Introduction to Lighting in Maya 2012
In this tutorial, we will learn about the essential lighting tools and features found in Maya. Software required: Maya 2012 and up.
What you'll learn
In this tutorial, we will learn about the essential lighting tools and features found in Maya. Understanding how the various lighting tools in Maya work and behave is a very important skill for anyone who is getting started with this 3D application. In this Maya lighting tutorial, we will discuss the different types of 3D lights found in Maya, and methods for easily aiming and controlling your lights. We will also explore some of the specialized attributes found in certain light types, we will discuss the different types of shadows available in Maya, we will see how we can add depth and mood to our scenes though the use of volumetric light rays, as well as many other lighting tools and concepts that will help you establish a solid foundation in Maya. Software required: Maya 2012 and up.
Table of contents
- Overview of Various Light Types 6m
- Understanding Common Attributes of Maya Lights 10m
- Essential Attributes of Maya Spot Lights 6m
- Methods for Easily Aiming Lights in Maya 5m
- Using the Show Manipulator Tool in Maya 5m
- Exploring the Barn Doors Feature of Spot Lights 5m
- Working with Ambient Lights in Maya 5m
- Using Depth Map Shadows in Maya 9m
- Rendering Ray Trace Shadows in Maya 9m
- Controlling the Render Stats of Maya Objects 5m
- Light and Shadow Linking in Maya 8m
- Creating Volumetric Light Fog in Maya 7m
- Creating Light Glows and Lens Flares in Maya 8m
- Using Gobos in Maya 4m
- Controlling Reflection and Refraction Depth in Maya 10m
- Simulating Illuminated Light Sources in Maya 5m
About the author
Kyle was one of the first authors for Digital-Tutors, now a Pluralsight company. and has been a part of the team for over 10 years. Kyle began his career in computer graphics education as a college instructor and worked as a Digital-Tutors rendering tutor and curriculum manager since 2002. Kyle has contributed to many of the most popular projects and helped the Digital-Tutors team win awards throughout the company's history. Kyle has had the honor of having his art exhibited at the New York ... more