CompuServe Thread

#MY Wishlist (early)

7 messages in this thread
#81315From: James TichenorFeb 4, 1994 1:44 PM
My Wishlist – Off the top of my head – 1) Be able to save just animations. It'd be great to have one complex "set" upon which I could import different camera moves, different actors, etc. 2) I'd love to be able to define the lights in degrees Kelvin, just like in the movies. In this way, I'd be able to match my photo samples a little easier, as well as create "night" just by entering 3200 degrees (or 5400 degrees – the next step would be to remember which was which 🙂 3) I'd also love to have a set of scrims to use on my lights. Exclude created the flags, but there's no way to take down the light on one individual object, while keeping it the same for others. All your film grips will know what I mean. An example – I light a wall, but the picture on the wall ends up too hot. A "scrim" will reduce the light by 1/8th intervals. I realize this is possible by using two lights for each object, but with complex lighting jobs, you end up with too many lights. I suppose I could create scrims using transparant materials… Does these materials let light through selectively… 4) Transparent materials that combine the color of the material with the color of the light, to cast a "true" light – similar to a lens filter. Example – a green lampshade show cast a green light. A small point… 5) Maybe 🙂 have the cameras use f-stops!!! This would be cool! I have no idea how you'd do it, but, hey you're the programmers 🙂 Thanks James
#81332From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Feb 4, 1994 3:10 PM
james, << wishes >> got them. jonas[adesk]
#81359From: Ian ChristieFeb 4, 1994 4:58 PM
What would the f/stops be for? exposure or depth of field? Ian.
#81368From: John TissavaryFeb 4, 1994 5:22 PM
Good wishlist, but most of this stuff can be simply acheived right now. 1) Save your "set" mesh to use over and over, and just MERGE you actors, lights, cameras, etc… 2) Using the EXCLUDE feature on lights is exactly like using scrims. Just use one light for the wall, but exclude the picture, then use one light for the picture and exlude the wall. You'll have great control over light intensity intensity this way, and reduce your render times. And you can consider the second light a scrim of sorts, because even in a movie you would have to take the scrim (or more likely C-stand, arm, and flag or net) and place it, almost as much of a PIA as setting the light in the first place <g>! If you force the renderer to look through cookies (shadows) then your render times will REALLY increase. BTW, have you tried using projector lights? You can also control light intensity in this way, and it IS using a scrim. Just draw your "scrim" in a paint program, then project it through a spot. Great cookie tool, too. 3) NEVER in my days as a lighting director did I count on source light (i.e. green lampshade lamp) to provide correct lighting for the camera. If it did, great, but that was pretty rare. Ususally we would augment the colored source light with an appropriately gel'd, sized, and placed mole, thereby getting better control over the throw of the source light. This is what you've got to do in 3DS, too. Just place an appropriately tinted omni or spot where your source light is, and bingo. Give EXCLUDE and PROJECTOR a try, and let me know how it works for you. These are my favorite lighting tools in R3. cheers, John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
#82045From: ALAN IGLESIASFeb 7, 1994 10:24 PM
Nice lighting tips, John! -Alan
#82145From: John TissavaryFeb 8, 1994 2:40 AM
Thanks. I've been inspired to get the exact color values of CTO and BLUE gels (as well as some other neutral color correction gels/filters), and will experiment and post my findings. Should be in the next few weeks or so. John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
#82201From: ALAN IGLESIASFeb 8, 1994 10:17 AM
I'll be interested in seeing/testing those color values, John. Thanks for the research! -Alan