Essential CG Lighting Techniques with 3ds Max, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Paperback)

by Darren Brooker CG artist Cosgrove Hall Digital. (Author)
Key Phrases: ambient occlusion pass, hdr map, falloff map, Material Editor, Render Scene, Light Tracer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Published reviews of previous editions:

"In terms of visual impact, lighting can either make or break an animation. In this book, Darren Brooker gives this subject the respect it deserves. Thoroughly recommended reading."
Brant Drewery, Editor, CGI Magazine

"Darren Brooker has gifted us with a fine addition to our 3D library, to be referenced and considered over and over. Students and seasoned artists will benefit from the broad concepts and specific examples delivered."
Robert Taylor, CG Supervisor & Consultant

"If you work in game art, film or architectural visualisation, you'll need this lighting handbook."
3D World Magazine - October 2006

Book Description
Expert guidance on creating cg lighting techniques with 3ds Max in an inspirational book and DVD package!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 024052022X
• ISBN-13: 978-0240520223
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #636,240 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Nice Book, May 15, 2006

By	Juan Ponce Casasola (Guatemala) - See all my reviews

I'm an architect and i needed some book that actually focused on several types of ilumination for architectural visualization, and this book has it, it's divided in 4 parts, theory, techniques, tips and tricks and taking it further. I like that it has the light theory, an essential part to understand how light actually works in nature.

I've only read the theory, and i've browsed some other chapters and the explanations are very clear, very easy to follow and understand, any new or veteran user of 3ds Max will feel comfortable reading this book; lots of pictures to see in full color.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just as the title says: great overview of essencial lighting techniques, September 26, 2006

By	Jose Barroca - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not a professional lighting artist, I've been learning 3ds max for a few years, part-time. I've read several books and tutorials about changing a GI photon value from 1 to 10 or ajusting the spotlight faloff to 150, but I needed a book which gave me an integrated and comparative look on the various lighting techniques and methodologies 3ds max has to offer. This book does just that. It doesn't set out to explain every single button or value, it gives you the essencials about the way the various techniques work,not just by explaining sequentially scanline render, advanced lighting or mental ray, but also by transmitting good insight on production methods and light theory..The book explains the main parameters you have to adjust in order to make each technique work, and the pros and cons of every one of those. Obviously, apart from the tutorials in this book, you'll have to play with the values and learn the finer details for yourself. For me it was a great sistematization of all 3ds max lighting techniques, and I'm no longer baffled by the variety of ways I can use to light a scene, because I understood which techique works better in which situation.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as direct as I had hoped, November 15, 2006

By	Bookworm - See all my reviews

I bought this book in hopes of improving my lighting skills in 3D Max. So far, it's more informational than instructional. I agree that there are a lot of intriguing images throughout the book, but the content doesn't give enough direction.

Still, if you want to learn more about lighting in 3D Max, this book covers more than most books do these days. It WILL tell you why lights react the way they do in your scene, as well as where you should insert your lights in order to render an interesting scene.