Interior Rendering help

[JoshASharp]

Hey all,

At work I've been asked to do some proposals for renders, I'm good with standard catalogue shots, however they are asking for a full room - I'm sturggling with lighting and realism and I think it looks a bit boring personally. Could anyone give me some feedbak and tips or things I need to look at and edit?
I've attached image below for critique

Thanks!

[RRIS]

What really helps when I started doing these is to look up stock photos of offices and such.. then try to copy the bits I like.

[JoshASharp]

Fantastic, just on like a stock photo website sort of place?

[mattjgerard]

Google images search. I use an app called PureRef for keeping my reference images. Its a sort of cork board for images its really quick to zoom in and out on and simple to use.

[JoshASharp]

Ok cool, should I look at using a closed room or just a background and a ground plane?

[RRIS]

Pinterest is a great source of images as well.

I just did an interior that needs to showcase a new product we designed, it was pretty basic (facing a wall, with a floor and two walls on each side). I had some windows and shades, which always throws nice shadows, as well as a ceiling light for some cool sunlight coming in on the walls. Then dressed things up with stock furniture I downloaded from various websites.
I just made sure to keep the camera at eye level, and used a shift lens to keep the vertical lines vertical (something I picked up from architectural photographers).

edit: here's something I found on a quick Pinterest search for 'office furniture'.. Once you see what the shift lens does in Keyshot, you'll recognise it everywhere:

[JoshASharp]

Cheers man, I think I need to use more reference images tbh, they help so much. I always find the carpet looks super flat too?

[RRIS]

Cheers man, I think I need to use more reference images tbh, they help so much. I always find the carpet looks super flat too?

I assume you're already using a bumpmap, but generally if you have mainly soft light sources (or light coming from directly above), you won't really notice bumpmaps. A spotlight or sunlight coming in at an angle will help with that.
I find carpet quite old fashioned anyway and usually go with either a cast floor or polished concrete.. something that can give you nice blurry reflections.

[mattjgerard]

RRIS nailed it with the camera at eye level too. The tilt shift lenses confused the hell out of me until a photog friend of mine actually demonstrated how they work. Its like getting an orthographic look but just on the vertical. Crazy stuff.

[JoshASharp]

I'll definitely check that shift lens method out, not entirely sure what u mean atm so will test it out, fingers crossed!

I assume you're already using a bumpmap, but generally if you have mainly soft light sources (or light coming from directly above), you won't really notice bumpmaps. A spotlight or sunlight coming in at an angle will help with that.
I find carpet quite old fashioned anyway and usually go with either a cast floor or polished concrete.. something that can give you nice blurry reflections.
[/quote]

Yeah I'm using both, I'll try concrete actually, I just did carpet as this was going into a uni so I assumed it'd be carpet, but for pure looks concrete is definitely a better choice

[JoshASharp]

What sort of settings would you use for an eye level lens because I don't see much differnce

[RRIS]

What sort of settings would you use for an eye level lens because I don't see much differnce

You need to be looking up or down a little. If you're looking straight forward, then you don't really need shift.

[JoshASharp]

So this is the newer version of this presentation render I've been looking at, still not that happy with it but not sure why.

The main points the renders need to convey is:
1. variations of the design proposal
2. to convey the extents of the idea in an easy manner
3. I think, to sell the idea - not 100% whether we have deal yet aha

what do you guys think?

[mattjgerard]

Some questions-

1) Can you post a package file of the scene? Easier to play with and try some things with the camera and stuff.

2) What are the main points of the products and setup that you are trying to convey?

3) Are the materials of the walls/carpet/ wall panels locked down or can they change?

4) What are the settings for the lens that you are using now?

[JoshASharp]

I've tried attaching it but the package file is too big, here's a link to it on google drive though if that helps?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rip7NLAmXbnSDFHLonIQV2JFXW-62Lhw 

The main point is to propose this furniture to a business and show them a portable table with power too so table can flip up and get through doors etc. All the materials can change, tbh i'm not a fan of these products but client wants them and this is a cost effective solution (ish). The camera is in the scene called 'first person camera 7'