CGTalk - skylight problems

Shu

06-09-2003, 10:15 PM

Hi All,
I've been trying to understand how to use the light tracer (and radiosity - but I'll leave that for later) in Max5 for the longest while now but with no luck. I'm beginning to think that the software may be buggy.

All I'm trying to do is light my scene with a skylight, but it is absolutely dark without the exposure controls and completely desaturated with the exposure controls! Am I missing something? The tutorials for Max's advanced lighting has not helped me AT ALL, and I can't find any good tuts online. *sigh*

Here's the file: http://www.shustudios.com/stage/test.max

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks.

ToddD

06-10-2003, 12:21 AM

Shu, I just took a look at your file, and as you said it was blown out bright. 1 thing I did notice, your scale is in millimeters, and even when I converted it to inches, it was very small. I just made a scene of my own a plane, a cube, and added a skylight with default settings in the Lighttracer, and mine rendered fine. I am guessing maybe lighttracer is like radiosity in that realistic scale should be used. That's my guess let me know how you make out.

Shu

06-10-2003, 12:58 AM

Can you post a render and the max file? I would like a point of reference.

Thanks.

Hires

06-10-2003, 11:34 AM

? i ve re-linked diffuse and ambient color in the box material and the box is now green.... i hope i understoood the question well...

Maven

06-10-2003, 02:29 PM

It renders just fine with or without exposure controls.

If you are wondering why your box isn't green than read hires post above.

Shu

06-10-2003, 05:58 PM

So in order to use the light tracer properly, the materials need to have the same diffuse and ambient color? I don't remember reading that in Max's documentation. Is there anything else I should be aware of?

BTW, thanks for the help.

Hires

06-10-2003, 09:14 PM

by default the ambient and diffuse color are locked , i think there is a reason behind that :hmm:

ToddD

06-14-2003, 02:46 AM

Shu, did you ever try adjusting the scale? I just read in another forum a similar problem and scale turned out to be the issue. Have you solved the problem?:)

Shu

06-15-2003, 08:27 AM

Hi, Yes it was the ambient and diffuse. Apparently they need to be the same color. I'm assuming that this is because global illumination uses a "real" shade for materials as opposed to a color (the ambient color) for normal illumination, but I'm just guessing. I would appreciate if someone could shed some light on the issue (ha, sorry - I couldn't resist!)

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