Couple Questions

Hi so I watched this one bedroom cycles video about 3 times over and slowly as I wanted to understand the steps, took notes and I think I mostly do before I start practicing myself now but I have some questions. 

1. If the Blackbody converter and change exposure method is still the top method to make sure your using real world values for your lights for both night and day scenes and if it is the same process when using addons like physical starlight atmosphere (if the only difference is that I don't need hdris) if you have experience with it or similar lighting addons (I am thinking of getting psa soon to start with)

2. What resources have you found useful for best lighting practices in any type of room or building that you would want to light using real world values and tricks like the blackbody node trick for example, I found a couple websites like lamphq and lumens. I do have the extra lights addon installed as well.

3. If you need to use the exposure method if you just have a outdoor light like a sun or hdri and multiple lights of the same kind like for a school hallway as a example 

Thanks ahead of time for any advice!  


  • Omar Domenech replied

    For number one I'd say yes, for using real world values you can totally use the blackbody node even to this day. The node is undefeated. For it addons it will probably depend on such addons, their functionalities and options. 

    Two, I mostly go by artistic liberty, I don't use real life world values much, I eyeball it if it looks good. I have an addon that lets me light my scenes with much ease and faster, it's called Gaffer by Greg Zaal. It's a lights manager, super useful:

    https://blendermarket.com/products/gaffer-light-manager

    They also have this website with useful HDRI's:

    https://polyhaven.com/hdris

    Three, yes, the exposure method is useful anywhere every time all the time, when you need to control the lighting in your scene. If it's too bright or too dark, you control your exposure to make it how you want it to look. 

  • Adrian Bellworthy replied

    To add to Omar's response,

    On exposure, a photographer when taking a photograph, even in perfect outdoor lighting will adjust the exposure. Quite often for two reasons,
    1, sometimes the reflections can be too bright whilst the lighting across the scene may be perfect.
    2, for artistic effects

    As they say, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", or as we say artistically, eyeball it until it looks good to you, the artist.