You will start by switching from the default renderer to the mental ray renderer, if you have not already done so. Then you will add photometric lights to illuminate the nighttime scene.

Set up the lesson:

• From the Application menu, choose Reset, and accept the prompt to reset 3ds Max.
• On the Quick Access toolbar, click (Open File) and in the \lighting_and_rendering\army compound folder, open army_compound_lighting_start.max.
  NoteIf a dialog asks whether you want to use the scene’s Gamma And LUT settings, accept the scene Gamma settings, and click OK. If a dialog asks whether to use the scene’s units, accept the scene units, and click OK.

Make the mental ray renderer active:

1. On the main toolbar, click (Render Setup) to open the Render Setup dialog.
2. On the Common tab Assign Renderer rollout, click (Choose Renderer) for the Production renderer (at present the label says Default Scanline Renderer).

   

   3ds Max opens a Choose Renderer dialog.

   

3. Choose mental ray Renderer and click OK.
4. Close the Render Setup dialog.
5. Activate the Camera01 viewport, and on the main toolbar, click (Render Production).

   

   Rendered scene with default lighting

   This is the same starting point as the previous tutorial, with default lights providing basic illumination. Now you will add photometric light objects to illuminate the scene.

6. Close the Rendered Frame Window.

Set up the photometric lights:

1. Activate the Top viewport and zoom in to the overhead lamp next to the jeep01 object.

   

2. On the Create panel, click (Lights). If AutoGrid is on, turn it off. On the Object Type rollout, click Free Light to turn it on.

   

   3ds Max opens a dialog that asks whether to add an “mr Photographic Exposure Control” to the scene.

   

3. Click Yes to add the exposure control.
4. In the Top viewport, click once at the center of the lamp shade to create the light object.
5. Look at the Camera01 viewport. By default, the light object is created on surface plane of the scene.

   

6. Activate the Front viewport and zoom in to see the area around the new light.
7. Use (Select And Move) to move the light object on its Y axis until it is just below the lamp light bulb.

   

   Do not position the light object inside the bulb itself. If you do, the bulb object will cast unwanted shadows.

8. Go to the Modify panel. On the Templates rollout, open the drop-down list and choose Street 400W Lamp (Web).

   

   Next, you will adjust the color of the light to be cast. You have two ways to do this: You can specify color by the type of object that emits the light, such as an incandescent bulb or a fluorescent tube. Or you can specify light color by its temperature, in degrees Kelvin.

9. In the Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout Color group, open the drop-down list and choose Incandescent Filament Lamp.

   

   The color swatch just below this list updates to match the color temperature of your light selection. The rollout also displays its corresponding value in degrees Kelvin.

   

10. Activate the Camera01 viewport and render the scene.

    

    Scene exposure set too high for the light object

    Even though 3ds Max added an exposure control to the scene, its default settings don’t work with this light object.

Set scene exposure:

1. On the Rendering menu, choose Exposure Control to open the Environment And Effects dialog.
2. In the “mr Photographic Exposure Control” rollout Exposure group, choose Photographic Exposure, then specify a Shutter Speed of 1.0 (1/1.0 = 1 Sec.), then render the scene again.

   

   Rendered scene after adjustment to exposure

   The rendering is much improved, but light is falling only on the central part of the compound. You need to add another overhead light.

3. Close the Environment And Effects dialog.

Add another overhead light:

1. Activate the Top viewport and zoom out until you can see the other overhead light fixture, to the lower right.

   

2. Shift+move the light object until it is just below the other light fixture.

   

   3ds Max opens a Clone Options dialog.

   

3. In the Object group, choose Instance to create an instance of the Free Light object, then click OK.
4. Activate the Camera01 viewport and render the scene again.

   

   Scene illumination after second light added

   The rear area of the compound is now illuminated, but objects in the scene cast no shadows.

Add shadows to the rendering:

1. With either light selected, go to the Modify panel. In the General Parameters rollout Shadows group, turn on Shadows.

   

2. Open the Shadow Map Params rollout (you might have to scroll down to see it). Reduce Bias to 0.0 to set shadows closer to the shadow-casting object, and change Sample Range to 12.0.

   Setting Sample Range to a value greater than zero generates soft-edged shadows.

   

3. Render the Camera01 viewport again.

   

   Objects in the scene now cast shadows

   Notice the improvement that shadow casting has on the rendering of the jeep.

   Next, you will add light objects to the light fixtures above each barracks doorway.

Add lights over the barracks doors:

1. Close the Rendered Frame Window, activate the Top viewport, and zoom in to the light fixture above the entrance to the far left barracks.

   

2. On the Create panel, click (Lights). On the Object Type rollout, click Free Light to turn it on.
3. Click once on the center of the light fixture to create the light object.
4. Activate the Front viewport and use (Select And Move) to move the light object on its Y axis until it is level with the light fixture.

   

5. In the Top viewport, zoom out until you can see all three doorways, then Shift + drag the light to the right, creating two instances of the light, each positioned above one of the remaining two barracks entrances.

   

6. With any of the barracks doorway lights selected, go to the Modify panel. On the Templates Rollout, open the drop-down list and choose 100W Bulb.

   

   Keep in mind that the light you choose in this list possesses the same properties as real-world lights do. In terms of light attenuation, for example, for every 10 meters distance travelled, light intensity from this bulb will drop off to 1/100th of its initial strength.

7. In the Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout Color group, use light temperature to change the light color. You want the bulb to project a light blue color, so choose Kelvin, and then enter a value of 8000.0.

   In the range of degrees Kelvin, light color varies from 1000 (pink) to 20,000 (blue).

   

8. Activate the Camera01 viewport and render the scene.

   

   Rendered scene with all light systems in place

   All objects in the scene foreground look properly lit.

Save your work:

• Save the scene as my_army_compound_nighttime.max.