·
Online PDF: Getting Started with
Maya 8.0
o Review Chapter 9
Rendering: Lesson 3 lights, shadows, and camera
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Optional Reading:
o Review Types of Lights in Maya
o Review Three Point Lighting (Digital Lighting &
Rendering by Jeremy Birn)
o http://www.itchy-animation.co.uk/light.htm
o Lighting concepts & suggestions
·
Types of lights in Maya
o Spot lights
o Directional lights
o Point lights
o Area lights
o Volume lights
o Ambient lights
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Three-point lighting
1. Key light - The
strongest, main source of light that defines the shape and surface of the
subject matter.
2. Fill light - Soft
source of light, used to bring up the shadow area created from the key light.
3. Back/Rim/Kicker light
- Placed behind the object from the camera's perspective,
brings out the object from the background, adding a separate layer for the object.
4. Bounce light -
Reflects up from the floor or other surfaces. Fills in dark areas on the
undersides of the character.
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Shadows
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Light-linking
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IPR Rendering
Remember to allow for adequate rendering time.
Create a simple three point character light set up on a simple
scene paying special attention to light color and shadowing.
·
In this assignment, you will be doing character lighting on a
simple object -- a chess piece -- in order to familiarize yourself with
character lighting concepts.
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After spending considerable time learning the lighting tools and
types available to you, please remember that good lighting is an art, not a
science...
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We're not looking for a perfect physical replica of the
"real" world. We're looking for believable lighting.
·
Experience with the software tools, and the development of a
critical eye is essential for those who wish to produce exciting CG lighting
environments. You will be painting with light. Be sure to apply all of your
experience with other art forms to this exercise.
·
Download the chess
piece maya file.
·
Go through this tutorial
on creating a 3 point lighting setup.
Light a 3D fruit bowl scene using a real life photograph of a
fruit bowl as your reference.
·
Try to imitate your reference photo as closely as possible.
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We won't be expecting an exact duplicate of the photo reference,
but we will be looking for things like color, shadowing and positioning.
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For every light you see in the photograph, there's a good chance
you'll need multiple maya lights to imitate the look
and feel of it. (Key, Fill, Rim, and Bounce).
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Download the fruitbowl
maya file.
·
Download and choose one of the fruitbowl
photographs to use as your light reference.
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See this light breakdown
of a sample fruitbowl scene.
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Please turn in your Maya .ma or .mb file
of your scenes.
·
Turn in a render of your scene using the renderCam
that was already set up in the maya file. Use the
preset render settings and resolution.
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As a general rule, be cautious when using "flashy"
lighting techniques such as fog and lens flares. While these tools can be
useful, they are overused and often distracting. Use them sparingly and subtly.
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You can light more effectively by using the IPR render. Load the
image you are trying to match in the render window so you can toggle back and
forth and see how close your renders are to the target. ASK IF YOU NEED HELP
WITH THIS.