Anyone know any good plugin's or care to share their favorite lighting secrets. I am using 3d MAX 6 and im not satisfied with the lighting options. I know there are plug-ins but i don't know where to get them. (if any)
Believe it of not, Lightscape, in my opinion, is still the easiest lighting / rendering program to learn and use while in school (for simple to moderately complex geometry). I think it's the closest to "push the render button" you can get.
Back to the topic, you could try Mental Ray inside Max6, but there are barely any tutorials out there so good luck with that. You could also try fake-osity with Max's standard lights - you can get some killer results using this method. You could as well go with a 3rd party plugin, as trace mentioned above, but you run into additional cost over Max plus you have to learn one more thing inside Max. None of the 3rd party GI renderers are really easy to use - they take practice, practice, practice, which means time, time, time, which you don't have in arch. school. This is all assuming you're trying to get photorealistic, super sexy images. Why not just go for abstract imagery (wireframe redners w/ photoshop or sketchup).
the built in renderers - scanline - (raytrace,radiosity, lightracer) and mental ray are great.
i think the trick to getting tasty looking images is knowing what you want before you start - ie - manipulating the surfaces to get the effects YOU want - NOT what a photometric (eg realistic) light simulation would tell you what it looks like.
the best way to go about this is to observe the real world and see how light interacts with different types of glazing, how it reflects in puddles on the sidewalk, the specular reflections on metal rails in the subway - then you can really start getting what you want. if you don't like to leave the office and observe, then head over to 3d rendering sites that EXPLAIN the PHYSICAL phenomena involved in effects not just how to acheive the effect in max.
unfortunately this takes patience and a deep knowledge of your respective 3d program. if you want quick realism i second the lightscape recommendation. personally, i still think the advanced raytracing in max is great, i really like the crisp shadows (it just seems more tectonic) - combine that with some deft photoshoping and you have yourself a respectable image.
Anyone Have Any Good Max lighting Tips?
Anyone know any good plugin's or care to share their favorite lighting secrets. I am using 3d MAX 6 and im not satisfied with the lighting options. I know there are plug-ins but i don't know where to get them. (if any)
For a dynamic lighting effect that will wet everyones' whistle use inverse square and decay for omni lighting.
Funny. I am guessing you haven't used Mental Ray? Even Max's standard lights can have superb results.
Plugins (but don't think you'll be able to click a button and get good results - it'll be tons of learning):
http://www.cebas.com
http://www.splutterfish.com
http://www.chaoticdimension.com
Believe it of not, Lightscape, in my opinion, is still the easiest lighting / rendering program to learn and use while in school (for simple to moderately complex geometry). I think it's the closest to "push the render button" you can get.
Back to the topic, you could try Mental Ray inside Max6, but there are barely any tutorials out there so good luck with that. You could also try fake-osity with Max's standard lights - you can get some killer results using this method. You could as well go with a 3rd party plugin, as trace mentioned above, but you run into additional cost over Max plus you have to learn one more thing inside Max. None of the 3rd party GI renderers are really easy to use - they take practice, practice, practice, which means time, time, time, which you don't have in arch. school. This is all assuming you're trying to get photorealistic, super sexy images. Why not just go for abstract imagery (wireframe redners w/ photoshop or sketchup).
the built in renderers - scanline - (raytrace,radiosity, lightracer) and mental ray are great.
i think the trick to getting tasty looking images is knowing what you want before you start - ie - manipulating the surfaces to get the effects YOU want - NOT what a photometric (eg realistic) light simulation would tell you what it looks like.
the best way to go about this is to observe the real world and see how light interacts with different types of glazing, how it reflects in puddles on the sidewalk, the specular reflections on metal rails in the subway - then you can really start getting what you want. if you don't like to leave the office and observe, then head over to 3d rendering sites that EXPLAIN the PHYSICAL phenomena involved in effects not just how to acheive the effect in max.
unfortunately this takes patience and a deep knowledge of your respective 3d program. if you want quick realism i second the lightscape recommendation. personally, i still think the advanced raytracing in max is great, i really like the crisp shadows (it just seems more tectonic) - combine that with some deft photoshoping and you have yourself a respectable image.
Using mental ray shadows and loving it. it makes a big difference thanks for the advice.
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