Autodesk 12812-051462-9011 - 3DS MAX 9 COM LEGACY SLM, Help File

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Artificial Light
Outdoor scene with natural twilight and one streetlight
Artificial light, whether used indoors or outdoors at night, uses multiple lights.
The following guidelines are for creating normally lit, easily legible scenes.
You don’t have to follow the guidelines, of course, but then you call attention
to the lighting itself, rather than to the subject of the scene.
The subject of a scene should be lit by a single bright light, known as the key
light . Position the key light in front of the subject and slightly above.
In addition to the key light, position one or more other lights to illuminate
the background and the side of the subject. These are known as
fill lights . Fill
lights are less bright than the key light.
When you use only one fill light, the angle at ground level between it, the
subject, and the key light should be approximately 90 degrees.
Key-and-fill lighting emphasizes the subject of a scene. It also emphasizes the
three-dimensionality of the scene.
In 3ds Max, a spotlight is usually best for the key light, and either spotlights
or omni lights are good for creating the fill lighting. See
Target Spot on page
5051, Free Spot on page 5054, and Omni on page 5063. Ambient light can be another
element of your fill lighting.
4988 | Chapter 18 Lights and Cameras