What is lighting?

an important component of the rendering process.

Why we use lighting?

Reveals the 3D world Sets the mood of the scene, eg: peaceful, disturbing.. Contribute significantly to the overall processing time necessary to render the scene

Purposes of Lighting

Artistic storytelling Paramount in the correct exposure of the scene (film, video, digitally)

To achieve a degree of sophistication, beauty and efficiency

1.

2.

Starts with dark space Turning the spotlights on

Focus on the lighting effect

3.

Adding the ambient light in small increment

Visualize the blending of secondary light with the main light

Animate by the position and attributes of light sources Overly animated light cause a great visual distraction

Ability to control the aperture of a cameras virtual lens

Lens Aperture, f/stops, a unit used

To measure the aperture of the lens To determine how much light will pass through it The greater the f/stop, the greater amount of light passing through the lens f/1lens wide open f/90small aperture

f/stops scale list

f/1 f/1.4 f/2 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8

f/11 f/16 f/22 f/32 f/45 f/64 f/90

Zone system, a technique used

To classify and balance the amount of light distributed throughout the scene. To catalog the gray levels in the image on a scale that goes from a pure black to an absolute white
Pure black Zone 0

absolute white Zone X

The gray tones of each scale between Zone 0 and Zone X are separated by one f/stop.

Zone V importance:

Represents the average reflectance of objects at about 18% reflectance of light

Zone Reflectance of Light

Zone 0
Zone I Zone II Zone III Zone IV Zone V Zone VI Zone VII Zone IX Zone X

3.5%
4.5% 6% 9% 12.5% 17.5% 25% 35% 70% 100%

What is the color of light? Color of light change with the time of day, weather, landscape and location on the planet.

Use to create startling light effect. For example :

Tracked around the stage with colored light Dance clubs when festive atmosphere No way to use colored light in a moody situation.

Color must be used with prudence.

Pigment-based colors

Red + yellow = orange Blue + yellow = green Red + blue = purple

Using tinted light is less dramatic but more subtle lighting effect than using colored lights. In simulated 3-dimensional space, it is used to determine a mood of a scene. The effect is similar to a coat of overpaint or vanish on the layers of paints.

When using HSB(Hue, Saturation, and Brightness) color model,

saturation values should be low, so that the color is washed out. Brightness values should be high, so that the tint is not too dark Hue values could vary depending on the coloration desired for the tint.

When using RGB color model,

The values of Red, Green and Blue should be high, so that the resulting color would be bright and not too saturated.

The effect of light reflected off the surface of moving surface can be recreated by placing spotlights shinning up through a surface that represent water and that has an animated shape. It also call caustics, caused when multiple focused rays of light are reflected or refracted onto one another.

Point Light Spot Light Infinite Light Ares Light Linear Light Ambient Light

Also called Omnidirectional light. (in all directions) Casts light evenly in all directions. Simplest types of light sources. Can placed anywhere in the scene.

Light will shine through the walls of a transparent object. (generate a similar effects to a light bulb.)
A star A candle A firefly

Require additional effects.

Like a point light. Cast light in corn shape, only in one specific direction. Characteristics :A variable-angle cone of light A light fall-off factor

Attract the attention to a specific area or situation in 3D scene. Can increase illumination level of a scene. Usage:Add feelings to the shot in a dark scene. Remind audience to search for something/someone.

Examples :Flashlights Lamps with shades Jack-on-lanterns Light reflectors

Far from the elements in the scene because the light rays reach the scene parallel to each other. Also called directional lights, behave like stars in the sky. Characteristics :Placed anywhere in the environment Massless Intensity can be modulated

Example :

Sun

1. 2.

Area Light can be in the form of multiple light grouped together/ single large area of light. Area Lights can be scaled to any size but are more efficient when kept small. Two Usage: Useful for lighting small areas uniformly . Used to stimulate the reflection of light coming into an interior space through open window.

Provides a constant illumination to all surfaces of model. Ambient light can coming from all directions. Ambient light sources determines the general level of illumination/shade of a scene. One ambient light source per scene.

Ambient light source can be placed in a specific XYZ position in 3D space.

The light of the florescent tubes used to light so many public spaces can be stimulated with linear light. Have length but no width, can be scaled to any size. The computation will cause time-consuming than the combination of several point lights.

Area Light

Ambient light is like a light that strikes an object from every direction.

When use effectively, area light can stimulate light from fluorescent tubes and panels, or bounce cards.

Point Light

The most useful of all light as it illuminates a coneshaped volume with the source tip.

Point light emits omnidirectional light from a single point in space. Such as candles and light bulbs.

Control by standard navigation / geometric transformation tool Translation & rotation When rendered a scene, actual light sources will be seen, except invisible light

Visible by default In wireframe mode, represent by:

As bright spot in the image Small 3-dimensional object (graphic symbol)

Color of light specific by

Light-based model 2. Additive color model
1.

RGB (Red, Green, Blue) model HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) model

Color specified by its individual R,G,B component Color of the light become lighter when amount of color increase In 3D environment, color that assign to an object influenced by:

Color of light source Position of the object

Color of the light is easier to be defined compare than RGB model Intensity of light source is independently from its color and hue Intensity & brightness of a light source control by dimmer Intensity values

Minimum = 0 Maximum = 1

Intensity affect by change of color in a light Example:

Light red color has higher intensity than dark red color.

Decay value of light controls the force of a light source. Weak light decays rapidly Strong light decays slowly and travel far Fall-off value control sharpness or softness of the edges of spotlight beams.

Decay of light

Light Fall-Off

Unique characteristic of spot-lights Cone angle of spotlight defined - the diameter of the beam of light

Surface area covered by the light

Is a circle of light that forms around the light source Why : Light is refracted and reflected by particles in the environment. (ice, dust, smoke) 2 different method in creating glow in computer generated light : - refraction (3D) -bleeding (2D)

Glow of spotlight: cone of light Circular & conical light glows: volumetric lights - define by the decay of the light source. - further controlled by the spread or beam angle of light source.

Linear decay : gradual fading of the glow effect Exponential decay : sudden vanishing of the glow Lens flare : simulates the refraction of light inside of a camera lens.

Glow of light

Global light sources

Shine on all objects in the scene which directly exposed to the light sources

Radiosity: when 3D surfaces are not directly exposed, it will also get some lights in the form of penumbra or diffuse interreflections. Illumination effects: depend on the position, orientation and brightness

Local light sources (linked/selective light sources)

Only sheds the objects that linked to it

The link can be:

Exclusive Inclusive

Exclusive link

Directly illuminate the objects linked. Can pass through opaque objects which block the light.
Illuminate objects which linked to it, and also the objects which are exposed to it.

Inclusive link

Establishing links between light sources and 3D surfaces >> achieve complex lighting situation >> increase complexity in managing a scene. So must restrain it!! If there is local light source and other light sources on an object, then it will only be illuminated by the former.

In principle, when there has light, there are shadows. In computer-generated shadow-casting,

Lights can be turned on/off Attribute of objects is optional Shading techniques are optional

All these determine the final visual appearance

Shadows can be defined by several parameters:Color of shadow Color of penumbra Softness of the shadow edge

Softness of edge can be controlled with many rendering methods:

Mostly, the shadow edges are sharper when the light source is further. Ray tracing: depend on the number of levels of shadow tracers Radiosity-based rendering: shadow edges are soft when surfaces in environment create a lot of diffuse inter-reflections

Patterns of shadow can create mood in the scene.

Gobo lights

The important of lighting can reveal all element like shape, color, and textures and present them in harmonic. Basic style of lighting sources are key light, fill light, kicker light and practical light.

Area in the scene where most of the action takes place. It may consist a small area. Lighting arrangement in this area require several variation when the scene is shot from difference point of view. Light the main action area on a theater stae are often called key light.

The place in the scene into which some of the action eventually spills. The number of light needed to illuminate the secondary action area in a small environment is usually smaller than the number of light in the main action area.

Backdrops with texture maps are sensitive to colored light. The stage and background in computergenerated environment are closely related and in many cases share geometry. Some computer-animated scenes create significant scenery and surroundings.

Dominant light on the subject or point One that sets the overall mood in a scene Positioned above the subject and at an angle Shadows projected by the key lights can be softened by the fill light.

As an ambient light and its main pose is to soften the key light. Positioned at the subjects face level and the opposite side of the subject as the key. Help to define the overall color tone of the entire scene. Can be created with spotlights or with directionless infinite light sources.

Used to accentuate and define the shape and volume of the subject Positioned to the side of the subject and above. Help to separate the subject from the background by adding a small account of sharp light to the from or the side of the subject. Ring light used to sharpen the silhouette of the subject.

Light source are shown in the scene for the viewers to see as part of the composition. Example of visible light are flashlight. Important character moves through darkness with help of the practical light, trying to accomplish something that will bring irreversible change to the story. Can be simulated with point lights. Sun or moon example of light sources.

Used to emphasize certain dramatic moments or to impose dominant moods. Can be simulated with combinations of moving lights. Created by light traveling through colored glass. Calculates the effects of light traveling through transparent or translucent surfaces.

45 Degree Pair -Consist of two spotlight(above, infront and slides). -Focus at 90 degree angle. - Rotated 45 degree around vertical and horizontal axes. - Simple and effective way to have features of the subject.

Below - Very effective for casting pronounced shadow both on the subject and environment. -Look artificial - Quick effective for accentuating truly dramatic and scary. Subject Level -Tends to flatten the subject - Low intensity fill light for blending other spotlight in the scene.

A Literal Light At The Subjects Level For increasing the contrast between light and dark. The accentuated shadows created with lateral light can have a powerful dramatic effect and add a lot of depth to the scene.

A Literal Light from above Creates an effect that is similar to the 45 degree spotlight pair with slightly more pronounced shadows. One advantage of creating pronounced shadows with a literal light from above is that the shadows created by the main subject are usually projected on the floor and not on other objects in the scene.

A Literal Light From Above And Behind is an effective way to outline a subject against a background. It models the actor with contrasted shadows (lateral) and it also creates a halo of light on the top of the subject that clearly differentiate it from the background (back and overhead).

Side Back Light And Top Back Light Both of the above creates halos or rim of lights on the subjects edges Back lighting can be effective way to create depth in scene

Overhead Light Creates dramatic halos around the top of a subject.