3ds Max: Recommend Tutorials for Photorealistic Lighting ?

Big Rocket

Hi everyone,

I just recently started using 3ds Max after years of hiatus. I am somewhat back up to speed, but I have never done advanced lighting before. Can someone please recommend some online tutorials on photorealistic lighting? The scene I have animated so far involves an object (imagine something like an iPhone) in an indoors setting. I am using 3ds Max 2012, which comes with its standard renderer, as well as Mental Ray.

Thanks,
BR

Search Tags: Photorealism, photorealistic lighting, advanced lighting, 3ds Max, 3D Studio, tutorial

Ark

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Light-Visual-Artists-Understanding-Design/dp/185669660X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307654129&sr=8-1[/ame]
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Lighting-Rendering-Jeremy-Birn/dp/0321316312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307654137&sr=8-1[/ame]
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Rendering-Maya-Shadows-Interactive/dp/B001JBT1EA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1307654137&sr=8-2[/ame]
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Lighting-Techniques-Effects-Animation/dp/0240516893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307654161&sr=8-1[/ame]

I have all these books/dvd's that teach lighting and its motivation. Well worth the investment imo.

If you want something more geared to mental ray and it's technicalities, then:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Rendering-mental-ray-3ds-Max/dp/0240808932/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1307654342&sr=8-12[/ame]

Is quite good for detailed explanations of the mentalray settings.

Alternatively, Gnomon, Digital Tutors, I3D and FXPHD all have mentalray tutorials.

r_fletch_r

If you can afford it go for FXPHD. I've had subscriptions to DT and Gnomon and they dont come close to the Quality that FXPHD offers. I've found them often quite vague and sometimes plain wrong.

The information in the FXPHD mentalray course is 100% up to date as its maintained by Master Zap (the guy works at mental images).

He teaches by example and also goes into explaining the concepts behind what is happening. So by the end you not only know what to do but why you are doing it, why certain issues happen and how to trouble shoot them.

kio

http://3dsmaxrendering.blogspot.com/

this blog has been a goldmine for my purposes. this guy is pretty awsome.

Big Rocket

Thanks for the suggestions. It would seem like Mental Ray is not the preferred tool for photorealistic lighting in 3ds Max. Hmm.

r_fletch_r

Depends who you talk to.
MR and Vray are both great renderers for photographic stuff.