The design files in this folder are provided to help you get started with RenderBoy. Instructions for rendering them are given below.
A more complete set of designs is located in the "RenderBoy Extras" folder. If you do not have the RenderBoy Extras, you can download them from the official RenderBoy web site:
http://members.aol.com/luv2render
If you installed RenderBoy from a CD-ROM, the RenderBoy Extras should also be available on the CD.
RENDERING A GAME OF POOL
The pool table design file is the one used to create the image in the "About RenderBoy" dialog box. To render the image, simply complete the following 3 steps:
1. Open the design document by double-clicking the "Pool game" document icon.
2. Drag out a rectangle in the eye view window to get a quick preview of the final image. Click to continue.
3. Select "Estimate Render Time..." from the "Render" menu to see an estimate of how long the complete rendering will take on your Macintosh. Click to continue.
4. Select "Render Image" from the "Render" menu, and RenderBoy will hide all of its windows and begin rendering. The windows will reappear when the image is completed. The "Rendering In Progress" menu is available to abort the image or to check on its status.
Things to Notice:
TEXTURE REALISM. This image looks extremely realistic. Some people might even mistake it for a scanned photograph. The reason for this is the effective use of textures. The graphics on each ball is a texture, as well as the repeating "Vista Systems" logo on the green felt.
NEGATIVE OBJECTS. Notice the rainbow colored pool ball has a "bite" out of it. This was done by intersecting it with a negative object that represents the bite. Negative objects remove material whever they intersect normal (positive) objects.
MULTIPLE LIGHT SOURCES. Notice that there are two light sources overhead illuminating this design. They create the multiple shadows and spectral reflections which greatly add to the realism of this image.
With this image it is fun to experiment with different viewing locations or move the pool balls around to create different scenes. Give it a try!
RENDERING A GAME OF CHESS
The chess game design file in this folder shows several stone and marble chess pieces arranged in an interesting configuration on a chess board. To render the image, simply complete the following 4 steps:
1. Open the design document by double-clicking the "Chess game" document icon.
2. Drag out a rectangle in the eye view window to get a quick preview of the final image. Click to continue.
3. Select "Estimate Render Time..." from the "Render" menu to see an estimate of how long the complete rendering will take on your Macintosh. Click to continue.
4. Select "Render Image" from the "Render" menu, and RenderBoy will hide all of its windows and begin rendering. The windows will reappear when the image is completed. The "Rendering In Progress" menu is available to abort the image or to check on its status.
Things to Notice:
TEXTURE REALISM. This image looks extremely realistic, especially in gray scale mode. Some people might even mistake it for a scanned photograph. The reason for this is the effective use of textures. To demonstate this, you should try removing all textures from the scene and re-rendering it. Only three textures have been used in the scene: one for the dark chess pieces, one for the light pieces, and one for the chess board. The chess piece textures have been applied to the different objects at various angles to give the pieces a more diverse appearance. RenderBoy textures are projected "through" objects and not "wrapped around" them. Used correctly, they can create a very realistic 3-D affect.
DESIGN TIPS. To save time, the chess pieces were individually designed in separate files and rendered to check their appearance. Once their look was perfected, the "File Merge" capability brought them together into a single scene. The chess board is a single block with a single repeated texture applied to it from above. This texture was carefully scaled and position to line up with the edges of the block. Further, the pieces were carefully positioned to be on the center of individual squares. With this done, a single light source was chosen to illuminate the image.
This image can be made even more realistic by adding an additional light source. You might want to try creating one. Place it above the chess board, but on the opposite side as the existing light.
