Work in Progress: Lighting Help

[Jet]

As you can see, this is pretty far from realistic,

my lighting always comes out like this. It is cartoonish, I try to use the three point lighting techniques, and im having a hard time applying it to interior renderings that are fully modeled.

I am using Max 3, so maybe its because I dont have the latest greatest, Im working on getting Max 5, but in the meantime, i need some help with this lighting, I am currently doing the light fixtures that go in there, and to me it seems that if you put a light where it would be in the fixture, that you should get the correct light, but in max that is not true. or at least for me it isnt. Any takers? Thanks in advance for any advice and assistance that you can give.

 

Jet

[mbr]

There are many others that can give you better advice than myself, but I'll give it a shot.

 

First things is the shadows. Forget about casting shadows from across the room (unless there's a large spot light, or something). The key is a bunch of omnis all casting soft shadows.

 

These tutorials are excellent beginnings and will bring you up to speed in a few hours (and many more to play with your scene).

 

http://orbita.starmedia.com/perromalo/fr/

 

http://www.michaelscholz.de/neuehomepage/tutorial/tut02_e.html

[nisus]

Your second link: My old time favourite link!!!

 

Jet: make the tutorial, it rocks!!!