somewhere of that process. If you feel bored you can go to youtube and just search Blender cycles nodes

Yet another method to throwing a background into a scene can be found below. Enable "Import Images as Planes" addon in your user preferences and then follow along.

http://youtu.be/zhYtJ_VmvXE?t=26m52s

Yet another method entirely of doing all this is using the compositor.

http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/01/11/tip-rendering-with-a-background-image/

Using that method might work for you as well.

And lastly, not background specific but great information on using the material node editor and properly doing textures

http://youtu.be/W07H7xeUnGE

Cgcookie.com and Blenderguru.com are just a few places I've found with awesome information.

- - - Updated - - -

I just use a basic fire sim in Blender. Great fire sim tutorial here:

http://youtu.be/u-zK7Bu8cAI

He makes a campfire in the tutorial but in the setup he goes into detail on most of the sim settings. The sim detail is independent of the render detail so no matter what quality you use for the actual render, using a very highly detailed simulation will extend the render times a LOT!!! Then actually increasing your image sample size will start to increase render times into sometimes hours. Getting that setup right for efficient render times is when you get into render layers, different scenes, compositing... all sorts of fun compositing! It can get nutty. I'm just trying to keep it more simple and not crush my processor too awful much here

On that note.... the old techie in me would be remiss if I didn't point out your pegging your processors at near 100% for extended periods of time so you have remembered to keep those heat sinks clean right??

Thanks. I'm kind of new at all of this so the information is really helpful.

[esinohio]

The mighty Maelstrom Alpha fires its missile while another Maelstrom tank makes its beachhead.

Designed by Zamovinar of Kraken Technologies and rendered by me

(Rendered at 1366x768 by request)

[SpaceXray]

Here is a pretty straight forward video that shows you how to use a HDR background.

http://youtu.be/qgfw2QwXtA4

To use an image texture just click the image texture option instead of environment as shown in the very beginning of the video. Then you'll have to dive into a bit of the node editor to add those nodes I mentioned above. I'm trying to find a good example video somewhere of that process. If you feel bored you can go to youtube and just search Blender cycles nodes

Yet another method to throwing a background into a scene can be found below. Enable "Import Images as Planes" addon in your user preferences and then follow along.

http://youtu.be/zhYtJ_VmvXE?t=26m52s

Yet another method entirely of doing all this is using the compositor.

http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/01/11/tip-rendering-with-a-background-image/

Using that method might work for you as well.

And lastly, not background specific but great information on using the material node editor and properly doing textures

http://youtu.be/W07H7xeUnGE

Cgcookie.com and Blenderguru.com are just a few places I've found with awesome information.

- - - Updated - - -

I just use a basic fire sim in Blender. Great fire sim tutorial here:

http://youtu.be/u-zK7Bu8cAI

He makes a campfire in the tutorial but in the setup he goes into detail on most of the sim settings. The sim detail is independent of the render detail so no matter what quality you use for the actual render, using a very highly detailed simulation will extend the render times a LOT!!! Then actually increasing your image sample size will start to increase render times into sometimes hours. Getting that setup right for efficient render times is when you get into render layers, different scenes, compositing... all sorts of fun compositing! It can get nutty. I'm just trying to keep it more simple and not crush my processor too awful much here

On that note.... the old techie in me would be remiss if I didn't point out your pegging your processors at near 100% for extended periods of time so you have remembered to keep those heat sinks clean right??

That fire is a bit too complicated for a simple engine exhaust

Is there something simpler and easier? An exhaust I can make in <10 min? Thanks!

[esinohio]

That fire is a bit too complicated for a simple engine exhaust

Is there something simpler and easier? An exhaust I can make in <10 min? Thanks!

Well, I guess the key part of that video is how the Smoke domain nodes are setup. So you can see how he adds the fire emission and colors.

So the quick way would be to just add a circle and fill it with an ngon. Scale it and move it behind your engine. Press spacebar, and type Quick Smoke and select it from the list. Boom! One quick smoke sim.

Scale that box that was added up so the smoke your after will fit inside nicely.

Select your circle, go to physics tab and under the flow type change that to either fire or fire and smoke. (They both produce smoke) Just one more than the other.

Now select that box that was added, the Smoke Domain, and go back into that physics tab. Find the Temp Diff value under Behavior and change that to 0. (This changes the sim so the smoke/flame doesn't rise like it normally would, helpful in getting that blast effect)

After that you should have basic fire spitting out of your circle thus appearing to be from the engine.

Key smoke domain settings:

Under Smoke flames you can play with the Speed value in the reaction section to increase the size of the flame.

Increasing the smoke value also impacts the fire/smoke amounts

Key emitter object physics values:

The initial velocity checkbox along with the values below it can be tweaked to give your flames some initial oomph.

So after all that you just need to select the smoke domain, then head into the material node editor. Like in the video above you should see all the smoke stuff setup and read to go. You just need to add the actual emission and colors of the flame.

This part shows you how.

http://youtu.be/u-zK7Bu8cAI?t=5m45s

Seems like a lot but it goes quick!! Best part is once you setup those nodes once, you never have to do it again. You can just append settings into your new projects from the sim you took the time to get tweaked.

Or like Starwhip's awesome renders you can draw it in Gimp! But that requires actual skill drawing that I utterly lack.

Edited March 5, 2015 by esinohio

[esinohio]

Having launched her missile the Maelstrom Alpha watches the Ratte's turret exploding skyward.

[esinohio]

Working on a new batch of planets for future renders. Most of these are just simple high resolution surface map images taken from various NASA sites and then doctored with normal, occlusion, specularity, and displacement maps.

They should make for some interesting backdrops for the various crafts and space stations I'm wanting to render. So far I have a Duna, Mun, Eeloo and the brownish one could be Moho or maybe Pol. What do you think?

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[Zamovinar]

I can't rep you enough Esh! Thanks for the Render once again!

[SpaceXray]

Nice! Only Duna should have more of a halo(atmosphere) effect to it. Other than that great!