What you'll learn

Have you ever wanted to create the kinds of stunning cinematic environments you know are possible with Arnold and Maya, but feel like you're only scratching the surface with your current approach? In this course, Exterior Rendering Strategies with Arnold and Maya, you'll learn advanced practical techniques for lighting an exterior scene, in addition to a rendering and compositing workflow that maintains creative control all the way into post. First, you'll discover how to implement the fundamentals of natural lighting in an exterior light rig. Next, you'll dive into creating a flexible render setup using render layers, AOVs, mattes, and Arnold's Light Groups. Finally, you'll explore how to use all the render passes in compositing to adjust individual lights, add depth, and even create lens effects. When you're finished with this course, you'll have both the artistic and technical background needed to carry out your vision for your own exterior environments, from lighting through compositing. Software required: Maya, Arnold 5, and Nuke.