Why Is Lighting Important?

Virtual lighting takes a little more effort than it might appear on first glance. The reasons are both technical and creative. Technically, most of the time you're trying to get a realistic effect with your lights, and Maya's virtual lights do not work in a realistic way ”in particular, lights in Maya do not reflect. In the real world, even a single light source can fully illuminate a room because it reflects from surfaces to reach areas under desks and shelves , for example, that aren't directly lit. In Maya, however, those areas are completely dark, so diffuse reflection must be simulated by adding many low-level lights. Lights in Maya also allow such unrealistic options as negative lights (to pull light from their area of influence) and light linking (so that lights illuminate only selected objects). These options are helpful in getting good lighting results. Also, if you're compositing a rendered image with real-world footage, the lighting for the rendered image must match the footage as closely as possible for a realistic result.

Creatively, lighting defines the scene's mood. If you're trying to create a chilling, spooky effect, you'll probably want to employ dim lighting in the scene. For a feeling of suspense , you might decide to have lights that flicker. When looking for ideas to light a specific scene, think about films in similar genres ” horror , film noir, drama, and so forth. Examine the lighting in these films and look for ideas that you can carry out in your scene.

The results of a well-lit scene are worth the effort and time. Skillful lighting creates contrast between objects, enhances the colors in your scene, and gives you more control over the scene's shading. Remember that lighting in a scene creates the shadows, influences colors, and affects the appearance of shaders and materials.