hiya

I'm busy constructing a building which has to be rendered as if at night time to fit in with the background plates I've been given. Does anybody have any really good suggestions/tip/tricks/cheats for doing the windows so that it looks like (a) the lights are on inside & ( there is stuff/people inside the rooms. The building is looking realistic enough to fit in, but I'm just struggling to get the right look with the windows. I want to try & avoid modelling all the interiors & lighting those individually as my deadline is really tight - as if they are ever anything else ;-)

As always, any help is greatly appreciated!

- thumpa

probably easyist to just do a quick live shot with the actual windows open/ out of the way. (use flat mirror to reflect you max scene) colour correct etc... then apply that movie as a self illumination map to a plane. nice easy.

otherwise just render some cheap 2d siloettes blur etc in after effects, composite the texture of curtains over top including wrinkles... run a gradient ramp from top to bottom golden white to an amber at the bottom.

then apply that as you would have above.
make sure you an actual light source in the space and project the map out onto the ground.... nice... oh oh and a few extra dim lights (tinted the colour the walls would be) shining out will help fleash out out a radiosity/ global illuminationesque feel.

jolly good.
Te Anau

thanks a stack! amazing how we miss the simplest solutions 'cos we try & think too hard!

Im sure you could take it a long way further but yeah, simple is good, (especailly for forum posts)


You'll have to post an example.
good luck.
Te Anau