WIP: indoor scene

jakobrhjakobrh Posts: 101

I'm working on a indoor scene with a pirate-ish theme. In general I'm pleased with the result so far. But maybe som fresh eyes can come up with some cool suggestions.

I've work a little with lights before. But this is the first time I light the scene from scratch. The scene is lit with pointlights inside and a faint distantlight outside.
How do i soften the shadows? I've read about shadow softening, but that part is greyed out when I select the lightsources. How do I enable it?

Comments

  • deathbycanondeathbycanon Posts: 1,227
    edited April 2017

    Ok I'm new to DAZ so I'm honestly freaking out thinking "man you can soften shadows! That's a thing!"  but then I put the breaks on because to me a soft shadow is one that fades slowly from dark to light - as opposed to a "hard" straight line with little fade between light transition .... but for a lot of people "soften" shadows mean to lighten them...... 

    So where I can't help you make a shadow softer the way I think of softer, I can help you lighten the image. I lower the ISO in render render/tone mapping, I think a lot of people use exposure value but I was a photographer so I just expose with iso, shutter speed and f stop - just like a camera. 

    However if there really is a way to soften the shadow edge, and that's what you were asking, I'm right here with you waiting for the answer. That would be really helpfull to be able to do without bringing in a bunch more lights or making your scene brighter! 

    Post edited by deathbycanon on
  • jakobrhjakobrh Posts: 101

    Yes. that is blurred shadow edges I need. My image has hard lines all around. As someone wrote somewhere "Hard lines between light and shadow is fine if it is outside on a summer day."

    Ligther shadows is just adding another lightsource and adjust camera and render settings. I have light shadows in my image under the candles.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 101,051

    Iray or 3Delight? In 3delight there's a Softness setting, which blurs the edges of shadows (but doesn't wrap the light around a curved surface). In Iray that doesnb't work (and is hidden - I suspect you have Show Hidden Properties on in the pane's option menu) but you can chnage the light source's geometry (for points and spots) which will both soften the shadows and wrap the light around curved surfaces.

  • jakobrhjakobrh Posts: 101

    Iray or 3Delight? In 3delight there's a Softness setting, which blurs the edges of shadows (but doesn't wrap the light around a curved surface). In Iray that doesnb't work (and is hidden - I suspect you have Show Hidden Properties on in the pane's option menu)

    No. Show hidden wasn't selected. I tried and then I could see all the options I can't use. Previous I just had "Shadow" grayed out just above "Area" and "Photometrics"

     

    but you can chnage the light source's geometry (for points and spots) which will both soften the shadows and wrap the light around curved surfaces.

    Yes. I did some testing a few hours ago. And I found out that, that was a possible way to do it. Now I just have to work it into my scene. Thanks for the advice anyway. laugh

  • jakobrhjakobrh Posts: 101

    Point lights are now adjusted. That's much better.


    And the old render for an easy comparison.

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