How to SHARPEN the render

[richardyarlett]

Love the rendering quality I am getting but it seems totally "soft" and has virtually no sharpness. Of course I can add that later in photoshop but does anyone know how to get nice crisp sharp renderings ?

[oguzbir]

There is no one great option for clear aharpening.

Firstly it depends on the filter size.
also your light sources or hdri plays a big role.
But I would recommend set filter size like 1.4 or 1.2 instead of 1.
This may not be enough.
I also
use nik color fx filters in photoshop where youcan
add sharpen along with structure sharpening.

[oguzbir]

There is no one great option for clear aharpening.

Firstly it depends on the filter size.
also your light sources or hdri plays a big role.
But I would recommend set filter size like 1.4 or 1.2 instead of 1.
This may not be enough.
I also
use nik color fx filters in photoshop where youcan
add sharpen along with structure sharpening.

[gueoct]

But I would recommend set filter size like 1.4 or 1.2 instead of 1. This may not be enough.

Why would you not use Filter size 1.0? this is the crispest you get (before post)
I guess richardyarlett used the default filter size 1.5 and this definitely does NOT produce crisp images.

[Dmi3ryd]

richardyarlett try to render your image with double, triple image resolution and after that set image to initial.

For example:
initial size 1280x720
set resolution to 3840x2160
after render is complete set back to 1280x720

I think this is the best and simple way to get sharpen image

And photoshop (LAB Smart Sharpen) or nuke filters ))

[sadece]

as an other option: you can try use "highpass" filter of PS. just duplicate the layer. Then filter>other>highpass. set a size for your taste. and blend it as Overlay. this is how i do.

[oguzbir]

But I would recommend set filter size like 1.4 or 1.2 instead of 1. This may not be enough.

Why would you not use Filter size 1.0? this is the crispest you get (before post)
I guess richardyarlett used the default filter size 1.5 and this definitely does NOT produce crisp images.

Because there is not button like feature to create sharp images.
And post sharpening is a must.
if you dont have the gear or time to cook render using 1.0 filtersize might ruin some areas using textures. or other hard edges. and then you wont have the option to go back.
in my tests rendering at 1.0 doesnot letme post-sharpen the image further.
All above advices do work.
Until we have more advanced antialiasing filter types, you should render between 1 - 1.5 then sharpen the render with a way you like most.

also your final render size does matter alot.
I usually render at hires like 8-10k renders. and I keep filter sizes at 1.4 or 1.5 at times
then introduce some sharpening in post.

if you render at say Full HD than you should do tests and trials.

best

[gueoct]

...All above advices do work...

Not really.

1. Dmi3ryd proposes to render an image 9 times longer...?
2. The highpass thing that sadece does is a cheap trick to make an image LOOK sharper but it does not add detail.

Apart from that, you are right with what you say.

[richardyarlett]

Thanks everyone,
Some interesting ideas but honestly as soon as I set my Filter Size to 1.0 I was extremely happy with the results. It looks really good. Don't understand why they would not leave it at 1.0 by default. Who wants soft images. I don't. You can always blur down in post but you can't sharpen up from a soft image without creating a lot of problems. It is always best to get a perfect sharp image right out of the gun for me.

Job done..

[gabrielefx]

filter size set to 1 is not recommend when you have strong specular highlights, you will get aliasing in these areas.
Also for interior, in dark zones, you will get tons of noise.

regards