night exterior 3ds max vray scene - problem with lights

[annasaloura]

Hello.

You are giving great help to 3d artists everywhere.

I am building a night exterior 3ds max vray scene and lighting my garden with vray spheres (radius of 80cm). My vray light spheres are placed over the exterior lights in the garden. They render with a very strong shape of a sphere, though their illumination is quite right, so I am guessing it does not have anything to do with intensity (which I have used a 150 multiplier for). My lights are casting shadows, they are double-sided, invisible, they ignore light normals, and they affect diffuse, specular and reflections.

Any suggestions as to make them have less of a trace around the bollard, without darkening my scene?

I also tried ies vray lights instead, but they come out somehow too pointy. I prefer the spheres.

Thank you in advance for any time you give to this,

Anna.

Edited May 27, 2016 by annasaloura

[Casey Hawley]

Make them much smaller..about the size to cover the illuminated portion of your object, then simply adjust the falloff parameters. You will likely have to increase the light multiplier (possibly quite a lot) to see the effect.

[annasaloura]

Thank you, Casey! Yes, it worked fine, thank you for your time. I kept the multiplier, though, since it kind of "burns" my colors, if larger. I will try it again with a larger multiplier and maybe some different sun settings (maybe that is where I am off).

 

What do you think of the lighted waterfall? it is not quite what I had in mind. I just made a box and gave it a vray water material, but it does not feel right. I think I should try particle flow source, never done that before. Is there any other way to make a waterfall lighted at night? from what I have seen on the internet, particle flow does not generate a better image, than what I have, or maybe I have just seen beginners' stuff.

I mean, my client will grantly pay for it, so, to say the least, my image should convey the right message, right?

 

Thanks again, Casey.

[Devin Johnston]

Your water material needs to have transparency, right now it's a very reflective surface which makes it look unrealistic.

[Francisco Penaloza]

I will recommend to use an Dome light with an HDRI, place interior lights, then and adjust your exposure until you have a decent over all lighting, then turn on your outside lights and use them as accent light only. Right your your whole scene it is too evenly lit, this in unrealistic and make your image look flat. For dusk or night shot you need more shadows and some dark areas too.

Google some images and use them as reference.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pool+dusk

 

Also adjust your camera angle, that composition is not good. not sure what to look at.

add or create some color variation in your walls, even if they are a plain color, nothing is that perfect.

 

For the water, you can use a single plane add some fog to it, this will give depth. you can also use a single plane but add some shell modifier to give thickness. Adjust your index or reflection and refraction separate. For this camera angle the water is too reflective, it looks more like mercury than water.

 

Use images as references.

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pool+dusk

 

http://www.saferain.com/images/stories/saferain/catalogo/en/water-curtains/pool-waterfalls/small/pool-waterfall-weir.jpg

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categoryimages/larger/lg-71869-51422-51807-pong.jpg

 

http://www.thepoolpeople.co.nz/imager.php?img=gallery_image_0110.jpg&resizer=max&dimension=400

[Casey Hawley]

I think your waterfall looked better in the first example, but use Francisco's suggestions to improve it. The interior lighting levels looked better before, too. Follow Francisco's lighting balance suggestions. Spend some time looking at reference images of pools, houses, and gardens at sunset.

[annasaloura]

Your water material needs to have transparency, right now it's a very reflective surface which makes it look unrealistic.

 

thanks for the input Maxer. Yes, I see it, that happens because I have placed a vray sun at the level of my ground line, to mimic sunset, and it totally reflects on my water, making it look like mercury surface...

Never done a night scene before, and the first one that came along had a waterfall in...Love challenges, though, I will see what I can do with my trasparency!

Thanks again!

[annasaloura]

Fransisco great data! I 'll test everything and post a new img. Though it seems difficult to use those linear lights on an overflowing pool, but I will try it. Great pictures!

You mean, a dome light instead of my vray sun, right? somehow I thought that a vray sun renders faster that max's lights.

I agree with you on the camera angle, don't want to nagg about speed of composition....

They specifically asked for yellow-ochre on the walls, which now turned beige everywhere, so color experimentation is out the window.

A single plane for the horizontal surface of the pool, I will, you are right, but the waterfall part should be a particle flow source, right?

Thank you very much for all the help, Francsisco, Casey, I will post the result!

[annasaloura]

that's a day shot I've done with the pool so far..

open to suggestions...

I know, the waterfall is funny...

[Devin Johnston]

Anna for a dusk shot you have a pretty bright sun, Google "architectural photography, dusk shot" and you will see that there really isn't that much direct sunlight. The best way to do this would be to find an HDRI of a dusk sky and use that to light your scene.

[annasaloura]

yes, I see what you mean, Devin, lots of purple in dusk skies - will try that, see how it turns out... loving this, feels like creating a painting! I'll post soon..

cheers!