on request: i would like to open up this topic for discussion and to share
different techniques used on creating realistic outdoor ligting.
we could share what type of lights we like to use,
color for different times of the day,
settings,
and much more. feel free and lets make this a good one.
Please turn off Caps Lock dude … your hurting my ear’s … you may get an answer if you ask nicely .. ! 
yeah, I have a hard time with outdoor scenes too… I understand how to do indoor, but whenever I d an outdoor scene, i can never get it to look right
i share your pain. i see a lot of interior renderings in this forum but very little outdoor renderings. Thats why i thought it will be a good idea for us to put our ideas together and see whats the best way to tackle an outdoor shot. Lets post some techniques up!!
yes I think it’s a very good idea, and an important topic to discuss..
I want to know more about exterior scene setup ,and what is the best way for outdoor lighting,and all else,
come on experts
OK I’ll start with my technique on outdoor lighting. Since most of the stuff I do is outdoors, I have a standard starting point. Color mapping on linear 1.0 1.0, direct light on 0.7 (make sure it contains the scene) basic color slightly yellowish, gi environment 0.8 slightly blueish. Indirect illumination on refract and reflect (it’ll be dark next to your window glass if you leave the last one off). Put the irradiance map setting on low for a starters. Secondairy bounces on 5 to 10 mulriplier on 0.7 to 0.8.
That’s it.
If you want more light inside your building exclude your glass from casting shadows.
Marc
well. more or less i just stick with the settings i use in that vray.info file ive posted on the forum a couple of times
alright!! Now where getting somewhere in this topic. Great tip on adding more light to the windows by removing cast shadows!
Da_elf i did a search for that file you mentioned and had no luck. Can you post up a link? thanks.
bare in mind this is a basic setup for anyone new who just wants basic settings to play with
i found that yesterday, followed the explanations, and had good results :
http://www.vocanson.com/tm/C/C2\_secrets/3dsmax/Bonilla\_us/Bonilla-ENG.htm
For outdoor scene lighting check out the images on this link, http://www.cas-cgi.co.uk/
What do you think?
I’ve seen better.
The problem I have with exteriors is that it is hard to get an equilibrum between the inside and the outside, and I mean rendering without windows glasses. I get too dark inside, and when takeing color mapping dark multiplier up to 2 or 3, some outside sectors burns out.
If I take direct light multiplier down a little, I got insuficient contrast.
I generally use environmet to 1, GI first bounce 1, GI second bounce 0.8,
color mapping HSV exp with dark multiplier at 1.7. But the best result I ever got was with color mapping exponencial (not HSV). I almost don’t use it any more because I get too much overexposure.
I don’t know…
Her’s a tip - Try to make some piscutres of exterior with camera and see how dark is interior of the building that you have photographed. If you look for photoreality it’s meant to be dark cause every camera, no matter what it’s cost is will never bee so elastic as your eye. interior viewed from outside isdark almost always.
Why, oh why, are people relying on a piece of software albeit a fantastic piece of software to solve all an images problems.
Experiment with camera’s, lights etc and get some photoshop skills for post production. Even photographers retouch photographic shots, and having done 3D, photo-retouching, commercial airbrush artist for 25 years no one solution does everything.
Looking at some of the postings I get the impression most people think Photoshop is a dirty word and last resort
Just my opinion.
Maybe you get that impression because this is the VRay forum and not the Photoshop forum.
--Jon
i found that yesterday, followed the explanations, and had good results :
http://www.vocanson.com/tm/C/C2\_secrets/3dsmax/Bonilla\_us/Bonilla-ENG.htm
thanks for your link!!!It’s very useful for me
Yes, photoshop might be a solution. I think using one layer with screen blending mode.
ok interesting thread, I think many here would benefit from learning more about exterior setups,
Why dont we start with a model of a building that we can download and try our techniques, each person should post only WIP’s that theya re happy with and then the final image. The final scene should be made available to those who participated/interested in this so that we can get in a disect the scene. Even if there’s PS done on it, the psd should be available, I’m more than willing to try and contribute, also I think this would work cos the more the participation the the better the render.
what say ye???
Tom
it’s an interessant idea, hope everyone think so :o