Lighting Effects

Illuminated Fog

We often see the illumination of microscopic particles in the air such as dust, smoke, fog

Illumination of participating media can dramatically enhance a scene or set a mood

We can create fog that is associated with (or attached to) individual lights

Another method is to set fog for the entire scene

We’ll work on a per light basis, attaching illuminated fog per light

Scene, spotlight, low intensity directional, no fog

Light Effects attribute, attribute editor, per light

Click on “Mapping button” to right of “Light Fog” attribute

Automatically attaches fog to light

Fog attached to spotlight, default fog settings

Fog terminates too early for our scene

This and other settings can be modified or manipulated

Manipulators

Maya uses special manipulators to interactively modify settings

Manipulators provide visual, interactive way to change parameters

Parameters can also be modified by typing in values in attribute editor

We’ve been using manipulators to translate, scale, rotate

Many objects and tools have special manipulators

Special manipulators provide setting unique parameters

Switch between different parameters by a “cycling index” icon

Viewing: Display->Hide,Show->Camera, Light Manipulators

+,- to increase/decrease size of manipulator in view

Light Manipulators

Allow for interactive adjustment of light attributes

Viewing Light manipulator icon

Display->Camera/Light manipulators OR

Display->Show->Light OR

Show manipulator tool icon (next to scale tool icon, mini-bar)

Example – spotlight manipulator

Origin, Decay, Radius

Center of Interest/Origin

Pivot Point

Cone Radius

Penumbra Radius

Decay Region

Let’s modify the decay region to change the termination of the fog

Light fog attributes

Color and Density

Decay rate (standard light attribute)

Regional decay (illuminated, non-illuminated regions)

Fog spread (1.0, 2.0, 0.5, 0.1), Dropoff of fog from center to edge of cone

Optical light effects

By default, when light shines directly into camera, light does not glow or produce effects

Can add effects per light to produce light glow, light halo, and a lens flare

Any light can produce any combination of glow, halo, and lens flare effects

Optical light effects is a post-processing effect, occurs after scene is rendered

Camera view needs to be looking back toward the light (opposite light direction)

Add effect by clicking map beside Light Glow attribute of selected light

Creates optiFX node with modifiable attributes

Glow properties

Color (Glow color attribute)

Brightness (Glow Intensity)

Size (Glow spread)

Opacity (Glow Opacity), changes amount that a glow obscures objects

Decay (Glow type)

Glow beams

Number of regularly spaced beams (Star Points attribute)

Width of spaced beams (Glow Star Level)

Brightness of randomly spaced beams (Glow radial noise)

Noise (Glow noise)

Beam rotation (Rotation)

Halo properties

Color (Halo color attribute)

Brightness (Halo Intensity)

Size (Halo spread)

Decay (Halo Type)

Lens Flare properties

Color (Flare Color attribute)

Color range (Flare Col Spread)

Brightness (Flare Intensity)

Shape (Hexagon Flare)

Size (Flare Min, Flare Max)

Sharpness (Flare focus)

Number of elements (Flare Num Circles)

Some Examples