Lighting, lighting...OMG, lighting.
I have done several renders that I like after spending days and days on lighting. I'm not talking several hours a day, I'm talking 8 to 9 hours a day on lighting alone. I have got to figure out how to affectively light a scene. I bought Reality 2.0 and I've had to give up on that. I'm considering purchasing 3D Light Master + 2 Months Bonuses that's on sale now. But I do not have more money to just waste. I have several questions I'm hoping someone who has used this program can answer.
With 3D Light Master ...
1. What is the format for the video/s? Is it Mac or a PC and what is the version of Daz 3d used in the videos.
2. How old is the video and what are the tutorial programs being used if any?
3. It is all inclusive, explaining back lighting, shadows and window lighting?
4. Is it well "writing" and easy to follow?
5. Would you recommend it to your closest friend?
6. If this program is not a good one, can you recommend a super great program for ligthing for someone who can't seem to develop a nack for lighting in 3d?
I greatly appreciate any help I can get.
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This series helped me. No one tutorial series is going to explain everything but it will certainly give you some good information to get started I believe.
He has had specials where Lightmaster is bundled with various other training packages he offers for not much more, or in the case of the pinup class, actually less. This makes it even more attractive. In the end, any training depends on what your specific needs are and how a given person covers that material related to your learning style and personality. He does spend a bit of time talking with a whiteboard on theory which can be good or bad depending on your take. He also has some good examples he steps through that demonstrates various lighting scenarios and techniques, showing you the setup and results.
The format is mp4 and wav and is a decent pixel ratio. I have a list of what is covered in his series in case you haven't seen the list yet:
1.1 Overview Video
THE FOUNDATION OF LIGHTING: THE STORY OF YOUR IMAGE
1.2.1 The Story - The Core of Your Image
1.2.2 Finding the Emotions in Your Story
1.2.3 Connecting Lighting with Your Story
1.2.4 Focusing on What's Important
THE BASICS: THE 5 LIGHT TYPES YOU MUST MASTER
1.3 Light Types
1.3.1 Distant Light
1.3.2 Point Light
1.3.3 Spot Light
1.3.4 Area Light
1.3.5 Self Glowing Surfaces
THE 7 POINT LIGHT SET UP
1.4 The 7 Point Light Set Up
1.4.1 Key Light
1.4.2 Fill Light
1.4.3 Back Light
1.4.4 Ambient Light
1.4.5 Background Light
1.4.6 Bounce Light
1.4.7 Overall Light
POWER TOOLS
1.5.1 Power Tool 1: Simplicity For Easier Lighting
1.5.2 Power Tool 2: Color Theory for Professional Look
1.5.3 Power Tool 3: Radiosity for Automation
UNDERSTANDING SHADOWS
1.6 What To Do With Shadows
LIGHT MASTER BONUS VIDEOS
Bonus Video 1: Final Image
Bonus Video 2: Using Overexposed Lighting
Bonus Video 3: Faking Volumetric Lighting
Bonus Video 4: Saving Design and Render Time with Layers
THE END
Recap Video
Outro
Thank you so much. It looks interesting but I seem to have a problem following along. I usually don't have that problem but with the Reality tutorials I was just lost too much. I couldn't figure out where I need to go when the tutorial used areas and names that were different then where I needed them to be. I could never find them.
I would love to get this but I have to find out if I will be able to following along with what I have available to me before I shell out that much money.
Thanks again.
If you tried the Reality tutorials by him and were lost it very well might be that his teaching style isn't effective for you. The relationship between teacher and student is a personal one.
I don't think Dreamlight is the same person as the guy who did the Reality plugin tutorials. You can find a free tutorial from dreamlight here: http://www.dream-lounge.com/dreamlight/tutorials.htm
If you're interested I'd would get the 3d-pin up tutorial because it includes lightmaster and is only $37, you can find it on his website.
Oh you are right, they aren't the same person. The reality tutorials were done by Paulo Ciccone (Pret-a 3D,) developer of the Lux plugin. My apologies.
There are some four dreamlight tutorials available here: http://www.daz3d.com/shop/free-3d-models-and-content/?limit=30 the one on lighting is on distant lighting.
I do suggest you give Reality another chance since you already have it. It can produce outstanding results, but like any 3D tool it takes a bit a of work. The unique thing though, is lights in Reality function like real world lights, so if you have done any photography then your experience in setting those lights will help you in Reality.
One of the keys to using an unbiased rendered like LUX, is using very simple light setups. You can't take a biased light setup like those used in poser or DS and expect it to produce decent results in Reality. Paulo has specifically said, that for example distant lights should NEVER be used in Reality. The one exception, is a SUN, which is a single distant light and it can produce excellent results on its own. The other thing that can really ruin images is the use of a skydome in Reality. The LUX renderer generates its own sky during rendering if you select the option. For portraits an artist can produce great results with just one or two meshlights. In Reality, less is more.
There are Reality render forum threads both here at DAZ and at Rendo and reading and posting there will get you all the answers you need to become a rendering Pro with reality.
Gosh, I love your render, First. Love the shadows and it looks perfect. I'm not sure I'm going to deal with Reality anymore. It is just too frustrating for me. I can't even figure out how to render a scene. 3Delight rendering is so much easier.
Here are two of the same scene I was able to render in 3Delight. I really like them but it took me days to get it to look like this and it still has the painting quality and not the "real" quality at all. I wanted shadows for the people and to make the sword reflect light a lot better. I even bought an armour program just to get the sword and it still looks like a painting and not what the program picture looked like.
Thanks. I will see if the this has the same Daz3d layout so that I can find what I need to, to follow allong.
You need to lok at your surface settings, it looks like you may be using the Poser mats rather than the DS ones.
I would also suggust using a uber envoironment.
I can understand frustration, we've all been there, cause nothing worth doing is ever easy. Let me just say, that image above was done with a single distant light renamed "SUN", and rendered with Reality/LUX. One light. There is nothing wrong with 3Delight or Poser rendering but in many ways, they are both more complicated than Reality when striving to achieve "realistic" images . Best of luck on whatever you choose.
You might do well to get a copy of Jeremy Birn's book, Digital Lighting and Rendering. It discusses all sorts of lighting techniques, but is not written for a particular software product (which is a plus for me). It's not fast reading, and I found myself skipping or skimming chunks of it and then coming back later when I needed to understand those bits (like 'ambient occlusion') better. Really an indispensable book for me. One thing to know is that DS4Pro and Poser implement pretty much all the things the book describes.
http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Lighting-Rendering-Jeremy-Birn/dp/0321316312
As noted, though, Lux rendering makes a lot (but by no means all!) of these techniques unnecessary, at the cost of some learning and a lot of CPU cycles in rendering.
From my understanding, Lux (and other unbiased rendereres) also don't support the types of shaders the built in DS and Poser renderers do.
Wonderful Scorpio...and I'm completely at a lost here. Surface settings...surface on what...the walls, the floor, their skin??? I got nothing. As for Poser mats and DS mats...it would seem that my copy of DAZ3D has problems letting me just choice which one I want. I have to use the one I can get to work.
Uber environment? I don't know what to do with them. None of those have ever done anything for me except ruin the render. I would need a lot more detail.
I can understand frustration, we've all been there, cause nothing worth doing is ever easy. Let me just say, that image above was done with a single distant light renamed "SUN", and rendered with Reality/LUX. One light. There is nothing wrong with 3Delight or Poser rendering but in many ways, they are both more complicated than Reality when striving to achieve "realistic" images . Best of luck on whatever you choose.
Thanks so much First. Now see that's why I bought Reality in the first place. I took art for all four years in undergrad. For me light motivation and where the light is coming from is second nature to me. So using just one light like the sun is perfect and why I brought Reality. But the frustration level with Reality is to the point of tears. I write novels and these are book covers so I just wish to be able to get back to writing. But of course the covers are the biggest selling point so I'm willing to learn everything I can. I'm starting to think that there's something wrong with my copy of Reality and if I may have installed it wrong. I so wish I could use it like you do. Your render is fantastic. Thanks again.