Build a modern bathroom
Produce a realistic archviz render of an attractive modern bathroom using a range of different textures and materials
Amir Varasteh details his process for creating a bathroom with a relaxing atmosphere and mosaic textures
In this short tutorial, we will discover how to create realistic archviz, specifically focusing on home interiors. We will render a modern bathroom with special mosaics and a relaxing space that we will visualise with CG software. First, we will use 3ds Max for modelling, and in this step we will create most of the models we need for this bathroom. After modelling we will use Unfold3d, which is an amazing software for unwrapping. Then we will use Substance Painter to make this wonderful mosaic texture.
In 3ds Max we will create a special glass called frosted glass, and after this we will utilise Corona Renderer, one of the best plugins in the archviz industry for texturing, lighting and then rendering. In this step I will also introduce a free script that is useful when it comes to setting up cameras in scenes.
After this tutorial you will know how to unwrap 3D models with Unfold3d, paint materials with Substance Painter and create a realistic render in archviz with 3ds Max and Corona Renderer.
01 MODEL THE MAIN ELEMENTS
First we should start with creating items such as faucets, a bathtub, a shower and a wash basin, which can be downloaded from the web. I downloaded the shampoos and the vase from 3dsky.org. As for the bathtub, there are several ways to create it. We can start with a line and draw plans of the bathtub, then extrude it and convert it to Edit Poly, make some changes and then add thickness with Shell and finish it off with Turbosmooth.
In order to create the faucets we can start with a Cylinder or Line, then convert it to Edit Poly and extrude and chamfer edges to add some details, and then use the Turbosmooth modifier. For creating the wash basins table, first we can start with a box then convert it to Edit Poly. Then we can extrude, chamfer and Turbosmooth. For the legs I used Helix, Edit Poly, Line and Lathe.
02 LIGHTING
In this interior space we do not have any windows, so we cannot use HDRI for lighting. We have to use types of lights that can be used for interior lighting. We will use some IES lights and a rectangle Corona light. One of the features of Corona is Lightmix in VFB. With Lightmix you can change powers and colours of lights in VFB during the rendering process or even after it. So, we will set lights in the scene and then start interactive rendering, changing the lights’ parameters in Lightmix until we have acceptable lighting for our interior scene.
03 INITIAL UNWRAPPING
After modelling and lighting we should start the unwrapping process for some of our models. First start unwrapping the walls, which we can unwrap with 3ds Max. First, we will cut the polys that we want to assign mosaic materials for. Then, since we want to create a mosaic wall, we have to cut all the edges. When we cut all the edges, we can get closer to the reality. You can see the seams in the picture.
04 UNWRAP WITH UNFOLD3D
Unfold3d is a useful software for unwrapping and it is easier to use than 3ds Max’s Unwrap. First, you should convert your model to Edit Poly and export it to FBX, then load it into Unfold3d. After loading, you should cut the edges you want, then click on Unfold (Hotkey: U). There is an option for optimising; I suggest optimising and waiting a while for the best result. After this process, you can pack and save it, then import it to 3ds Max.
I suggest using this software for unwrapping, as there are a lot of options available for cutting like the Magic Wand for difficult models – with this option you can cut edges with minimum seams.
05 MOSAIC TEXTURING
For the mosaic textures we need to create a seamless texture, so I only import a square plan with many segments to Substance Painter. For this texture I used a generator that you can download from share.substance3d.com. It is called Scale Generator and is free to download.
Substance Painter is similar to Photoshop and you can create a lot of layers, masks and filters. You can see my layers and workflow in the picture. After painting you should export textures for 3ds Max. Note: when you want to import this textures to Corona you should change gamma to override 1.0 for Glossiness, IOR, Height and Normal map.
06 WOOD MATERIAL
For the wood material, again I used Substance Painter like in step 5. If you have any problems, repeat step 5. I used a ready-made material that is called sms-oldwood-01. I used the Dripping Rust generator to create some cracks and dirt. If you do not have them in your Substance Painter, you can download them from share. substance3d.com.
07 OTHER MATERIALS
Creating frosted glass material is similar to simple glass, you should only change volumetric scattering distance. I set it to 2.0cm. You can also change the absorption colour if you want to. I suggest using reference images of real frosted glass to help you create the material.
To produce a real gold material, I suggest a texmap plugin called Complex Fresnel, and you can download it for free from sigerstudio.eu. There are several default presets in it. Set the IOR at high numbers so that you have a gold material.
08 CAMERA SETTINGS
I would like to introduce a good script for setting exposure and shutter duration based on lighting. It is called DSLR Exposure and it has been written by Mohammadreza Mohseni. You can download it for free from scriptspot.com.
It is a simple script. First, you should select your camera in the viewport then run the script that you can see in the picture. There are a lot of lighting types available depending on your needs. If motion blur is important, you can choose the shutter priority. If DOF is important in your render, you should choose the aperture priority, then set your camera’s F-number and click on Set Exposure. After that, you can see that the exposure and shutter have been changed based on your lighting.
09 POST-PRODUCTION
We do not need any special post-production for this render. So, we will do it with Corona Image Editor. I play with some parameters like Highlight Compress, White Balance, Contrast, Filmic Highlights, Filmic Shadows and Vignette Intensity. You can see my changes in the above screenshot. I have chosen a LUT file from Corona Renderer for the best results. It all depends on your choice and your favourite conditions, as well as what is required for your particular scene.