Lighting Issues...

[ryan.jacobs]

I posted this thread originally in the Revit - Rendering Forum, but didn't get any responses. So I'll give it another shot in this one and see if anyone in here has any ideas.....I'm stumped

Can anyone give me a hand on figuring out why the lighting in my Max Design 2009 file doesn't really show up acurately at all. I created a small test project in Revit 2009 to play with the interoperability of the two programs, and one item I figured out pretty quick was that the daylighting, (ie. shadows, which are checked), and any other photometric or standard lights created in Max don't really have any effect anywhere (renderings or in the viewports). I'm familiar with Max, havent used it in several years, so I'm far from an expert, but still have some experience with it. Even when I create a quick model in Max from scratch, shadows do not show up and lighting does not work. Am I missing something here...anyone else have similar issues?

Thanks for any help

[Jeff Tamagini]

are you saying they just dont show up accurately in the viewports or they are not accurate in the render?

[ryan.jacobs]

Yes and yes....the daylighting system is the only source of 'light' that even emits any light in general. Any other created light (target, omni, free, etc.) does not put off any light at all...in the render or in the viewports. I can't get any shadows to show up in the viewports for any light source, but the renders do show shadows created from the daylight system...I just can't see them in viewport. Is this response confusing enough?

[Jeff Tamagini]

well i dont really have any revit experience so I cant speak from that end but I can tell you the following. View port shading and lighting is a new feature in Max, it was introduced in v2008, you need to actviate it by right clicking to bring up the quad menus and turning it on, but you also need to have a graphics card that will support it! If you dont think that your shadows are accurate. Try deleting the revit sun and putting in a daylight system from Max, this will give you the latest, it will turn on mental ray, turn on the correct exposure control.

Make sure mental ray is the active rendering engine, Final Gather is turned on, mr exposure control is the current exposure control setting. That should give you some pretty decent default results

[aerotrain99]

I've had this issue as well to a certain extent....

I didn't think you can get visible shadows within the viewport (if at all) without rendering in Max........

Does the Revit/FBX project import with a daylighting system already? and does it come in at Max's origin? I suspected the model's import too far from Max's origin could be the problem but nothing proved that to be true. Also, did you adjust your horizon line accordingly? One more thing to check is that mr sun is on and mr sky is on.

I've had almost no luck with getting interior lights to show and illuminate the interior when an exterior daylight:clear sky:mr photographic exposure control is set. Are you doing an interior or exterior scene?

[ryan.jacobs]

From the new video tutorials http://download.autodesk.com/us/3dsmaxdesign/skillmoviesv2009/movies/ESM_AddLights/ESM_AddLights.html) it shows shadows being visible within the perspective viewport. It always works perfect in the tutorials, right? My viewport shading is on...and still no change.

The fbx import does bring in the Revit daylight system and its in the right spot. I have deleted it and placed in a new one, but with no difference. For now, we aren't in need of producing any presentation quality images. We just got our new copy of 3ds and was just playing with it to try be ready when we do need something turned around quickly. I couldn't get an exterior scene to look good and the interior scenes are pretty much worthless. It'll only show the daylighting system light and even that isn't accurate.

As for the video card, that may be a good place to look and that makes some sense. I'll check that out.

I've attached some images to show the quality of what I'm getting. The exterior shot, nothing spectacular, but again, no shadows. Just the 'out of the box' daylight system applied. The interior shot...its awful. What the image doesnt show is that the room has 4 - 100W lights, 2 - 1000W metal halides, some other lights and of course the sun...and it still looks a 'bit' dark. The second interior image i was able to make some progress on, however I had to jack up the footcandle level of the lights to around 24,000fc....not too accurate. I'm at a loss here....

[Jeff Tamagini]

to help you out with your interior shots. watch the tutorial videos on using the sky portal. Basic concept is you place this helper in the window and it will "pull" or force the light in through that window into the scene and all you should need is that the daylight system and final gather turned on to get light into the room. There might still be a need for some additional lighting but not the baseball stadium size lights that you are putting into the scene :mrgreen:

[spacedecor]

Are you turn on GI from render set up?

[Steve_Bennett]

First thing to check is UNITS.

Before importing the revit fbx set your units up in max. Also, try a different time of day. It looks as though your sun is almost directly overhead which would make exterior shadows difficult to pick up.

I have a Fast track ATP in September on importing models from revit into 3ds max. I highly recommend signing up for the class!
http://www.augi.com/education/schedule.asp?page=292