Some lighting help please

# 1 10-12-2012 , 07:26 PM

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Hello,

I have not done much Maya work in years so please excuse the possible rudimentary nature of this question with all the great talent here it may seem rather newbie!

I have to do a rather straight forward cam fly around of a master-planned community. I set up a quick test scene to get the basic lighting blocked it. I used automated lights and standard lights and I am not really thrilled about the lighting but my larger issue is that I am getting unexpected and undesired effects happening.

I have attached two images to illustrate the two issues I am having-firstly you will see some lines in the textures causing almost cross hatching or diamonds (I have indicated these).

Second, the objects, though only textured with simple lambert base shaders, seem to have this sort of burned or dirty look to them. I am curious if this is just bad lighting job or some other setting I am missing?
I am ok if the answer is just I am a crappy lighter if it comes with a tip or two user added image

https://s1290.beta.photobucket.com/us...tml?sort=3&o=0

https://s1290.beta.photobucket.com/us...tml?sort=3&o=1

Thanks!

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# 2 10-12-2012 , 07:34 PM

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The second one looks like you need to harden the edge normals, try going to normal/harden edge. not sure what the lines are, could you do a screen grad with edges showing.................dave

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# 3 10-12-2012 , 08:44 PM

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Hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply-I will try that normals/harden edges suggestion. Unfortunately I am at work so I will have to send a screen grab later on so you can see about that lines issue. That main big object is like the entire base for the masterplan and was exported as an obj. from Sketchup so I was expecting some weirdness but two things make it strange-one is the fact that the sides look fine (no strange lines) and two-the yellowish cubes were created in Maya so whatever is causing it is apparently not an import issue.

I am curious of your opinion in general on the lighting-do you think it is ok or would you suggest using physical sun and sky?

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# 4 11-12-2012 , 12:58 PM

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You need to finish your modelling and texturing before getting the lighting to work............dave

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# 5 14-12-2012 , 11:42 PM

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Yeah I guess that makes sense I am trying to do everything at once since the turn around on this is so tight.

I have discovered what is causing the undesirable lines however. It is coming from the cast shadows of the obj (or fbx doesn't matter) imported geometry. When I turn cast shadows off of these the weird lines disappear. Of course then I don't get shadows and I want them so I am at a loss of how to rectify this. In teh same scene a Maya primitive will show shadows properly.

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# 6 15-12-2012 , 09:44 AM

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Could you do a sceen grab of the wires for the base also you could try snapping the verts on the flat surface in a Y axis then realine them...........dave

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Last edited by daverave; 15-12-2012 at 09:50 AM.

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# 7 17-12-2012 , 04:02 PM

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Could you do a sceen grab of the wires for the base also you could try snapping the verts on the flat surface in a Y axis then realine them...........dave

Originally Posted by daverave

I will thanks, bear with me I just logged in this morning after the weekend to find your request I will have to do so once home again.