What is realistic? -post yours-

[inveni0]

Okay, here's what I'm thinking:

This morning, before heading to the office, I was playing Need for Speed: Most Wanted. I've recently purchased a new computer, and the graphics a absolutely stunning. I was amazed by how the light from the police cars were reflected in my vehicle, how the shadows from the trees were raytraced in real-time, and--most importantly--how the roads were so fantastically specular mapped.

The light from the sun bounces off the road like nothing I'd ever seen. It was so beautiful...

So, now I'm running 20 minutes late, so I hop in the shower, get ready fast, and head to work. While driving I look at the road and think, "Roads don't look like that!"

I drove over 35 miles to my office, and not one section of road was beautiful or eye-catching. However, an entire 6 miles of track on NFSMW was totally astounding....

Here's my big question:

Why is it that the only things realistic are those things that are actually "surrealistic".

Consider the following:

1) Why do we always use tile for floors instead of linoleum or vinyl?
2) Why do you always have to notice dirt and cracks in brick walls, even from 40 paces?
3) Why are wood floors always so dang clean and shiny, when real wood floors collect dust and loose their shine if not dusted daily?
4) Why must bump maps be visible, even if it's just leather at 30 paces?

I know that the answer to this is that it makes things more visually appealing. However, why do we only consider the visually appealing 'realistic'?


And now the challenge:

Post a photo of something you pass everyday that would never be considered realistic if it were an exact 3D replica.

I'll post mine when I get home if no one else can get us started.



Cheers!

[Mr. Bluesummers-3DT]

Quick Reply
For starters; virtually any kind of matte plastic. Like my keyboard for instance; it needs to be Uber- Mental-Ray DGS for it to apear realistic, but that's like...polished piano-keys material; you know? It'd never pass off for real.

[Dridon]

Really nice topic, i'll post some soon i think ;)

[Animalator]

Ive been thinking about this for several months now. Its really all about Aesthetics, and comes down to a romanticized image of what is real. Some cliche we tend to relate to certain objects. I was recently modeling a tree in 3d max. It was dark and menacing looking, looming over a graveyard, with realistic materials and features. The whole tree was in a C curve with its branches almost curling into each other. A freind of mine said that its not real, nor could ever be thought of as real. I asked him what do you mean? He couldnt articulate what he was trying to express. So I asked him to draw me or show me a tree he imagined to be "real". HE pulled up 3d max and showed me the trees on there. I laughed at him. I asked, "Have you ever been in the woods." Nature is full of abnormalities and anomlies. We have a tree in our front yard whose branches have grown to curl into spherical patterns in order to get the most light at night from the street lamp across the way. Ive noticed this when viewing bodies of water in 3d as well. They seem very consitant to this idealized image of moving surface water. Everything going in one direction. But everytime I ride home from my school on my bike, I cross a river. And there are parts of the surface that look like they are moving in a complelty different direction, or not even moving at all; completly rippleless. I think, when we are making art, we tend to think about composition. If you put in all the anomlies in nature, like we see everyday, it could draw your eye away from the meaning or intent of the peice. Unless thats your intent. So we tend to simplyify these things. And over the years this simplification became more simplified and cliche; even more so today with mass media I.E. T.V., Movies, 3d, magazines, etc. This isnt an answer to say the least, if anything this is just asking more questions. I dont know if I expressed my ideas on this subject well enough cause I havent slept in 2 days, so im a bit out of it.

Ill post some pics when I find some.

EMBRASS THE RANDOM!

[Punisher]

For me, realistic is when I can't tell a 3D render from an actual picture.....