The 3D Pipeline Part 3: Lighting, Rendering and Compositing

By James Ball

In this Third and final instalment of the 3D Pipeline, the subject matters that I will be discussing are as follows . . . Lighting, Rendering and Compositing. Then to end it all off, I’ll show you an interesting short animation I found online recently called “A Tale of Momentum & Inertia”. But until then, as the Joker would say . . . “Here We Go!”

Lighting

Lighting techniques that work well for an interior environment usually make very little sense for an exterior shot. Similarly, "studio" lighting for product or character rendering requires a very different procedure from lighting for animation and film. In the end, every situation is different, but certain light types work well for certain scenes.

Here is a Quick summary of different lighting options offered in most 3D Programs:

-          Point/Omni Light: Light-bulbs, candles, Christmas tree lights.

-          Directional Light: The sun or moon.

-          Spot Light: Streetlights, desk lamps, overhead cone lighting.

-          Area Light: They are useful for simulating florescent light fixtures, back-lit panels, and other similar lighting features.

-          Volumetric Light: A volumetric light can be set in the shape of any geometric primitive (cube, sphere, cylinder, etc.), and its light will only illuminate surfaces within that volume.

-          Ambient Light: Ambient light is relatively similar to the light experienced at dusk, just after the sun has set.

Rendering

In the context of animations for feature films and video, the Individual frames are rendered much more slowly. Rendering in this way, enables you to use as much processing power in your machine or render farm to obtain a higher image quality per frame. Rendering times for individual frames may vary from a few seconds to several days for complex scenes. These frames are then displayed sequentially at high frame rates, typically 24, 25, or 30 frames per second, to achieve the illusion of movement.

Compositing

In these final stages of the 3D Pipeline, this is where your animation will get that added extra bit of oomph or (in a phethpian voith) that added bit of “Phparkle!” During this stage, you will take your final 3D animation render into a program like Aftereffects and add in your Michelle Bay Lens flares, Colour Corrections and any other effects and audio necessary to make you final scene and movie POP!

Image 1

To conclude this final 3 part instalment of the 3D Pipeline, I would to share with you this video that I recently found online called “A Tale of Momentum & Inertia”.

Until next time, this is James Ball Signing out.

References

Retrieved on 26/02/2015 -“A Tale of Momentum & Inertia” - From User HouseSpecial https://vimeo.com/105788896?from=facebook&fb_ref=embed

Retrieved on 28/02/2015 - Standard 3D Lighting Techniques - By Justin Slick - http://3d.about.com/od/Creating-3D-The-CG-Pipeline/a/3d-Lighting-Techniques-Standard-3d-Lighting_2.htm

Retrieved on 28/02/2015 - 3D rendering - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_rendering

Retrieved on 28/02/2015 - The Importance of Compositing: A Layer by Layer Breakdown in After Effects - http://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/tutorials/the-importance-of-compositing-a-layer-by-layer-breakdown-in-after-effects/

Retrieved on 28/02/2015 – Image 1 - http://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/BeforeAfterComposite.jpg