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A8 - Lighting

File Downloads for This Assignment

Instead of creating an account on the Poliigon website to download the utensils and plant, use these links (note - that means that you do NOT need to install the Poliigon add-on, so ignore that bit at the end of the video)

You will need to unzip these files after downloading them.

[ Video Resource ] - We'll follow through the video together in class, and mimic the creation in the video as we go along.


Key Points from Video

  • Delete the lamp

  • Go to World tab on right sidebar

  • Click yellow dot next to color -> Sky texture

  • Can play around with sun rotation (use Cycles render engine)

  • Too bright – go to render settings -> Color Management -> Make exposure -2

  • Can also play around with sun elevation (around 5 degrees gives nice morning look)

  • Video recommendation – sun elevation at 15, sun size around 2 or 3 (to soften it – mimics cloudiness)

  • Adjust counter, backsplash and camera so there are about 3 plate-widths to the backsplash, and that the camera viewport doesn’t contain the corners of the counter/backsplash.

Create a cube enclosure

  • G, B to enter grab snapping mode. (video around 5:30 for details)

  • Use this method to resize cube so it exactly encloses counter/backsplash, but leaving some extra room for the camera to be inside.

  • Select the two face that coincide with counter and backsplash, and use X to delete them.

  • Add window into the left face

    • Select face
    • I for inset tool
    • Create area for deletion, then x to delete
  • Move edges, if desired to resize window and control amount of incoming light.

  • Make right face black – with cube selected (minimizes light scattering off this wall back into donuts)

    • Add material – name “White Walls” – choose white colour
    • Add another material (plus sign) – name Black Walls – set surface to Diffuse BSDF (faster rendering time) then choose almost black colour (a very dark gray)
  • In World, try a sun intensity of about 0.5

Import Utensils and Plant

  • File -> Append, then choose the .blend file in the downloaded utensils package

    • This opens a folder view – go into the Collection folder and choose the file that’s there
    • Move this into the background
  • Use the same strategy to import the plant