TITLE: Keyhole Rock

NAME: Michael Hunter
COUNTRY: USA

EMAIL: intertek@one.net
WEBPAGE: www.interactivetechnologies.net

TOPIC: Spectacular Landscapes
COPYRIGHT: I SUBMIT TO THE STANDARD RAYTRACING COMPETITION COPYRIGHT.
JPGFILE: keyhole.jpg
RENDERER USED: 
    3D Studio Max Version 3.1 Commercial


TOOLS USED: 
    3D Studio Max Version 3.1 Commercial, PhotoShop


RENDER TIME: 
    22 Minutes


HARDWARE USED: 
    1.8 GHz Pentium 4, 260 MB RAM (Win 2K)


IMAGE DESCRIPTION: 

My image started as an island but after several revisions I was more attracted
to the land under the water than above. The above/below water view started as
an accident when I moved the camera to low and broke the surface of the water.

It's getting a bit chilly here in Ohio which made working on this picture like
going on a virtual vacation. I hope you enjoy it as I have! Please let me know
what you think. I'm always eager to hear constructive criticism!


DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED: 

Most of the reference information I was able to find on the Internet. All of the
textures were created in PhotoShop or are procedural maps. All of the maps and
models used where created for this competition with the exception of the
woman's face, which I built a few months ago (you can see other views of her at
my web site.)

The cloud texture is a procedural map on a very large squashed sphere. There is
a slight bluish fog above the water and a thicker green fog below the water.
In-between the sky and water is a glossy, reflective surface. The water surface
does refract what is below but does not cast shadows. Instead a light behind
and to the right of the camera projects the ribbons of light cast on the sandy
bottom. There are two other lights in the scene used for general illumination -
they do not cast shadows. 

The woman was created entirely with 3D Studio Max using a process called "box
modeling". Some of her parts started off as cubes that where refined into legs
and arms. Her hair and back started as rectangles that where duplicated into a
mesh. The turtle, seagull and fish and... well everything was created using
this process.