Vray or Photometric lights for interior scenes

[TheGrandmaster1]

Hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but I knew the folks on here could help me. I've worked on some interior lighting tutorials, the common ones floating around on the net, and found them pretty good. But now I am moving on, and trying to light a room without just a simple vray window light and direct target light for a sun.

Using Vray, I am trying to light with just interior lights only, like you'd see in a normal room with lamps or bulbs. Should I use the Regular Photometric lights that represent real bulbs, like people do for radiosity, or should I use the Vray lights, which seem to be equally as powerful?

Here's what I got with two Photometric bulbs.

 

Aaaaand with two vray lights set to sphere.

 

Well the Photometric looks better, and I didn't expect that. Doubtless I am doing something wrong. Just wondering on some tips to get those awesome interiors I see on here.

[glenoe12]

It really depends on what you want to achieve. Archi-vizualisation can be deceptive, you can use fake lighting and achieve a good artistic impression. If you want to achieve something that would present close to real in terms of the particular lighting fixtures that will be used in your projects then there'll be nothing close to using photometric lights.

[robertherrick]

For simulating interior lights like spotlights etc you can't really go wrong with photometric lights with IES files. Use vray lights as a photographer would use boards to reflect light into a particular scene. Also one small note give your lights some context at the moment i have no idea where or what the light is being emitted from.

 

Looks good though.

[TheGrandmaster1]

Excellent, thanks. So basically, the majority of the incredible interior renders I see on here are lit with Photometric lights then? Are the Vray lights used predominantly as window lighting (representing sun coming in) and exteriors/product renders then?

 

Also, the lights are just hanging in mid air right now, as this was just a test. I'll throw a few lamps in here soon.

[robertherrick]

Alot of people do you use photometric lights yes, but also some people do use vray light mat's. It really depends on the user. But basically you can get some really good results with photometric. Yeah and use a vray light directly pointing into the window from outside for the exterior/interior glow and a direction target light with vray shadows for the directional sun lights shadows.

 

Heres a link to a great IES tutorial that will teach you all about lighting an interior scene.

 

http://www.evermotion.org/index.php?unfold_exclusive=86&unfold=exclusive

[TheGrandmaster1]

Alot of people do you use photometric lights yes, but also some people do use vray light mat's. It really depends on the user. But basically you can get some really good results with photometric. Yeah and use a vray light directly pointing into the window from outside for the exterior/interior glow and a direction target light with vray shadows for the directional sun lights shadows.

 

Heres a link to a great IES tutorial that will teach you all about lighting an interior scene.

 

http://www.evermotion.org/index.php?unfold_exclusive=86&unfold=exclusive

 

Yes, I found this very tutorial just last night. Better believe I'm going to be going over this one today! I think I'll us mostly photometric for intereriors where the daylight isn't lighting them. Any other tutorials on interior lighting would be greatly appreciated. Also, are their any advantages that you guys know of to using one type of light, photometric or Vray, over the other?

[robertherrick]

Well the benefits of different lights really depend on the scene. As i said before vray lights are great for getting light into areas that the GI can't quite get to, use them how a photographers uses boards to reflect light into certain areas, there really your light tweekers. Photometric lights are great for real world lights like spotlights, lamps etc "real specific directional light". Also being able to use real world IES files is also a plus. It all depends how much time you have to play around with these things. And also don't forget your GI settings i find the light cache gives great results with with photometric lighting. anyway hope this is all helpful.

[robertherrick]

also im feeling giving today so attached are some great IES files to have a play with. enjoy

[TheGrandmaster1]

also im feeling giving today so attached are some great IES files to have a play with. enjoy

 

Awesome. Seriously, thanks man. These will be very fun to play with. Also, I looked on the net, and in a couple books to find the answer in an attempt not to sound ignorant, but I'm just not sure about one thing.

 

For simulating interior lights like spotlights etc you can't really go wrong with photometric lights with IES files.

 

I know what a photometric light is. What is an "IES file"?

[robertherrick]

Hey

 

Basically an IES file is a lighting file you can attach to a photometric light by selecting WEB distribution. IES files convert your basic free point into a real world light. so for example say you use a halogen 5 cm IES file this will create your free point into this type of light and cast shadows in exactley the same way. you would obviously have to model the halogen light itself (if you want the casing visable in your scene) but use the free point with IES to emit the actual light.

 

Ive attached a screen shot which should be of help

[TheGrandmaster1]

Hey

 

Basically an IES file is a lighting file you can attach to a photometric light by selecting WEB distribution. IES files convert your basic free point into a real world light. so for example say you use a halogen 5 cm IES file this will create your free point into this type of light and cast shadows in exactley the same way. you would obviously have to model the halogen light itself (if you want the casing visable in your scene) but use the free point with IES to emit the actual light.

 

Ive attached a screen shot which should be of help

 

Oh Awesome. Do we have to write the IES file ourselves, or can we download them? Like for example, would these work?

 

http://www.marklighting.com/salesIESList.aspx

 

Are there any good tutorials showing how this is done? This looks highly interesting. I thought the Photometric lights were supposed to emulate real world lighting anyway, but they are more realistic with IES files?

 

EDIT:

Ohhh, I see, you just posted a link with a whole folder of IES files. They aren't so much lights, as they are files I link to the photometric lights in Max, to give that light the effect of the light in the IES file. Nice.

[robertherrick]

you've got it have a play

[Koper]

Here is a greate tool i found here in the cgarchitect forums, somebody uploaded it but i can't remember who, i'll have to search again, but all comps goes to him/her

 

its an ies creator for creating your own

 

this file is actually a .rar file, but i couldn't upload it, so i just renamed it to a .zip file. hope it works, and im not sure if i am allowed to do it this way;)

[TheGrandmaster1]

Right on! I can't wait to get my hands on that thing when I get home!

 

As far as the IES lights, I'm not having a lot of luck so far. They seem very dim, and sort of don't seem to be bouncing very well or lighting the room very well. Obviously this could be for a number of reasons, and I assume I've just got to tweak them a bit more, sort of get a handle on them better is all. I'll post some renders a while later if I still need help.

 

BTW. How many lumens are the regular light bulbs we're used to seeing in rooms? I'm not sure which IES files would be most effective for a regular bedroom/living room setting, fairly standard size room.

[Ky Lane]

Man, Ive got alot to learn!

[paul Ison]

nice help.

 

I use photometric lights with IES files for recessed downlights and combine these with vray sphere lights in the middle of rooms to help brighten things up. You could also have a dusk shot with vray plane lights on the windows emitting a weak coloured light similar to your background (eg city lights in background).

 

carefull with self illuminated objects using the vraylightmtl because sometimes they make parts of my scenes blotchy if the multiplier is too high. If sure this can be overcome by changing a few settings though. use it for bulbs etc with a multiplier of between 1-4

[vizwhiz]

i have been slowly getting Thru Christopher Nichol's dvd on Lighting

which has mentioned IES lights in one of The Interior Lighting scenes

 

non-sequitur

 

here is a google search result link for IES lights

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ies+lights

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,050,000 for ies lights.

 

**

 

This should require some light reading

 

Thanks

 

Randy

[dynaman]

guys, i've been following this thread with much interest. i have just recently started playing around with IES lighting in vray, and i have a few questions for some of the experienced people.

 

1. since the IES web files contain real world values and information, does it matter whether you are working in linear or exponential workflow?

 

2. i am assuming that even with the physical data from the light source, you would still have to check off "area shadow" to create the shadow bleed effect?

 

3. i've just set up a very simple scene and have placed four spotlights with IES data from Erco lighting. my room (20'x20'x10') is coming out much darker than my experience tells me it would be. do people generally use the default cd values from the IES web file, or do you adjust them to suit your scene?

 

I really appreciate all the experienced advice being shared here. cheers.

[Koper]

ok, im not that experienced with the ies lighting but i think the awnsers to your questions is kind of logical if you think about it. (not shooting you down because it is good questions)

 

1. Linear or exponential workflow is just a matter of how you view the rendered data(image), how it really looks and the way your renderer adjusts the image. try rendering in both workflows and compare them on an un-adjusted prints. I also think it depends on the post production methods you use.

 

2. a light source in 3D space is a point of data, no matter which type of data. the shadow type tells how the data interacts within the 3D space, if it is un checked there will be no shadow

 

3. 3D and real enviroments differ thus the cd values won't always be spot on when in 3D space and therefore we are given the ability to adjust them.

 

Maybe somebody else can build on them?

[ccp76]

Hey

 

Basically an IES file is a lighting file you can attach to a photometric light by selecting WEB distribution. IES files convert your basic free point into a real world light. so for example say you use a halogen 5 cm IES file this will create your free point into this type of light and cast shadows in exactley the same way. you would obviously have to model the halogen light itself (if you want the casing visable in your scene) but use the free point with IES to emit the actual light.

 

Ive attached a screen shot which should be of help

 

Wish i had come to this forums earlier, instead of going through the net, without any results, im working on an interior, and im having the same problem, i am trying with spot lights, but they bright up the whole scene, im trying to achieve the effect i see on so many awesome interiors, hopefully this will help, again thanks !

 

Cedric

[Robyy]

Helloooo friends,my name is robin,I am from India.I am a 3D visualizer

I have some doubts in v ray plz help me any one....