True Lighting Setup !!

[guest_guest]

hello everyone ,
can someone explain for true lighting setup (intensity , which type of light , color and ...) for indoor and outdoor scenarios to achieved best render looks (like as juraj talcik works)?

[alexyork]

Simply, use real-world values. Think 65-80W bulbs, up to 220W or so, and mostly in the 2700>3500k temperature range. Stick to this, then alter your camera exposure and WB to suit your shot. Typically 6500k but then adjust as needed to get a good balance of tones across the image.

[guest_guest]

Ok ... i know this ... my question is about lighting tricks ...

for example using softbox light behind the camera comes clean noise render ...

[Juraj]

intensity , which type of light , color ?

Simply, use real-world values. Think 65-80W bulbs, up to 220W or so, and mostly in the 2700>3500k temperature range

Alex answered the question exactly as was asked. From technical standpoint, there isn't much anything else to it. Sun/Sky is already perfectly physical correct as well. HDRi you have to match a bit, because it's often saved with completely arbitrary exposure value.

Regarding tricks, I personally rarely use any. If anything, it's not something you start with. I start with natural light, and if, for some reason it doesn't illuminate the space enough, than you add soft-box/flash where needed.

Real-world light + real-world materials + exposure = Real looking render (doesn't mean it looks nice, but it's definitely quite real).

[guest_guest]

Real-world light + real-world materials + exposure = Real looking render (doesn't mean it looks nice, but it's definitely quite real).

Well ... how to make scenes to get good looks as your render looks ? ;)

is any tricks?
is only tricky postpro??

for example why evermotion's interiors or exteriors haven't this render looks???

[Juraj]

In my opinion, there have always been two trends/concepts in Archviz, but spanning other digital and creative disciplines. Not necessarily genres (commercial, competition,etc..), or styles (dreamy, photorealistic, gritty,etc..) but rather approach.

Technical and creative.

They're both important, and shouldn't be competing against each other but certain people stress one over other too much. Great imagery works when it's technically well executed but holds up to artistic merit.
This forum and large part of community is absurdly obsessed only about the technical aspect. Understandably, it's rendering forum, not painter's club :- ). But it creates this false idea that behind success of some work,
is some technical secret. Secret of any sort that once you learn, you will be able to replicate the success to same extent. Holy grail of rendering.

I do personally love technical knowledge, I love scientific explanations behind tools and I admire pedantic approach to scene creation. But I take it for what it is, it's base. Base to be built upon creatively. No settings, special lighting rig, kick-ass shaders, or overdone scratch&grime textures make imagery look good and serve its purpose (show or sell idea). That lies in personal approach to creative side of the project, fueled by individual developed taste coupled with experience.

Some of our projects I am most fond of, have nothing special going for them in technical side. No special numbers. Just peculiar attention to patiently trying to find how to make my vision of the project work best. If I want to make a bedroom look warm, peaceful I place simple Sun&Sky, and rotate it in few degrees in each direction, multiple times, slightly changing intensity between strong shadows of Sun and illuminating ambience of Sky.  Angle, light intensity, shadow softness, temperature. Few artistic variables, and I tweak them painstakingly until I reach what I like. It can be hours, or maybe few days ? After years, it might be bit faster, but nothing changed.


Regarding Evermotion, it's often their 'quantity>quality' approach. If you make 99 scenes in 2 weeks, they're going to look that part.

[guest_guest]

You right ...

But one of my biggest question is about tutorials for this ... for example RonenBekerman's site. many makingof tutorials are exists , but it's only presentation paper !!! :D xD not educational !!!

in my place , the source for pro training about this is only internet !!!

[Juraj]

making-of tutorials are exists , but it's only presentation paper !

I know. The "fake" tutorials always annoyed me a bit. Even some speeches in Archviz Events are like this, a famous studio comes in, and instead of showing or talking about anything useful for audience, they talk about themselves.

There aren't many cohesive full-scale tutorials that are worth it, but there is a lot of spread out knowledge. Sometimes it's hard to notice but it's definitely there. Sometimes outside of our field (you can find knowledge in gaming community (Polycount), Photographer's sites (F-stoppers,etc...), etc, etc..).
I always liked Bertrand Benoit's blog with his little tidbits and musings across posts. You could learn from it, and even if it wouldn't be directly applicable, it would show you some insight into approach. You just have to be perceptive.


But I have to mention the other side of coin. Some of the ridiculously best people I've seen, didn't even learn from anyone. They just work 24/7 on themselves, learn only from their own mistakes and pioneer to ungodly level of skill.
I don't understand how they do it, I can't. I don't want to. But it's inspiring and also works :- ).

[iLEZ]

There aren't many cohesive full-scale tutorials that are worth it, but there is a lot of spread out knowledge.

I can add that http://masteringcgi.com.au/ Grant Warwick's tutorials are quite good too, even though they are mostly about v-ray you can pick up lots of interesting stuff from them.

[Juraj]

Yea I meant just Archviz/Lighting :- ). There are bazillion great stuff on Gumroad currently from bunch of game/vfx artists on everything.

Grant's MasteringVray was pretty good in some parts, more on watching him work and see how he plans and reasons. Lot of the practical stuff is already bit useless even for Vray. But regarding his Lighting course, I have only read negative feedback.

Since light really isn't such technical subject, but almost purely creative, I think it's important to search outside, and best in photography (but some prefer painting...it's been popular since Alex Roman to claim it instead, but photography is always replicable).
Bellow is some great reading by Henry Plummer on importance of natural light in architecture:

http://www.archdaily.com/626181/light-matters-heightening-the-perception-of-daylight-with-henry-plummer-part-1/

My interests became focused on daylight, not because I was oblivious to the value of artificial light, but simply because I found daylight to be an inexhaustible source of miracles.
While lighting fixtures are something added to architecture, natural light is inherent to it since every built form is a form of light. Moreover daylight is transformational, awakening and bringing to life the world around us

My tendency on site—especially when photographing light in architecture—is to have no little or no plan at all, and to avoid thinking about building uses or history,

I make an effort while planning a trip to carefully assess the orientation of buildings and their openings, so as to anticipate the times and directions of sunrise and sunset, as well as the arrival of sun on important walls or its penetration of particular windows, according to the given latitude and season

[romullus]

Yea I meant just Archviz/Lighting :- ). There are bazillion great stuff on Gumroad currently from bunch of game/vfx artists on everything.

Is there a way to search for something on gumroad itself? I've been able to find something there only by suggestions and through external links. That isn't very effective way of searching.

[Juraj]

Yea I meant just Archviz/Lighting :- ). There are bazillion great stuff on Gumroad currently from bunch of game/vfx artists on everything.

Is there a way to search for something on gumroad itself? I've been able to find something there only by suggestions and through external links. That isn't very effective way of searching.

I am not sure, it's very seller oriented and have no curration or frontpage whatsoever. I go mainly by external links by authors themselves or from lists like the one on Polycount:

http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Gumroad_Tutorial_List 

[romullus]

It's a real shame, because many folks offers excellent tutorials and other great stuff for very attractive price, but links to that content just gets lost in a sea of social media :[

[maru]

This was already said by Juraj in a way, but my conclusion would be that the question in the first message was simply not asked properly. The community could probably help OP if he asked:
-how to achieve the effect of <description of the effect he is after - for example blurry shadows, late evening sun>?
or
-how to achieve exactly this effect? <reference photo/render>

What he is asking is the usual "how to make my scene look good". You cannot expect any good answer as, as already stated, there are no "universal" settings which will work, and also you cannot expect that everyone will share their workflow secrets. :)

[Juraj]

What he is asking is the usual "how to make my scene look good". You cannot expect any good answer as, as already stated, there are no "universal" settings which will work, and also you cannot expect that everyone will share their workflow secrets. :)

Maybe we should create same kind of extensive F.A.Q. as Corona has regarding the engine, but regarding the overall work. Maybe extending the "Read before posting" but in more user-forward approach with hints where to go for answer or how to better formulate the question.