Hi,

Very new Moray/POV-Ray user here with a large headache from trying to figure
out the correct lighting setup for some computer game graphics (spaceships).
I am a artistic imbecile to begin with so I talked to some professional game
designers and they were talking about the 3 light method for lighting a
scene.  Involves different light types, angle/placements and ambiance
(warmth/coolness) of the light source.  Hence, the very large headache I
have<g>.

I am throwing myself on the mercy of this newsgroup in the hopes that
someone can point me to a tutorial on lighting.  Something for the beginner
if possible but can tackle anything if it is good.

Thanks,
Mark

Post a reply to this message

Mark wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Very new Moray/POV-Ray user here with a large headache from trying to figure
> out the correct lighting setup for some computer game graphics (spaceships).
> I am a artistic imbecile to begin with so I talked to some professional game
> designers and they were talking about the 3 light method for lighting a
> scene.  Involves different light types, angle/placements and ambiance
> (warmth/coolness) of the light source.  Hence, the very large headache I
> have<g>.
> 
> I am throwing myself on the mercy of this newsgroup in the hopes that
> someone can point me to a tutorial on lighting.  Something for the beginner
> if possible but can tackle anything if it is good.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mark

Since I am not familiar with the famous 3 light method about the best I can
do for you is to point you to the links page at povray.org where several
sites are listed offering tutorials. Which of those have lighting tutorials
will have to be investigated by you. Quite a while ago I wrote a small FAQ
on the tutorials available for POV-Ray and posted it in the announcements
group on this server (it's a bit out of date but most of them should still
be available). It will give you a better idea of what the various tutorials
concentrate on in particular.

http://www.povray.org/links/3D_Tutorials/

One other site I can recommend that may help you out is a 3D tutorials
links page that deals with many different programs besides just POV-Ray.
You may be able to find some gaming tutorial links from there that will
better explain this three light scenario you mentioned.

http://www.execulink.com/~drew/


 I suspect the three light method is where you use one point light near
the location of the camera. This one will ensure that the objects that
face the camera will always be visible.
 A second light is placed to give you accurate shadows in your scene.
The placement of this one will of course depend on what mood you need
to obtain. Again this would probably be a point light but may also be
an area light type.
 The third is the one I am not sure where it would be located or what
type. I would hazard a guess that it would be an overhead area light
to help fill in the lighting for the rest of the scene and to help
soften the shadows a bit.
 I have also heard that using different colors for your lights and
where they are located is an important consideration. Even though
for the most part you want to control the color of your scene on
an object by object basis I seem to recall the use of a camera
positioned blue colored light source has some merit for more than
artistic reasons. I forget why this is (it might be a hold over
from the movie industry).

 To be honest with you I usualy shoot for what looks best for a
particular scene and probably break all of the rules as I do it.


-- 
Ken Tyler -  1300+ Povray, Graphics, 3D Rendering, and Raytracing Links:
http://home.pacbell.net/tylereng/index.html http://www.povray.org/links/

Post a reply to this message

Thanks for the links and tips..will check them out.  These graphic game
designers were explaining that:

1)  The first light is a point light, bright and up high
2) The second is an area light, no shadows, slightly warm and at a 45 degree
angle to the first.
3) Third is another point light (I think - but this could be a spot light),
from the rear of the object - in this case a space craft, cooler color,
bright again and up high too.

Will investigate the links to see if a specific tutorial exists on the
(in)famous three light method.

BTW - is there such a thing as a *standard* natural light setup?

Thanks,
Mark



"Ken" <tyl### [at] pacbellnet> wrote in message
news:38C78E57.903522E1@pacbell.net...
>
>
> Mark wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Very new Moray/POV-Ray user here with a large headache from trying to
figure
> > out the correct lighting setup for some computer game graphics
(spaceships).
> > I am a artistic imbecile to begin with so I talked to some professional
game
> > designers and they were talking about the 3 light method for lighting a
> > scene.  Involves different light types, angle/placements and ambiance
> > (warmth/coolness) of the light source.  Hence, the very large headache I
> > have<g>.
> >
> > I am throwing myself on the mercy of this newsgroup in the hopes that
> > someone can point me to a tutorial on lighting.  Something for the
beginner
> > if possible but can tackle anything if it is good.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mark
>
> Since I am not familiar with the famous 3 light method about the best I
can
> do for you is to point you to the links page at povray.org where several
> sites are listed offering tutorials. Which of those have lighting
tutorials
> will have to be investigated by you. Quite a while ago I wrote a small FAQ
> on the tutorials available for POV-Ray and posted it in the announcements
> group on this server (it's a bit out of date but most of them should still
> be available). It will give you a better idea of what the various
tutorials
> concentrate on in particular.
>
> http://www.povray.org/links/3D_Tutorials/
>
> One other site I can recommend that may help you out is a 3D tutorials
> links page that deals with many different programs besides just POV-Ray.
> You may be able to find some gaming tutorial links from there that will
> better explain this three light scenario you mentioned.
>
> http://www.execulink.com/~drew/
>
>
>  I suspect the three light method is where you use one point light near
> the location of the camera. This one will ensure that the objects that
> face the camera will always be visible.
>  A second light is placed to give you accurate shadows in your scene.
> The placement of this one will of course depend on what mood you need
> to obtain. Again this would probably be a point light but may also be
> an area light type.
>  The third is the one I am not sure where it would be located or what
> type. I would hazard a guess that it would be an overhead area light
> to help fill in the lighting for the rest of the scene and to help
> soften the shadows a bit.
>  I have also heard that using different colors for your lights and
> where they are located is an important consideration. Even though
> for the most part you want to control the color of your scene on
> an object by object basis I seem to recall the use of a camera
> positioned blue colored light source has some merit for more than
> artistic reasons. I forget why this is (it might be a hold over
> from the movie industry).
>
>  To be honest with you I usualy shoot for what looks best for a
> particular scene and probably break all of the rules as I do it.
>
>
> --
> Ken Tyler -  1300+ Povray, Graphics, 3D Rendering, and Raytracing Links:
> http://home.pacbell.net/tylereng/index.html http://www.povray.org/links/

Post a reply to this message

That is about what I was thinking of when you asked.  Above and bright, up and
to the side not as bright, and backlit too.  The general idea being to get a
typical daylight effect with conventional up and down orientation.
This probably makes the most sense for any fully viewable object or scene if the
idea is to look upon it in an ordinary way.  All that gets thrown out when doing
any special scene or object though simply for the sake of mood or circumstance
of how it's set up.
For "standard" it seems to me to be about what you had listed already.
Looking on the 'net I found these:

http://aol11.wff.nasa.gov/html/yorick_92.html

http://www.webreference.com/3d/lesson5/part2.html

http://www.iesd.dmu.ac.uk/~jm/default.htm

http://www.pcgv.com/3d_lighting.htm      this one looks to be a good quick read
for most anyone.

Bob

"Mark" <mst### [at] adelphianet> wrote in message
news:38c79de1$1@news.povray.org...
| Thanks for the links and tips..will check them out.  These graphic game
| designers were explaining that:
|
| 1)  The first light is a point light, bright and up high
| 2) The second is an area light, no shadows, slightly warm and at a 45 degree
| angle to the first.
| 3) Third is another point light (I think - but this could be a spot light),
| from the rear of the object - in this case a space craft, cooler color,
| bright again and up high too.
|
| Will investigate the links to see if a specific tutorial exists on the
| (in)famous three light method.
|
| BTW - is there such a thing as a *standard* natural light setup?
|
| Thanks,
| Mark
|
|
|
| "Ken" <tyl### [at] pacbellnet> wrote in message
| news:38C78E57.903522E1@pacbell.net...
| >
| >
| > Mark wrote:
| > >
| > > Hi,
| > >
| > > Very new Moray/POV-Ray user here with a large headache from trying to
| figure
| > > out the correct lighting setup for some computer game graphics
| (spaceships).
| > > I am a artistic imbecile to begin with so I talked to some professional
| game
| > > designers and they were talking about the 3 light method for lighting a
| > > scene.  Involves different light types, angle/placements and ambiance
| > > (warmth/coolness) of the light source.  Hence, the very large headache I
| > > have<g>.
| > >
| > > I am throwing myself on the mercy of this newsgroup in the hopes that
| > > someone can point me to a tutorial on lighting.  Something for the
| beginner
| > > if possible but can tackle anything if it is good.
| > >
| > > Thanks,
| > > Mark
| >
| > Since I am not familiar with the famous 3 light method about the best I
| can
| > do for you is to point you to the links page at povray.org where several
| > sites are listed offering tutorials. Which of those have lighting
| tutorials
| > will have to be investigated by you. Quite a while ago I wrote a small FAQ
| > on the tutorials available for POV-Ray and posted it in the announcements
| > group on this server (it's a bit out of date but most of them should still
| > be available). It will give you a better idea of what the various
| tutorials
| > concentrate on in particular.
| >
| > http://www.povray.org/links/3D_Tutorials/
| >
| > One other site I can recommend that may help you out is a 3D tutorials
| > links page that deals with many different programs besides just POV-Ray.
| > You may be able to find some gaming tutorial links from there that will
| > better explain this three light scenario you mentioned.
| >
| > http://www.execulink.com/~drew/
| >
| >
| >  I suspect the three light method is where you use one point light near
| > the location of the camera. This one will ensure that the objects that
| > face the camera will always be visible.
| >  A second light is placed to give you accurate shadows in your scene.
| > The placement of this one will of course depend on what mood you need
| > to obtain. Again this would probably be a point light but may also be
| > an area light type.
| >  The third is the one I am not sure where it would be located or what
| > type. I would hazard a guess that it would be an overhead area light
| > to help fill in the lighting for the rest of the scene and to help
| > soften the shadows a bit.
| >  I have also heard that using different colors for your lights and
| > where they are located is an important consideration. Even though
| > for the most part you want to control the color of your scene on
| > an object by object basis I seem to recall the use of a camera
| > positioned blue colored light source has some merit for more than
| > artistic reasons. I forget why this is (it might be a hold over
| > from the movie industry).
| >
| >  To be honest with you I usualy shoot for what looks best for a
| > particular scene and probably break all of the rules as I do it.
| >
| >
| > --
| > Ken Tyler -  1300+ Povray, Graphics, 3D Rendering, and Raytracing Links:
| > http://home.pacbell.net/tylereng/index.html http://www.povray.org/links/
|
|

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