Global Illumination: Interiors
V-Ray Lighting Techniques with Christopher Nichols

Continuing from his first DVD, Global Illumination: Exteriors, Christopher Nichols explains how interior global illumination differs from exterior GI. Christopher focuses on the concept of digital sets and explores issues of interior lighting for GI, including the variety of light sources that can be used, as well as how space plays an important role in lighting. Christopher demonstrates the differences between regular light sources, environment light, IES lighting, area lights, and even how geometry and shaders can affect the lighting of a scene. Additionally, since bouncing light plays an important role in interior GI, this lecture looks at some special techniques such as using V-Ray’s photon mapping and light cache. Christopher also explores the idea of baking lighting into textures, which is a useful technique for some situations. With Global Illumination: Interiors, you will see the rendering of an interior space in a whole new light.

Over 3 hours of lecture.

Topics Covered:

Chapters:

01: Key Elements from the Exteriors DVD
02: Interior Versus Exterior GI
03: Lighting Interiors with Exterior Light
04: Other Interior Light Sources
05: Lots of Secondary Bounces
06: Baking Lighting into Textures
07: Lighting Scenario 1
08: Lighting Scenario 2

Click here to view sample clip from this DVD.

Instructor BIO:

Christopher Nichols received a Bachelors in Mathematics and Fine Arts from Colgate University. He went on to get a Masters of Architecture from Rice University, where as a lecturer he taught the principles of architectural visualization and animation. After a long career in architecture, Christopher entered the world of feature film visual effects, specializing in color and lighting. Having spent several years at Digital Domain, Christopher has credits on such movies as The Day After Tomorrow, I, Robot, and Stealth. He is now a Senior Lighting Technical Director at Sony Pictures Imageworks.