Maya 4.5 Fundamentals

Artists and photographers know that a beautiful image or scene owes a lot to the way it is lit. In the digital world, people often fail to give lighting the attention it deserves . To get good results in Maya, complex lighting setups are usually required. The process of skillfully lighting a scene is an art form used by photographers, cinematographers, interior designers, stage lighting designers, and other artists. In Maya, the techniques are similar but are made more complex because virtual lights behave more simply than real lights. For example, lights may or may not cast shadows, and if they don't, they pass through objects to illuminate other objects normally hidden from the light. Also, virtual lights do not reflect from surfaces, meaning that areas to be lit must be directly illuminated by a light source.

By the end of this chapter, you should have a basic understanding of lighting that allows you to experiment with different lights without working "in the dark." In this chapter, you'll explore various lighting setups to understand how to best place lights in your scene and see where to find a variety of light effects. You have several types of lights to choose from in Maya; each one has unique attributes and benefits, and you'll learn what each type is best used for. When you know how to work with lights, scenes that once rendered dull can take on a new radiance. Lighting a virtual scene is a skill that will seem easier as you get used to the limitations and advantages of virtual lights. We'll be covering the following concepts:

• Working with lights You'll get the opportunity to place and modify lights and become familiar with how they can light a scene.

• Types of lights Understand the differences between the several types of lights you can choose from.

• Light attributes By learning the primary light attributes and a few related Maya variables , you can get the results you expect when you create your scenes.

• IPR render Tweaking lights would take ages without IPR rendering for real-time feedback. You'll quickly see why this tool is so valuable .

• The dark side of light ”shadows There are two different types of shadows in Maya. Learning the differences between them could save you hours in rendering times.