I think you should take this to the W.I.P section. Originally posted by midduke Another question, why does using HDRI make it look so realistic yet I cant get anywhere near that with the 3 point lighting... HDRIs make things look more realistic because not only do they provide an environment to reflect, they also contribute to lighting, create contact shadows, soft shadows and all that other good stuff. It would just make sense for me to advise you to check the help files to get familiar with the maya lights (skipping the basic stuff is never a good idea) but as far as making softer shadows, increase the light radius in the raytrace section of the light's attributes. That'll soften the shadow but it'll be grainy unless you increase the light rays (that'll increase render time so don't go cray with that lol)