What you'll learn

In the series of lessons, we will explore the various tools, techniques, and procedures that we can use when lighting an outdoor scene in 3ds Max. We will begin the tutorial by learning how to set up a realistic outdoor illumination source, and how to simulate physically-accurate light behavior within our scene. We will then discuss the importance of incorporating a proper linear workflow into our pipeline, which includes using gamma-correction on our textures and materials within 3ds Max. We will also see how we can use a post application like Photoshop to add some finishing touches to our final render with a minimal amount of effort. By the time you complete this tutorial, you will be much better prepared to overcome many of the common challenges faces when rendering an outdoor environment in 3ds Max. Software required: 3ds Max 2012.