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Is There a Trick to Lighting Things in Iray?

StrixObscuroStrixObscuro Posts: 21
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

Ever since I switched to rendering in Iray rather than 3Delight, I've noticed that all my characters seem to end up with dark skin, even when the skin is normally fair or pale. I've tried lighting presets, and I've tried shining as many as five or six lights on a scene, and the skins still all look dark. Is there a piece I'm missing?

Comments

  • fastbike1fastbike1 Posts: 4,078
    edited August 2019

    @StrixObscuro

    You could try lowering the translucency on the skins. A  translucency settting that is too high, will make skins darker. It may be your settings though.

    It would help if you posted some renders and your lighting settings. The default Studio Lumen settings for Iray spotlights are way too low. Have you tried an HDRI for lighting

    Here's a render of Zelara 8 with her base skin. Do you think this is too dark?

    Zelara 8 Human base skin shot1.png
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    Post edited by fastbike1 on
  • kenshaw011267kenshaw011267 Posts: 3,805
    StrixObscuro said:

    Ever since I switched to rendering in Iray rather than 3Delight, I've noticed that all my characters seem to end up with dark skin, even when the skin is normally fair or pale. I've tried lighting presets, and I've tried shining as many as five or six lights on a scene, and the skins still all look dark. Is there a piece I'm missing?

    Iray wants much brighter lights than the DS default lights provide.

  • StrixObscuroStrixObscuro Posts: 21

    This was one of my recent renders. The skin is either FWSA's Sparkle, which is relatively light-skinned. I had two or three spotlights shining on the figure, and yet she still came out looking dark-skinned.

    ripoff 0.png
    480 x 569 - 159K
  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,954

    Strix,

     

    Have a look at this thread in the new users forum - https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/306616/february-2019-daz3d-new-user-challenge-lighting - it may have some useful info for you.

  • PadonePadone Posts: 3,796

    Probably you're using scene-only as environment setting, I guess that from the hard shadows in your picture. If this is the case you many try adding some large area lights that may work as environment light. Then you can keep them low if you're looking for high contrasts.

    Or you can turn on dome and scene and use a hdr for the environment light. Also the exposure value in the tone mapping settings helps to get the mid-tones you need.

  • fastbike1fastbike1 Posts: 4,078

    @StrixObscuro "The skin is either FWSA's Sparkle"

    The badground color is not helping you either. Very hard to judge skin tone against that color. Also any other lighting will reflect the background color in the scene

     

  • HylasHylas Posts: 5,070

    Did you by any chance download "IDG Vibrant Light Probes" when it was a Xmas freebie last December? It's great for simple, basic portrait lighting and I use it all the time. Try it if you have it!

  • StrixObscuroStrixObscuro Posts: 21
    edited August 2019
    Hylas said:

    Did you by any chance download "IDG Vibrant Light Probes" when it was a Xmas freebie last December? It's great for simple, basic portrait lighting and I use it all the time. Try it if you have it!

    I think I have those, but they seem to be called "Gradient Light Probes" instead. Also, when I click on one of them, it doesn't seem to do anything.

    Post edited by StrixObscuro on
  • HylasHylas Posts: 5,070

    Go to Render Settings -> Environment and make sure "Dome and Scene" is selected.

    You will only see the effect in the IRAY preview mode (and in the actual render, of course.)

    Does this help?

  • StrixObscuroStrixObscuro Posts: 21

    Okay, I think I've got the hang of these HDRI things...

    Ripoff Re-Do.png
    480 x 569 - 134K
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