Newbie looking for help

kageG

Hi,

First post so please be nice and sorry if I ask some dumb questions. I installed Daz about a week ago and am pretty blown away with how user friendly it is. I've done the tutorials and am getting on OK with scene set up, posing, materials etc. The thing that is eluding me is lighting and I'd like some advice.

I'm working on a project which is set in a dungeon. The creature shown in the attachment is encountered in the corner of the dungeon and technically the only light source is the flaming torch you're holding. The creature is about 8 feet tall so it's essential the camera is looking up and a large shadow is cast behind the creature

I discovered quickly that a single light source doesn't work well so I set up various lights. What I've done so far. 1 spotlight in front set to slightly yellow and casting shadows. 2 spotlights either side so the creature is well lit. These are slightly yellow and do not cast shadows. 1 spotlight behind the creature which is orange and is just to highlight the creature's outline. 1 orange point light off to the side for atmosphere.

The background was too bright so I've cheated by darkening it's diffusion in materials. The camera is set with depth of field just to slightly blur the background.

I'm not unhappy so far but it's not quite the torch lit dungeon I was looking for. Any advice would be very much appreciated. I don't want any post processing advice as me and photoshop don't get on so I'll be using a professional fantasy artist for the post work. I'm rendering in 3Delight which gives me the slightly unrealistic look I want compared to iray.

Thanks

BeeMKay

Have you tried cranking up the luminance of one of the lights?
This image below is rendered with a single linear point light in the scene, at 45.000 units luminance.

EDIT: If you set the temperature to 4500, and position the point light somewhat in front of the monster, it will give a light similar to a torch. (see image 2)

EDIT2: This setting is for Iray only. Sorry!!!!!:red:

kageG

Thank you

I'll play with the luminence settings for a bit - haven't touched them yet

BeeMKay

keith said:

Thank you

I'll play with the luminence settings for a bit - haven't touched them yet

Ah... Sorry!
I just read that you are using 3Delight! My example was for Iray. :red:
A point light is also a good source of light in 3Delight, but the Lumiance will not work as a setting there. 3Delight uses the intensity slider.

Please try a linear point light for your monster. You can select decay and radius in it. I'd made the color somewhat oreangish, until you have a good fire-light color.

kageG

Thanks. It didn't take me long to realise that luminence settings are only in iRay. I really need to get to grips with iray but am finding the renders take ages and I'm struggling to get things like soft shadows working in it.

In meantime, I'm carrying on with 3Delight and am quite happy with results so far. I'll keep at it.

kageG

Would you believe the closest I've got to the look I want is using the openGL renderer. Intermediate with 16 passes per light.

Just the sort of unrealistic look I want. The downside is that I can't seem to achieve a soft shadow and metal objects don't tend to render well.

How best could I achieve the look below using 3Delight. Any ideas?

kageG

Think I've got it now. Spot in the face and a big orange point light behind (about 1500% - diffusion only)

Thanks for your advice.