Adding a Camera

Creating a Realistic Hourglass

Rendering Your Work

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Creating a Realistic Hourglass > 

Adding Default Lights to the Scene

You can create your own lights, or you can let 3ds Max do it for you. In this section you'll add a key light and a fill light using an automatic process.

Continue from the previous lesson.

Add lights to the scene:

1. Right-click the Camera viewport label, and then choose Configure.
2. On the Rendering Method panel, in the Rendering Options group, turn on Default Lighting, and choose 2 Lights. Click OK.
3. On the main menu, choose Views > Add Default Lights To Scene.
4. In the Add Default Lights To Scene dialog, set Distance Scaling to 0.2, then click OK.

   This hourglass is relatively small, so you use Distance Scaling to set the lights closer to the object.

View the new lights:

Follow these steps to see the new lights.

1. Press T on the keyboard to change the Camera viewport to a Top view. Also right-click the viewport label and turn off Show Safe Frame.
2. From the view navigation tools, click Zoom Extents.

   

   The Top viewport without lights displayed.

   

   Top viewport zoomed back to include added default lights.

Now you'll add your own light to create a specular highlight on the glass.

Add your own light to create a specular highlight:

1. On the main menu, click Create > Lights > Standard Lights > Omni. Zoom in the Top viewport and click in the lower-left quadrant, as shown in the illustration.

   

   Create an Omni light close to the hourglass.

2. Set the Top viewport back to the Camera view by pressing C and then move the Omni light up so it is just above the height of the sand level. When you render the image this light will create a specular highlight on the glass.

   

   Move the Omni light along the Z axis so it is level with the sand.

3. Open the Modify panel for the light you just created. Locate the Multiplier value on the Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout and change it to 1.33. To produce a larger specular highlight on the glass, you can turn up the multiplier or you can move the light closer to the glass.

   

   Rendered image shows Omni-generated highlight.

Save your work:

• Choose File > Save As, and name your file MyHourglass_with_Lights.max.