How to make this kind of light???

[skorpyo]

Hello! I'm a beginner to intermediate in max. I started to make an interior scene with couches and vases and a table in the middle. The thing is that i dont want it to be a room that has no windows(lighted only by a lamp in the ceiling). I wanted to be lighted by an exterior light(At least the basic light). How can i create the window, the light and how can i make the light take the shape on the floor of the object that has hit(you know..the light comes through a window and you can see the rays a little and then comes on the floor). Can anyone help me with this? But dont take me directly with terms(do this and that). I want to know exactly what to do and how. I you hurry it's a waste of your time. Thanks!!!:beer: :sm:

[Chuppa]

First of all: making exterior light ligthing your interior is impossible; at least when you're using 3ds. There are programs that are capable of doing that, but it's a whole other subject.

Creating the light casting shadows (so you see the shape of the window on the ground) is the easiest part. Just create your window (by translucent materials or just a real window-shape) and create a light. And of course an object to cast the shadows on. After that's done (you've already done that probably), you should make sure "cast shadows" is activated (you'll find it at the light's parameters). Render the scene and you've got your window.

*However*
The only thing you'll see is a huge dark space with a very small area being lightend. That's becuase your objects don't forward the light rays. And as said, there's no fucntion to make them do so. So you'll have to improvise. The best way of doing that is creating several omni-lights with NO SHADOW CASTING and place them around the scene as you like. You should differ them in their strength, so that parts of your room the 'real' light wouldn't reach are darker then others.

I'm sorry i can't step-by-step explain you how to do this, the best way to learn it is by trial-and-error, as with almost every 3ds function. You can, however, look for tutorials about this subject on the internet. There are several, just do a google.

I hope this helps you out

And i hope this wasn't a waste of my time ;)

Cheers,
CHuppa

[skorpyo]

Thanks!!! I found your indications helpful! However the problem is the i dont know how to place lights. Do you have a general idea or concept that you rely on? How many lights should there be in one scene and what kind of lights they are? For a rectangular room for example where i have a sofa and 2 armchairs on a wall. How should it be lit? I almost gave up on max until your reply. I understood most of the modeling and i started doing interiors but :( i have no idea how to light them. I always try with all kinds of direct spots but i dont know how they should be positioned. At least a general idea, please....I'M DESPERATE!!!

Thanks for your reply!!!:beer:

[Chuppa]

I guess my earlier posted message didn't make it through.

There is indead a general way of doing this, but im not going to explain it since there are some great tutorials in the web.
I've been looking in my huge favorites list and found this one:

http://www.michaelscholz.de/neuehomepage/tutorial/tut02_e.html

It's simply the best one one can find on the internet

Hope ive been of some use

Cheers,
Chuppa

[skorpyo]

Dude you RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLE!!!! You saved me man!!!!!!!!!! Haven't started the tut yet but i can see it's really easy. So that's the general idea. I knew there had to be something!!! Thanks for your effort man! THANKS A LOT!!!! I do have another question though which is not related to lighting....how can i accually make the window from that scene? I saw that the editable mesh modifier mesh has been use but i don't realize how it is done. I know it's simple(at least i think)! How can i make that basic window??? When i tried understanding lights(back then) i only tried to glue more boxes to make an empty space in the"wall". How can i make that sort of window or any window at all--like that?(i saw that at create> aec extended>windows you can make something that to me doesn't look like a window at all)!

Anyway THANKS AGAIN!!! My interest in 3dmax 6 has grown, now that i can light my scenes properly!!!!

Thanks!!!


***if there is something i could do for you not necesarilly related to max just say...it would be my pleasure to return a pleasure***