Realistic lighting is easier, faster, and better than ever in 3ds Max. Photometric lighting and a choice of rendering options gives you the power to create a convincing illusion. This course focuses on architectural visualization, but the techniques apply to other domains such as motion picture production. Instructor Aaron F. Ross provides a conceptual overview of advanced lighting and rendering, then demonstrates how to construct various lighting scenarios in 3ds Max. You can see how to render scenes with exterior and interior daylight, practical artificial lighting, and manufacturer photometric data. The course includes a chapter on special effects such as light decay and atmospheres. By the end of the course, you'll have seen how to control the powerful lighting tools in 3ds Max to achieve photorealistic results.

Topics include:

Physical lighting and gamma correction

High dynamic range and exposure control

Global illumination

Exterior daylight

Image-based lighting

Advanced environment options

Geometric backdrops and material emission

Interior daylight

Importing photometric data

Studio lighting

Spot light image projection

Atmospheric effects