I need a lighting rig for MR in Maya 2008

[jeremybirn]

Create a primitive plane underneath it. Don't make any lights. Use Mental Ray, and in the bottom of your Render Settings window, click Create next to Physical Sun & Sky. That's about the best pre-set lighting rig you could start with.

-jeremy

[BulletProof]

I give you the studio-setup I've made by myself in Photoshop. Don't expect too much of it, but it's doing a good job for most of my renders. Gives you nice reflections and a pretty well lighting. I've made some more of them...so if you guys are interested I'll post them.

Studio Setup (http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/studio_setup.zip)

example rendered with HDRI image
http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/sample.jpg

Studio Setup
http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/studio_setup.jpg

[BulletProof]

Studio Setup 2 (http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/studio_setup_2.zip)


Example rendered with HDRI
http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/sample_2.jpg


Studio Setup 2
http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/studio_setup_2.jpg

[BulletProof]

Studio Setup 3 (http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/studio_setup_3.zip)


Example rendered with HDRI
http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/sample_3.jpg


Studio Setup 3
http://members.aon.at/bulletin/lightsetup/studio_setup_3.jpg

[d4rklit3]

you guys know a good tutorial for setting up HDRI in a scene?

[BulletProof]

It's quite simple. Be sure that you have Mental Ray chosen as your renderer (Render -> Render Using -> Mental Ray)

Second. Go under your render settings, then the mental ray-tab. Scroll down until you find the point "Environment". Open it, and beside "Image Based Lightning" click on "create". Now you just have to choose a file under "Image Name" that should lighten your scene (f.ex my HDRI files). You'll see that Maya creates a big sphere, covering your whole scene.

So far MAYA takes this as normal environment that you can see in reflections/refractions, but is not lighting your scene regarding to this image. First you have to create a light. Doesn't really matter what kind of because you'll set it's intensity to "0". Why that?

If you haven't created a light in your scene. MAYA creates a directonal light as default. We don't want that, because we want our scene lit by the HDRI-file.

The only missing part is to activate "Final Gathering" under your render-settings. Switch it on...you can work with the default setting for the beginning. I'm not going into details here.

If you hit "Render" now, you'll see the scene...enlightended by your HDRI File.

To tune the intensity of your HDR-File, just play around with the Color Gain Settings. The higher the number, the brighter your image...

This is just a simple walkthrough. There are several tutorials spread all around the internet, covering more details.

Hope this works for you

[d4rklit3]

this is very helpful thank you. One last thing. Does anyone know a good way to create a frosted glass material?

[BulletProof]

Since you're rendering with Mental Ray, I'd say you'll try it with a MIA_Shader and play around with the glossiness settings under refraction....

[TheNeverman]

there is a default frosted glass in the mia_material presets...

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