Max lighting help?

VPrime

Hey guys, I am trying to light a low poly scene in 3d studio max. It is a christmas themed scene, and trying to simulate christmas lights. But don't know how to go about it. I could never light my scenes properly. Is there any good tutorials?

The scene is a small modular street. each module is a house, and a bit of property.
I am using a 2D plane with coloured christmas lights texture on it w/alpha map.
I am trying to light up the house but am failing miserably.

I tried just placing a couple omni lights infront of each house, and changed the colours.. But this gave more of a terrible rainbow look

I have spent hours looking for a tutorial or something for a christmas themed lighting, but can't find anything.

Any one have suggestions, tips, or tutorials?

Thanks!

Sean VanGorder

After googling a couple pictures of houses with Christmas lights, it doesn't look like the lights cast very distinguishable color onto surfaces. The lights all kind of mix together into an yellow-orange type light.




You might be able to just fake it by adding in some orange omni lights and then using a glow lens effect on the Christmas light texture. I think there is a way have the lens effect take the texture's alpha into account so only the bulbs will appear to glow.

I'm by no means in expert in lighting, but that's personally how I would try it first.

Mark Dygert

There are a few different types of materials that emit lights in max but they depend on your render-er.

Scanline needs something that can bounce light like radosity or light tracer.
http://www.freeitsolutions.com/3ds/viewTutorial.aspx?id=201

MentalRay has a glow material you can use.
http://www.freeitsolutions.com/3ds/viewTutorial.aspx?id=6229

Vray also does some great glowing effects.

You can also use ShaderFX's viewport bloom shader to get a nice reatime glow in your viewport but it won't render. BUT you can turn on hardware lighting and shadows and take a screen grab.

VPrime

Sean thanks for the ideas, got me thinking a bit.

Vig, I forgot to mention, that the plan is also to bake the light map and use it in game. Will the rendered glowing effects render onto a lightmap as well?
Thanks for the suggestions,

VPrime

Heres what I have come up with...... does this look christmasy?

VPrime

I think I got a look I am happy with. Essentially the one above with less lighting radius.
This is for a tiling side scroller game so had to change it so it tiles properly.
Heres a picture

Sean VanGorder

I like it, looks pretty spot on.

gsokol

You could also make the lights themselves a self illuminated texture. They wont actually add any light but would look like they were.