card tables (casino/bar)

# 1 02-02-2004 , 11:48 PM

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hey all im 14 years old from new york city. been using maya for a while and started something that i actually thought looked ok. just wanted to know what you all think and if you had any suggestions for me.

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Last edited by dave_baer; 06-02-2004 at 08:41 AM.

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# 2 03-02-2004 , 12:13 AM

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I like the idea and the look. And it is very impressive especially for your age. Just a quick note for the lights, if you look at them you'll see that the edges of the lights projections are very sharp. This does not occur in realism, there is a certain amount of "falloff". As best as I can explain it, fall is when the light looses some of it's power or begins to die out.
Sorry for talking so much, The way to accomplish this in Maya that I am aware of is by changing the "Penumbra Angle" when you do this you will see the image in the Light Shape box change as well. this will produce a minimal amount of softness on the edge, dropoff does the same thing but at a much greater %.
Once again, good work and good luck.

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# 3 03-02-2004 , 12:36 AM

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yah i totally understand what your saying. the book i was learning from didnt go into lighting so much so i was pretty much just messing around with the different attributes. i thought maybe it was light decay but ill try the penumbra.

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# 4 03-02-2004 , 02:51 AM

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hows that? i know its kind of odd looking now but that black box on the top is actually the light casing, but im still messing around with materials on them.

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# 5 03-02-2004 , 04:14 AM

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The ground/carpet dosent fit the rest of the scene. Other than that, kool. user added image

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# 6 03-02-2004 , 04:48 AM

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That looks alot better, the softer edges help keep the image from looking flat.
The way light decay works is that it controls the rate at which light dies off as it approaches a greater distance from the light. I read somewhere that Quadratic is the closest to mimicing real light. However when you do change the decay, and it can help with making the scene look more realistic if you do, you will have to increase the intensity quite a bit past one.
You should also consider placing a couple of lights above the table lamps. Light bounces, which is something that the Software render doesn't take into calculation when it is rendering the scene. However Mental Ray does, if you have 5.0 or the plug-in for a lower version. Sometimes to mimic this effect, I will use a few softer point lights to "recreate" the effect of bouncing light. If you have any further questions or need further explaination feel free to IM or email me.

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# 7 03-02-2004 , 07:56 AM

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Looks good. Don't forget to use dmap shadows with your spotlights so it doesn't light up the carpet under the tables.

"Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there...with open arms, and open eyes" - Incubus

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# 8 03-02-2004 , 11:56 AM

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oh ya i was gonna ask about that. how do i apply dmap? also what what you suggest for a floor if not carpet? i was thinking that carpet was somewhat casino but i guess not.

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# 9 03-02-2004 , 12:22 PM

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The carpet is very casino but it's too big you should scale it down (the tiling size). The lights are far too bright and there isnt enough ambient light. Underneath the tables would be the darkest areas not the brightest. To use dmap shadows turn on the option in the lights attributes (under shadows).

Alan

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Currently working on: Your Highness

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# 10 03-02-2004 , 01:23 PM

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A couple of crits:

(1) You have modeled rectangular lights, but it seems that they emit two spotlights with an overlapping cone. I would suggest that volume lighting may be more appropriate.

(2) You definitely need some ambient lighting as all of the light in your scene comes from the over-table lights and is pointed straight down at the table. The problem with this is that you have modeled covers that cannot be seen because they are not lit from above or from the sides.

I hope I dont totally confuse you if I say: "Dont create an Area Light, rather create ambient lighting by creating and aiming Directional Lights." I personally prefer lots of directional lights with low intensities than one or two high intensity lights as you can set up more intricate highlights in your scene.

Another general point about lights... dont be afraid to go into the Attribute Editor and modify the light color... in real life one rarely encounters "white" light. A slight push into the yellow or blue can do wonders for the overall realism and look of your scene.

That'll do donkey... that'll do...

Last edited by rich; 04-02-2004 at 12:56 AM.

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# 11 03-02-2004 , 01:28 PM

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Let me just add that I like what you have done! user added image

A little further down the road, you may want to simulate a "seedy" smoky casino look by introducing a small amount environment fog.

That'll do donkey... that'll do...

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# 12 03-02-2004 , 10:08 PM

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yah thats what i was thinking, maybe an ash tray with a smoldering cigar or something along those lines. the lights i have made are suppose to be the type of lights above a pool table, just trying to give it more of a "back room illegal card game" feel. will post more when i've completed school work user added image

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# 13 04-02-2004 , 10:18 PM

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does anyone know where to find a good tutorial on particle emitters? thats what im using for the smoke, but im having trouble with it. mostly i need to figure out how to make the particles emit in a more smoke like pattern, the way it is now looks like a garden hose spray, its very uniform (sry dont know how else to describe it). i also cant figure out how to render it, do i have to texture the particles?

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