Aesthetic 3D Lighting

Aesthetic 3D Lighting

by Lee Lanier
Released March 2018
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781351733649

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Book description

Aesthetic 3D Lighting: History, Theory, and Application delves into the history, the theory, and the practical and aesthetic application of lighting in the fine arts and 3D animation.

In this book, animation industry veteran and lighting expert Lee Lanier examines the importance of lighting and its ability to communicate information to the viewer. Lee examines the history of lighting as applied to the fine arts, film, photography, and 3D animation. He discusses the use of light color, light location and direction, and light shadow types to recreate specific locations and to generate moods. He includes guides for successful lighting in 3D animation. Software agnostic examples lead you through useful 3D lighting set-ups. Chapter-long case studies step you through more complex 3D lighting projects in Autodesk Maya. An accompanying eResource (www.routledge.com/9781138737570) features 3D model files, scene files, and texture bitmaps, allowing you to practice the discussed techniques in Autodesk Maya and many other 3D programs.

The lighting techniques covered in this book include:

  • History of lighting as used in the fine arts

  • The scientific mechanisms of light

  • Light types and light application in 3D programs

  • Light qualities including shadows variations

  • Basic and advanced 3D lighting approaches

  • 1-, 2-, 3-point, naturalistic, and stylistic lighting techniques

  • Replication of real-world lighting scenarios and locations

  • Overview of advanced 3D lighting and rendering systems

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1: The Importance of Light and Lighting
    1. Light and Lighting
    2. Information Communicated by Light
      1. Time of Day
      2. Light Sources and Location
      3. Mood
      4. Sidebar: Point-of-Views
      5. Sidebar: Light Shadowing
    3. Scientific Underpinnings of Light
      1. Wavelength, Color, and Temperature
      2. Reflection, Transmission, and Absorption
    4. Goals of Lighting
      1. Story Communication
      2. Visual Clarity
      3. Replication of Real World Locations
      4. Aesthetic Stylization
  8. Chapter 2: The History of Lighting in the Arts
    1. Review of Light Categories
    2. Review of Point Lighting
    3. 0-Point Lighting
    4. 1-Point Lighting
    5. 2-Point Lighting
    6. 2-Point Lighting in Portraiture
      1. Rembrandt Lighting
      2. Loop Lighting
      3. Split Lighting
      4. Butterfly Lighting
      5. Broad and Short Lighting
      6. High- and Low-key Lighting
      7. Sidebar: Hard and Soft Lighting
    7. 3-Point Lighting
    8. 3-Point Lighting with a Background Light
    9. Other Limited Light Variations
    10. Naturalistic Lighting
    11. Stylistic Lighting
    12. Sidebar: A Note on Video Games and Stop Motion Animation
  9. Chapter 3: Lighting in 3D
    1. 3D Lighting Pipelines and Workflow
      1. Collecting Light Information
      2. Lighting Determination Examples
      3. 3D Lighting Steps
      4. Testing 3D Lighting
      5. Sidebar: Working with Color Calibration
    2. Working with 3D Lights
      1. Common 3D Light Types
        1. Spot Light
        2. Point Light
        3. Directional Light
        4. Ambient Light
        5. Area Light
      2. Sidebar: Using Light Decay
      3. Common 3D Light Properties
      4. Shadow Variations Among Lights
      5. Shadow Approaches
      6. Specialized 3D Light Types
        1. Mesh
        2. Cylindrical
        3. Environment
        4. Photometric
        5. Volume
        6. Renderer Variations
      7. 3D Light Interaction with Shaders
      8. Common Shader Properties
      9. Sidebar: Texture Overview
  10. Chapter 4: Emulating Specific Light Sources
    1. Emulating Natural Light Sources
      1. Sidebar: Source Models and Textures
      2. Mid-day Sun
      3. Sidebar: PBR Options
      4. Sunset
      5. Candle Flame
      6. Diffuse Window Light
    2. Emulating Artificial Light Sources
      1. Table Lamp
      2. Sidebar: Selective Shadow Casting
      3. Neon Sign
      4. Christmas Lights
    3. Lighting a Character with Different Light Sources
    4. Sidebar: Light and Shadow Linking
  11. Chapter 5: Working with PBR Systems
    1. Choosing PBR
    2. Review of Common Rendering Systems
      1. Scanline
      2. Ray Tracing
    3. Overview of PBR Systems
    4. Review of Common PBR Systems
      1. GI
        1. Photon Mapping
        2. Final Gather
        3. Radiosity
        4. Point Cloud
        5. Irradiance Cache
        6. Path Tracing / Monte Carlo Ray Tracing
      2. IBL
      3. Sky Systems
    5. Sidebar: Overview of Advanced 3D Renderers
    6. Sidebar: Unbiased vs. Biased Rendering
    7. An Introduction to Render Passes / AOVs
    8. Sidebar: Lighting Render Passes
  12. Chapter 6: Reproducing Locations and Lighting Characters
    1. Lighting Locations and Characters
    2. Reproducing Lighting at Specific Locations
      1. Location #1: Elevator Landing
      2. Location #2: Bus Interior
      3. Location #3: Outer Space
    3. Designing Character Lighting
    4. Sidebar: Character Lighting Pitfalls
    5. Sidebar: Measuring Light in Stops
  13. Chapter 7: Designing Stylistic Lighting
    1. Stylistic Planning
      1. Generating a Mood
      2. Creating a Tribute to Other Art Forms
      3. Creating a Visually Unconventional Look
      4. Establishing a Parallel World or Timeline
    2. Stylized 3D Examples
    3. Sidebar: Motion Blur and Other Post-Process Effects
  14. Case Study 1: Copying a Renaissance Still Life
    1. Using Autodesk Maya with the V-Ray Renderer
    2. Sidebar: Reloading Missing Texture Bitmaps
    3. Sidebar: Gamma-Corrected Views
    4. Switching to the Arnold Renderer
    5. Creating a Window Reflection
    6. Adjusting the Render Quality
    7. Sidebar: Determining Values
  15. Case Study 2: Lighting a Complex Night Interior
    1. Using Autodesk Maya with the Maya Software Renderer
    2. Switching to the V-Ray Renderer and Adding Fog
  16. Case Study 3: Lighting an Animated Animal Character
    1. Using Autodesk Maya with the Maya Software Renderer
    2. Switching to the Arnold Renderer and Adding a Sky Shader
    3. Sidebar: Creating Skies in 3D
  17. Epilogue: The Future of 3D Lighting
  18. Appendix: Visual Lighting Glossary
    1. 0-Point Lighting
    2. 1-Point Lighting
    3. 2-Point Lighting
    4. 3-Point Lighting
    5. Ambient Light
    6. Area Light
    7. Back Light
    8. Background Light
    9. Bounced Light
    10. Color Bleed
    11. Color Temperature
    12. Butterfly Lighting
    13. Depth Map Shadow
    14. Diffuse
    15. Directional Light
    16. Environment Light
    17. Eye Light
    18. Fill Light
    19. Final Gather (GI)
    20. Fresnel Reflection
    21. Glamour Lighting
    22. Hair Light
    23. Hard Lighting
    24. High-key
    25. IBL (Image-based Lighting)
    26. Key Light
    27. Kicker (Light)
    28. Lighting Ratio
    29. Light Ray
    30. Loop Lighting
    31. Low-key
    32. Mesh Light
    33. Naturalistic Lighting
    34. Path Tracing (GI)
    35. PBR (Physically-Based Rendering)
    36. Photometric Light
    37. Photon
    38. Photon Mapping (GI)
    39. Point Light
    40. Radiosity (GI)
    41. Ray Tracing
    42. Ray Trace Shadow
    43. Refraction
    44. Rembrandt Lighting
    45. Renderer
    46. Rim Light
    47. Shader (Material)
    48. Secondary Diffuse Illumination
    49. Silhouette Lighting
    50. Sky System
    51. Soft Lighting
    52. Specularity
    53. Split Lighting
    54. Spot Light
    55. Stylistic Lighting
    56. Utility Light
    57. Volume Light
  19. Appendix: Common Question Index
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Aesthetic 3D Lighting
  • Author(s): Lee Lanier
  • Release date: March 2018
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781351733649