Create a Beautiful Sunset Scene Using Dreamscape and 3ds Max
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.
Final Effect Preview
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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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.
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?
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.
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.
I think the original one a bit different…(the wave) and color
Well, I just saw the original one again and it is clearly different. This one is better.
Don’t remove it, I really want to watch it!
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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Waves are awesome, great work
For a “tutorial” like this i can get 150$?!
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
I’m not quite sure how to say this; you made it erxetmely easy for me!
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.
this is a clone with more steps
Really great! good job, thx you.
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.
great tut, but from step 11 till the end 18 is not working for me! I check it but is still not working
hi this mohan from hyd in the 3dmax not there Dreamscape plz tell me
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.
Thanks guys for all the critics and comments!
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.
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
You are the BEST,CHRIS! thank you!
Please don’t forget me!
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
fantastic
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.
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?
thank u for this tuto
This is a really good tutorial to get familiar with the interface but I agree, this looks like the tutorials included in DreamScape.
in step 5 i can’t see sky preview, I only see black preview. anyone can help my ?
This does not work with dreamscape 2.5e since settings are different. But it gets you a decent scene, but the waves become still as they get closer to the sun.
wow using this tutorial i have created my won scence thanku very very thnk
fantastic
Could you add what render engine you used, and what settings you used? I can’t seem to get my render to look as vibrant as yours does, mine is more haze than wave.
I used the default renderer…
Maybe you know why i dont have any dreamscape material in material editor, i have 3ds max 2011 and dreamscape 2.5f
Hmmm, I don’t know
you “experts” make me laugh. if a tutorial is “beneath’ you, just ignore it and keep it moving. one final thought. YOU yourself was a beginner at one time…
This is absolutely fantastic!
Thank you, very much!
farzad from iran god.thank you
This Tuts saves me a lot!