Keyshot Users

Also be sure to check out Esben Oxholm's YouTube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/user/roargh88

He has some really great content, and has also published a course on Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/esbenoxholm

I have not checked out the course content yet, but if it is anything like his great YouTube content, it is sure to be useful.

A great video from the 2018 Keyshot RenderWorld

Will Gibbons presents The Art of Workflow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3oCokTsEfo

Lots of tips, tricks, shortcuts, and insight for improving the quality of your renders in Keyshot.

As a self-taught Keyshot user, I find it helpful to watch experts like Will use the software.

Hi Fred, Thanks for all the suggestions above!

I’m using KeyShot for last few months. And seems like I know just 1% of things which I can do in it. I’m a passion person but great renderings and realistic pictures seems hard and unreachable for me at the moment. I'm aslo following Will and he is amazing profesional but then again it seems like something impossible.

So Where do I start? Or maybe I just don't put enough time in this.

Cheers.

(Sample of my last proper render)

Eugen,

Everyone starts somewhere. The important thing is that you have started, now stick with it, and I think you'll see improvements over time. Below are some areas that I'd modify in the rendering example. Please don't take these to mean the rendering is bad. I'm no pro either. These are just things I would do differently.

• Metals are difficult to render well (for me anyway), so instead of a metal USB stick, try a painted one, or a plastic one.
• What type of lighting environment are you using (a studio, or HDRI)? I've had the best results with HDRI. I tend to use the Dosch-Stairwell 80% of the time.
• Black plastic/rubber material can make it hard to see any detail or texture. Maybe lighten the color of the body a bit?
• Fillet all the edges. I think the rotating metal part could use a fillet around its edges.
• The scratches on the USB tip are good. I'd try to make them linear with how it inserts though. Right now they have more of a random/sideways direction.
• I like the floor/base.
• The lighting effect/glow on the floor is pretty interesting.
• Having the light source behind the objects results in some really dark shadows from the viewing angle. I'd incorporate more lights, or rotate the scene to have the existing light(s) more from the front.
• The USB tip should have a seam on one side of it from where the metal is bent around. I'd show that. It will add a little detail/interest to that portion of the image.
• For some inspiration, take a look online at some marketing photos of real products. If you are an engineer like me, we may not have been born with an artists eye for photography, but we can duplicate it once we see it.

Mainly I'd use the photos as a reference for interesting camera angles, but they can also be great for ideas on texture and materials. The images below show a bit of a bead blast finish on the USB tip. Soft rubber on the body. And a very light brushed finish on the rotating part.

Also, don't forget that some work can be done later in a photo editor. I try to limit that to a little sharpening of details, and darkening of shadows (as I tried to show in my tutorials above), but if you are a photo editing master, the sky is the limit.

Fred, thanks a lot for your feedback!

And yeah you are right, before I was doing parts mainly from technical drawings to calculate mass and etc.

Now I’m hitting the creative part of the job and it’s a big difference, to create something exciting. I’m currently working on the desk lamp which is actually on my desk. Essential, is what you’ve said, taking example and visualising it in software.

Cheers again!!!

Kind regards,

Eugene

I made a few changes to the mode, but nothing to drastic. Mostly some fillets. I also added a little seam along the USB tip, and a bit of a gap between the body and the USB tip.

I think some scratches from insertion would be interesting, but they were not coming out well in my first attempts.