Create a Beautiful Sunset Scene Using Dreamscape and 3ds Max

Sep 23rd in 3D Art, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Fluids, Lighting, Rendering by Cristian Pop

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a beautiful sunset over a calm sea using DreamScape and 3dsmax. DreamScape is sophisticated set of plug-ins for 3dsmax, that allows you to create and render realistic landscapes, seascapes, skies, clouds, outdoor lighting and more.

Author: Cristian Pop

My name is Cristian Pop, and am a design student in Romania. While my preferred medium is 3ds Max, I also work with software like Photoshop, Mudbox, and After Effects, and enjoy traditional visual arts too.

Final Effect Preview

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Step 1

First of all, to render a scene with DreamScape, you will need to create a special light called "Sun". In the "Create" panel, click the "Lights" icon, then from the dropdown menu, select "DreamScape", and add a "Sun" light in the viewport.

Step 2

Move this light to the coordinates: x = 1700, y = 11000, and z = 800.

Step 3

Create a free camera, and move it to the coordinates: x = 0, y = 0, and z = 100. Rotate the camera by '87' degrees on the 'x' axis.

Step 4

Next, you will create the sun and the clouds. Press the '8' key on the keyboard, to open the "Environment" panel. In the "Atmosphere" rollout, click the "Add" button and choose "DreamScape".

Step 5

In the "General Parameters" rollout, click the "Preview" button to open the "DreamScape Sky Preview" window. This tool allows you to quickly review your sky settings in realtime.

Step 6

In the "Atmosphere Parameters" rollout, change the "Sky Density" to '5', the "Glow" value to '4', and the "H Scale" to '5000'.

Step 7

After that, change the "Haze Density" to '2', the "H Scale" to '200', and the "Brightness" value to '2'.

Step 8

In the "Clouds Parameters" rollout, change the "Clouds Type" to "Cirrus". Under the "Shape" group, change the "Detail" value to '16', the "Scale" to '0.25', the "Coverage" value to '0.8' and the "Sharpness" value to '0.5'.

Step 9

If you want to move the clouds around, you can do it in the "DreamScape Sky Preview" window. Click in the "Clouds Shape Preview", and holding the left mouse button, move the clouds and see the result in realtime. This affects the "Motion Offset" 'x' and 'y' parameters.

Step 10

Render the scene. If you want another result, you can play with all these settings until you get something you like.

Step 11

Next you will create the sea surface. Go to the "Create" panel, click the "Geometry" icon, and from the dropdown menu, select "DreamScape Objects", and add a "Sea Surface" in the viewport.

Step 12

Under the "Parameters" rollout, change the "Surface Type" to "Adaptive Mesh". This allows you to create a sea surface relative to your camera position and field of view (the sea surface that is nearest to the camera will be more detailed than the surface that is further away).

Step 13

Change the "Surface Width" to '400' and the "Surface Length" to '10000'.

Step 14

Under the "Adaptive Mesh" rollout, click the "Pick Camera" icon, and select the camera in the viewport.

Step 15

Under the "Waves" rollout, change the "Height Scale" to '0.7' and the "Choppy Waves" value to '1.3'.

Step 16

Open the "Material Editor", click the "Get Material" icon, and select "DreamScape: SeaMaterial" in the "Material Browser".

Step 17

In the "Material Editor", under the "DreamScape: SeaMaterial Parameters" rollout, set the "Sharpness" value to '10', change the "Sky Color Type" to "DreamScape Sky", and the "Underwater Color Type" to "DreamScape SubSurface".

Step 18

In the "Bump Map" slot, add a "DreamScape: Sea Bump" map to add more details to the waves. Assign this material to the "Sea Surface".

Step 19

Finally, in the "Time Configuration" panel, set the "FPS" to '25' . Turn on "Auto Key", and animate the "Sun" on the 'z' axis, from '800' at frame '0' to '600' at frame '100'. That's all, you can now render the animation.

Final Effect

Below you can see my final results. I hope you enjoyed this intro to Dreamscape in 3ds Max!

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User Comments

( ADD YOURS )

DarkLich September 23rd

I do not want to be mean, but DreamScape original tutorial which is added to the product looks like this tutorial.
Also, creating such scenes in DreamScene is like creating a box in any 3D software.
I thought CG Tuts+ are keeping the level, but this tutorial is a big step down.
It’s a beginner tutorial for beginners.
And if people will be allowed to post original tutorials added to software, well, it has no point really. If you have the product, you should have this tutorial.
( Reply )
1. Kaleb Aylsworth September 23rd
  
  If what you say is true, then you are right, and this tutorial will be taken down. Can you provide evidence that this tutorial is taken from one that came with the original product?
  ( Reply )
  1. DarkLich September 23rd
    
    I can try installing DreamScape 2.5d trial, as my DreamScape license ran out year ago and I haven’t rebought it, it doesn’t work with MentalRay. How shall I provide the proof?
    The tutorial scene isn’t same, but it has such ocean and day scene with clouds and sun.
  2. Stefan Frank September 23rd
    
    I cant give evidence either, but i saw a tutorial like this very often. Nothing special – and the comparsion with the box fits perfectly.
    I think i have to high expectations but seen the other tutsplus websites i hope to see very professionell tutorials like muscle integration in max and/or Maya. Face Robot tuts and production pipelines for games/animations.
    Nearly all tutorials i have seen this far were good but only beginner to intermediate level.
Josh September 23rd

Don’t remove it, I really want to watch it!
( Reply )
John Doe September 23rd

I would imagine it would look close because the plugin is for building an ocean scene right lol?
Hey, Can this be used in conjunction with real flows realwave in order to get something jumping out of the water?
( Reply )
1. Stefan Frank September 23rd
  
  It is a plugin to create landscapes. This includes ocean scenes. But if a dreamscape tutorial is shown here i want to see how to make a island in the ocean with waves crushing into rocks and make foam. Something that is far more difficult than just the beginner thing.
  And yes – you could take Realflow to have something jump out of the water. But you should do this in different renderpasses and use AfterEffects to make one scene of it.
  ( Reply )
  1. Sina September 24th
    
    I’m not going to get involved in this discussion because I don’t know anything about seeing this tutorial before, but I do have to say that cgtuts isn’t just a tut site for intermediates and experts, it’s for us noobies as well.
    I’m not saying they should put less intermediate stuff, just a good balance that’s all.
NoName September 23rd

Here you can find almost the same tutorial: http://www.3dcenter.ru/tutors/read.php?sname=dreamscape&articlealias=sea
Translated: http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=pl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.3dcenter.ru%2Ftutors%2Fread.php%3Fsname%3Ddreamscape%26articlealias%3Dsea&sl=ru&tl=en&history_state0=
Thiis tutorial was published in 2004.03.29 Author:Unknow
( Reply )
1. Kaleb Aylsworth September 23rd
  
  I do see what you mean about the similarity of the final result, but if you read both tutorials, you will see that the steps taken to arrive at that result are ordered differently, and approached from a different angle. For that reason, I must consider this to be a different tutorial, and will allow it to remain on the site.
  That being said, however, I will certainly take into consideration the points that were mentioned here about the demand for higher level tutorials, and take the action necessary to make sure that these issues are properly addressed in the very near future.
  ( Reply )
Rob September 24th

This is an incredibly simple scene to create with the Dreamscape plugin. Tutorials should probably be based more on the main software package than plugins also i feel. Most people won’t have dreamscape and if they do they can create a scene very similar to this in a matter of minutes by just experimenting with settings.
( Reply )
Web 2.0 September 24th

Waves are awesome, great work
( Reply )
Marin September 24th

For a “tutorial” like this i can get 150$?!
( Reply )
monkeyalexthekidd September 24th

yeah i have to agree with web 2.0 that was great work, some people are beginner to intermediate level but also have to agree that more advanced tutorials are needed in the whole.
i would also like to say that this is a great site for people of all levels and is my favourite keep up the awsome work
( Reply )
Evan Schaible September 24th

Good tutorial mate. Only got one thing to say along the critique line:
If you look close, youll see that the waves kind of stop abruptly as you move towards the horizon, thats due to the adaptive setting and camera depth of field and other things. But its easily overlooked and just as easily fixed.
Good job over all though, and the waves look excellent.
( Reply )
kris spelce September 24th

this is a clone with more steps
( Reply )
Tokoro October 6th

Really great! good job, thx you.
( Reply )
Abdullah Alhourani October 13th

Really nice work, and good job… but I heat this plug-in, because you can not have alpha 100% and you can not combusted it.. if you need same this shot use the vue.
( Reply )
Daniel Grid October 20th

great tut, but from step 11 till the end 18 is not working for me! I check it but is still not working
( Reply )
mohan gupta November 3rd

hi this mohan from hyd in the 3dmax not there Dreamscape plz tell me
( Reply )
parisa November 14th

Hi
that’s good job ,I like it so much I don’t try it till now ,I ‘ll test it & If I need ur help I’ll message u here.
( Reply )
Cristian Pop November 27th

Thanks guys for all the critics and comments!
( Reply )
Jack Kokah December 6th

That was totally amazing ;);)
Actually I’m very impressed ,Christian ..and I’ve decided to start learning 3Ds Max right away ..
Just 2 questions please:
1- Which version of 3Ds Max and Dreamscape is this?
2- How can I add that plugin into 3Ds max?
I’ll be very happy and thankful for you really .. thanks.
( Reply )
1. Cristian Pop December 8th
  
  Thanks !
  For this tut i used 3dsmax2009 and dreamscape 2.5.
  You can read more about the plugin here :
  http://www.afterworks.com/DreamScape.asp
  ( Reply )
  1. Jack Kokah December 10th
    
    You are the BEST,CHRIS! thank you!
Jack Kokah December 7th

Please don’t forget me!
( Reply )
Chronic December 17th

The first part of this conversation is lulzy, lol the guys on a tutorial site going on like a pro..Stefan and if you saw the title etc and knew it was so easy, why didn’t you just move on instead of flaming?
But I digress, great tutorial, easy to follow and understand. Thank you
( Reply )
yle December 22nd

fantastic
( Reply )
Steven January 22nd

its a nice tutorial and shows the steps how to get to the result but it just shows settings, it does not explain why certain things are it just says to do them. I’d love to see tutorials also explain the why behind the steps, that way you really learn it.
( Reply )
Fajar February 8th

Thanks for the tut! But one question, at step 5 you should see a Dreamscape Sky Preview. But I don’t, I just see a screen :s. Someone here who can help me out?
( Reply )