Hi,

Next to MoI I find myself focusing on Blender more and more since the development of version 2.8. There are a number of free or very affordable Blender add-ons that decrease my need for other 3D software.

Here's my top 5 of Blender add-ons (in alphabetical order) that really help my daily modeling workflow:

• Bezier Curve CAD Tools — Adds a number of very useful functions to Blender's curve editing tools, such as fillets of sharp corners:
https://github.com/Lichtso/curve_cad

• D-Noise — NVIDIA's AI-driven denoiser for Blender's Cycles renderer:
https://remingtongraphics.net/tools/d-noise/

• Mask Tools — Adds ZBrush-like masking functions to Blender's Sculpt Mode:
https://github.com/bookyakuno/-Blender-

• OpenVDB Remesh — Adds ZBrush Dynamesh-like functionality to Blender:
https://gumroad.com/l/jqLNZ

• SimpleLattice — Eases Lattice deformation of one or multiple objects:
https://github.com/BenjaminSauder/SimpleLattice

I'd love to read what your favorite Blender add-ons are.

Regards,

Metin

visualization • illustration • 3D design — metinseven.nl

Hi Metin,

thanks a lot for this thread! The Denoiser looks super useful, because i can use
him then on Maxwell Render images … :-)

I recently found HDRI Sun Aligner useful, when needing shadows from an
HDRI in EEVEE.

https://github.com/akej74/hdri-sun-aligner

Regards
Stefan

I just tested the denoiser with the BMW sample scene and can highly recommend it
if one likes to save render times with path tracers. The BMW with it standard settings
rendered in 3 min 12 sec, while with a sample settings of 256 it rendered in 43 sec
and then the noise was removed with the denoiser. Pretty awesome, because I did
not noticed any loss in details, like you may have with other denoising solutions.

Regards
Stefan

for me one of the the best addon for speed modeling is this French Production! ;)
(Chipp has cool one too - Kit Ops - (free possible) but it's not French! :)

Ready for the 2.80 (20 $)
https://gumroad.com/l/speedflow Speed Flow + Companion






some features need the Pro Version of Kit Ops

DECALmachine, couldn't live without it!

https://gumroad.com/l/DECALmachine

2.8 version is in private beta at the moment but should hit the road soonish (and will support EEVEE :)

Hi Pilou,

>for me one of the the best addon for speed modeling is this French Production! ;)

Since when are you (speed) modeling in Blender? I did not know yet that you also
use Blender for modelling.

Regards
Stefan

@ Stefan Alas I am not yet a blender user only friends with Blender French Gurus! :)
(not genitically modifyed for that for the moment...i am waiting a more fluent friendly interface...maybe in 3 years ...!)
The addons above are on the good way!

But sure that is the Prog of the day for no price!

I open it some times as betweener progs for convert some file but not more presently :)

Thanks for your informative replies guys, appreciated.

Stefan, yes, the NVIDIA denoiser is great. I use it after rendering with a low amount of samples in Cycles, which is so fast that I can skip Eevee. :-) Eevee is a potent renderer, but I dislike having to set up all the settings, reflection probes and light probes. Eevee also can't equal Cycles ray-traced shadows, reflections, refractions, GI and SSS.

Pilou, I've bought Speedsculpt a few years ago. It's quite a useful sculpting add-on by Cédric.

Regards,

Metin

Hi Metin,

yes, after looking more into EEVEE I think I will later, once mastered, use it only for
certain projects, where i don't have to deal with ground shadows etc., like flying
logos or objects in the air and such.

After using and testing this fantastic denoiser yesterday I came to the same
conclusion. It now makes Cycles so superfast that I also see currently no
need for EEVEE. But I keep an eye on EEVEE development and I am also very
thankful for Chipp's great EEVEE course.

Regards
Stefan

Here is a good article about Cycles vs EEVEE and what EEVEE can and cannot do at the moment:

https://cgcookie.com/articles/blender-cycles-vs-eevee-15-limitations-of-real-time-rendering-88281fed-3e20-4142-8d07-25c2ed930e89

Simple!, in one brutal sentence :)

- EVEE: No photorealism. It's like a sophisticated "game engine" renderer but no photorealistic.
But actually nothing comparable for example to the beast: UNITY! (and also UNREAL)

- CYCLES: if you NEED photorealistic renderings.
Very high rendering times obviously, even if you have a super powerful machine.
But it's one of the BEST renderer of the market.

Marco,

i know that you are a beginner when it comes to renderings and you are no expert,
but you should think more often prior you post your articles …

In the hand of talented Blender Artists Eevee can render nicely made images,
in a fraction of time which made also clients happy.

One example for you to learn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=posY9gHiQV0&fbclid=IwAR160fHvjcAxWhprJVgD0SHGjSefLCNO7nu5vr7h9RgUKgsmZnJyLSFRFg4

And one example an Blender Artist made for a client:

https://blenderartists.org/t/yet-another-commercial-eevee-archviz/1146048?fbclid=IwAR3YviyX4PzLyCQD6-DeLtlr7gOmCmti9uO_N5zZVe2Os_BWkVwfdPJY9SY


And if you google:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Eevee+Interior+renderings&tbm=isch&source=hp&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixjd31ov_gAhUmwcQBHQBiC8gQsAR6BAgAEAE&biw=1196&bih=958

Maybe if you purchase the Eevee course from Chipp you can also archive photorealistic
renderings with Eevee … :-)

Regarding Cycles render times, this is also nonsense what you post. You maybe are used
to ray tracers and not path tracers (which Cycles is). Metin has posted the Denoiser link,
so you can render in a fraction of time too if you use the denoiser and set Cycles to lower
samples.

Regards
Stefan

Hi Stefan!

@You "i know that you are a beginner when it comes to renderings ..."

Well...what can I say?
Are you serious?
Are you sure you are talking to me (Marco mkdm).
I render 3D images since early '90s.


Do you really know what a real photorealism is?
Hmmm...think about it.


Are you sure you're talking to the right "Marco"?


I do not think so :)


Anyway...

Have a nice day.

For the 2.80 the French Touch brothers! ;)
Astonished is not'it ?

Hi Marco,

I don't want to heat the debate, but try to be honest with my answer.
(Sorry for the late reply, i am currently sick and not in the mood to
discuss online)

> Well...what can I say?
> Are you serious?
> Are you sure you are talking to me (Marco mkdm).
> I render 3D images since early '90s.

I was more or less meaning your rendering skills and not
the years of how long you use 3D Software. If you look
closely at your images, for example, you have posted at
the MoI gallery you will see that you use cheap HDRI's,
which are perspective distorted due to wrong settings.
Then i believe that you also don't know what a safe camera
zone is. Your objects are cut off at the sides of the
images. People seeing your images will for sure think
that you are a beginner, when it comes to 3D renderings
and don't believe you that you do 3D renderings since the 90's.

> Do you really know what a real photorealism is?
> Hmmm...think about it.

I have always failed the Autodesk test (5 out of 10) :-D.

But check out Chipp's introduction video for Eevee …
He also uses the term photorealism. He is a pro and
he knows what he is talking about. ;-)

But maybe you can tell us what "real" photorealism
is when it comes to 3D! Is there also an "unreal"
photorealism?

Take it easy and see my comments as constructive
critics. If i sounded to harsh with my words i apologize!

Best regards
Stefan

Hello Stefan!

First of all.
No problem for me with you.
Ok, honestly your reply disappointed me a little bit because it sounded a little bit harsh.
But, no problem. I understand that sometimes it's not easy to communicate the right things on a forum.
For example, English is clearly not my native language, and sometimes it's difficult to write my thoughts.

With that said.

I perfectly know that HDRI is not photorealism, or fast renderings obtained with software like 3D-Coat or similar is not photorealism, or other things like that :)
Etc...etc...


A true photorealism involves a biased rendering engine, that can provide lots of complex calculation trying to mimic the behavior of the light and the materials into the real world.

Also, I perfectly know, and these was totally INTENTIONAL, that all of my posts of 3D-renderings here on this forum are TOTALLY not photorealisc :)

In fact here I almost always wanted to share with other guys, fast and quick concept renderings, just for the fun of modelling something very easy and very fast and doing a similar quick and dirt renderings.

And consider that also, as I've said some times ago, actually I'm so bored by all the tech things related to 3D that I really don't want to spend my time actually with all the tons of tech stuff about rendering and modelling that I've played with and studied during almost two decades.
(In fact actually I'm almost totally returning to the study of 2D fine arts and digital painting)

With that said, again, talking about photorealism, I do not consider photorealistic, NONE of the examples your provided of enterior renderings in EVEE.
That kind of rendering are absolutely far miles away from a real photorealistic scenes.


I'm confident that also you agree with me about this point.

And, YES, when I named "UNITY" or "UNREAL" I perfectly know that they're not photorealistic rendering engine.
They simply are (at least UNITY), EVEE on steroids.

As you know a true photorealism involves so many things, that a simple HDRI or GI environment, or a render engine like EVEE, can't provide.


Anyway.

I really hope that you understand my point of view and the fact that (I repeat) I have no problem with you.

To be honest, I have to say you, just in order to avoid misunderstanding, that really I don't want here to start and endless debate, so please don't think bad if I will not reply any further message about this argument.

Best regards and have a nice day.

Hi Marco,

a quick note …

> A true photorealism involves a biased rendering engine

I think you mean unbiased.

BTW. The term photorealism was coined long ago, before
modern biased and unbiased render engines saw their light.

I remember very well CGI stuff from the mid 80's which was
named photoreal too. I still have that on VHS tapes! :-)
If you would compare such footage with today standards you
would not agree that this is also photorealism.

A quick Wikipedia look-up for photorealism and non-photorealism
might help.

O.K. back to work … let our creative juices flow and i will end
this discussion now too. :-)

Best regards
Stefan

Hi Stefan
I think to jump into Blender,and buy Chipp's course
If i remember, you got Maxwell,and being you an expert about renderers can you tell me differences about Cycles and Maxwell?
I did all my renders with Fry before,then Arion that is similar to Maxwell
Thanks:M

forgive me for little off-topic

Hi Mauro,

I am by no means a render expert … I am only a 3D doodler, so to speak.

However, I try to do images the possibly easiest way to produce and that they
are for me showable. Maxwell Render allows me to do this because it is for me
easy to use and very logical. I am still using and old version, without GPU support.

The reason why i started to play with Cycles is that i can produce nice images as
well but with much shorter render times. And thanks to Metins tip about the denoiser
i can render now much faster with Cycles (or Maxwell …). That said the learning
curve to use Blender and Cycles is higher for me, because there are much
more settings (node set-up for shaders etc.), but once mastered i should be good
to go.

Eevee is a totally different beast, i was all ears when Chipp released his
course, because i have found no similar course for learning Eevee, which i like
to use later too.

When it comes to direct comparison of render engines there is a nice comparison
available to check out the pros and cons of Cycles and Maxwell.

https://www.blenderguru.com/articles/render-engine-comparison-cycles-vs-giants

Hope this answers a bit your question!

Regards
Stefan