#Lighting with 3DS
13 messages in this thread
I would like some advice on light settings used by all of you,
With 3DS3 I seem to regulary have the problem my lighting turns my images dark,
difficult for printing and bad for video. So I wonder mostly which combinations
seem to work best for most of you, that is mainly in relation to architecture.
Also I have been wondering if gamma-control is not really the problem??
I mostly use a quite low ambient light setting have experimented with different
setups but sometimes I keep getting the same darkness problem.
Christophe
Hi
When you do anything that is to go to video tape, YOU MUST SET YOUR COLORS ON A
VIDEO (RGB) MONITOR!!!!! , Not on a computer monitor!
It is a common mistake. The colors will look totally wrong if you set them on a
computer mon. and then go to tape. Computer monitors are fine for FLiCs or any
thing else that will be played back on a computer monitor but if you are going
to dump to tape you must set all of your colors for you materials on an RGB
monitor.
I sometimes have two sets of the same material, one for FLiCs and one for
video.
Then, when you set your lights, you must once again look at your scene on the
RGB monitor or IT WILL END UP TOO DARK!
I have almost no exp. with 3Ds for print media but I'm sure that this is (at
least part of…) your problem.
Hope this helps
-David
I wonder if anyone has experience in using Gamma with printing, I know someone
who eventually completly stopped using gamma for prints, isn't that better
certainly if one puts images through say photoshop or photostyler for use in a
DTP-package???
For Video gamma adjustment was easy with a Targa+, but how do Gamma adjustment
work with the PAR card???
Any PAR users have comment on this???
Christophe
>I wonder if anyone has experience in using Gamma with printing, I know someone
>who eventually completly stopped using gamma for prints, isn't that better
>certainly if one puts images through say photoshop or photostyler for use in a
>DTP-package???
The most important thing about gamma is to only correct for it once. I know
that this is fairly basic info. but I find that sometimes computer artists
re-correct for gamma (or re-re-re-correct) without even being aware of it (or
they think that Gamma correction must always be on in every application that
they run)
Proper Gamma correction is a tricky art (one that I still have a bit of trouble
with)
maybe someone out there that REALLY KNOWS what they're doing as far as gamma
(in 3D Studio) could upload some good and detailed instructions.
See ya
-David
Gamma is intended primarily for Video and not print. Print is almost always a
bit of a trial and error procedure unitl you discover how that device is
interpreting colors. In general, however, you should be able to use an output
file gamma of 1.0 (linear) and adjust your lighting as neceessary. With
prints, the last thing you want to do is lighten the darks of your image and
destroy its depth. I personally go to a film recorder at 1.0 and it is pretty
close to WYSWIG.
– Phil
Just to contradict Phil, _theoretically_ a gamma of 1.0 should be correct for
hardcopy, but we found that 1.8 was best for the color plates in the manual. I
generally recommend that, until you've got a feel for what gamma can do for
you, leave all the settings at 1.8.
– Jack
Yes but leaving the gamma at 1.8 for Video gives me extremly dark animations, I
had to go to a level of about 2.5 to get normal overal image clarity, anyone
using PAL has any comment??
Christophe,
>> Yes but leaving the gamma at 1.8 for Video gives me extremly dark
animations, <<
you have to light your scenes with that gamma in mind. If you're going to
render your final output at 1.8, light your scene for 1.8. Do tests on the same
equipment that animation will be seen on. What kind of luma settings are your
main lights and ambient?
My ambient light is mostly 10
My main spotlight mostly around 180
My secondary spots around 80-120
However as soon as I set gamma to around 2.5, all my problems dissappear, I've
done alot of testing last few months trying with different light intensities
and with gamma at 2.5 output for video I get good results
I put computer screen gamma at 1.2, Videoscreen at 2.5 and this gives me good
approximatly equal quality views on the computer monitor compared to my
Video-Monitor at component output.
What do you mostly use, as settings??
Christophe
Chris,
>> However as soon as I set gamma to around 2.5, all my problems dissappear <<
well, maybe PAL has a gamma of 2.5, I don't know. I live in the NTSC world
which is supposed to be 2.2
I just use the default 1.8 gamma for everything and my lights start at the same
values as you, and then I'll just adjust the lights until I get what I want. I
never play with the gamma. The lights are what you should be adjusting, IMHO.
Maybe you could add 1 (or 2) appropriately placed omni lights for "fill light".
These could be raised or lowered without making the scene too flat since they
are directional versus ambient. I assume you are doing architectural rendering.
FWIW, I generally use NTSC PAR settings of 1.4-1.6 to HI-8. Anything
higher is too bright and washed out.
TedB
!^NavFont01F0007MGHHG668705
I use a PAR, and set the file output gamma to 1.8. There is no particular
gamma setting with the PAR itself. Whatever the file is saved as is what the
PAR gamma is..
My lighting is usually high. Sometimes X2, or with an array, depending on the
situation.
To keep the gamma game going <g> –
Again, gamma and color correction will vary per output device – screened ouptut
being the most diverse. Continuos tone devices, film recorders in particular,
should have no problem with linear gamma.
The more serious printers I've spoken with tend to ignore 3DS gamma, relying on
their pre-press image software exclusively for color correction and balance.
This only makes sense since only such software can relate directly with the
particualr device, screen selection, and print stock.
Of course, on the video end gamma is critical.
– Phil