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|  | |  | | | Essential CG Lighting Techniques (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) | | | | | SKU:
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Usually ships in 1-2 business days | | Only 4 left in stock, order soon! | | | | | | Illustrated in color throughout, this comprehensive text not only looks at the technical and theoretical aspects of becoming skilled at using the light tools available in 3D software, but also provides invaluable tutorials so you can explore these techniques in-depth.
Lighting is a core CG skill that makes or breaks a 3D environment. Providing all you need to master this vital aspect of CG, this comprehensive guide looks at the key concepts that can be applied in any 3D package.
Every ounce of theory is backed up with practical tutorials, using the free demo version of 3ds max supplied on the accompanying CD-ROM. The tutorials deal with the fundamentals of lighting and as such are easily transferable to any other major 3D software package. The free CD also includes all the files needed to complete the tutorials step-by-step, as well as demo versions of Dark Tree Textures, Deep Paint 3D and Cinelook, acclaimed applications that every lighting artist should be aware of.
If you are new to CG lighting, are thinking of specializing in this area, or want to brush up on your existing lighting skills, then this book will provide you with a one-stop master class so you too can achieve professional looking results.
* Get all you need to know about CG lighting from one easy to use volume
* Put into practice the theories learned with the detailed tutorials and free demo software provided
* Learn both the art and the science of lighting CG environments | | | |
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| | Product Details | | Author: | Darren Brooker CG artist Cosgrove Hall Digital. | | Paperback: | 367 pages | | Publisher: | Focal Press | | Publication Date: | November 27, 2002 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 0240516893 | | Package Length: | 9.68 inches | | Package Width: | 7.5 inches | | Package Height: | 0.95 inches | | Package Weight: | 2.69 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 7 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 7 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 Another Magician Apr 25, 2003
By Christopher
I have been searching for a book on real-world lighting solutions/techniques that can be applied to the CG world for quite some time. Other books have 'grazed' the subject but have never fully explored it. I fear that this book is no different.
Like many other books of the genre, it begins with the all too common basic introduction to the behaviour of light, including its characteristics and how the human eye percieves it. This is by no means a bad thing but I must stress that only a beginner will find value in this, as any seasoned 3D artist already knows this, and then some.
This book illustrates your basic 3 point lighting setup, a few mid-range techniques and only generalises and hints at the more advanced techniques such as setting up realistic dome lighting rigs, soft shadow/light rigs and simulating bounced light. Coupled with software specific tutorials on non-realistic glows and lastly, 60 pages on composition and camera techniques that has no business, given the subject, being in this kind of book.
Lastly, the front cover of the book is misleading in that similar pictures in the book do exist, but no explanation is given as to how they were created. Much more advanced information on lighting can be found on the internet for free.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Not as useful or accurate as you'd hope Jun 25, 2006
By a reviewer
I was hoping for more from "Essential CG Lighting Techniques", especially after hearing one reviewer compare it to "Digital Lighting & Rendering". Instead, I found coverage of theory which seemed to be paraphrased almost line by line from the aformentioned source, spruced up with generalizations that sometimes ranged from unhelpful to downright wrong. I don't know where the author got the idea that no light should ever have an intensity higher than 1, and that it's better to add multiple lights than turn up the brightness of any single source, but that kind of misleading generalization appears in the book without any qualification or justification. I cannot recommend this book as a first choice to anyone.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Essential CG Lighting Techniques Mar 21, 2003
By Neil Murray
This is an outstanding book, possibly the best on a specialised 3D discipline yet written. ...It is far more useful than the previous classic in this field... If you like me expected lighting in 3D to be a minor event and are annoyed by the effort and skill required to obtain realistic lighting in your scenes, this is the book for you. It will equip you to speed through the process and get on to more interesting phases. It covers everything from basic 3 point lighting to lighting arrays for large subjects, dome arrays for realistic skylight and radiosity simulation, internal lighting for large and small spaces and a host of specialised problems like fire, moonlight, underwater scenes and the usual fog and light beams all with clear and succinct theoretical explanations backed up with step by step tutorials to help you make the knowledge your own. And, thankfully the book is illustrated with decent quality examples rather than the simplistic and crude models that stare from the pages of so many 3D books. After you have mastered the basic operation of your 3d program this should be the first book you buy on the art of 3D work. Well done Mr.Demers - what about a similar treatment for "Essential CG Materials" ?
A good one Oct 09, 2005
By Alfonso Larrondo Castellanos
"Book Maestro"
This book is really good. I was looking for the kind of tips included in it. It is a bit old but good to learn from that we think already know about lighting.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Ok for rank beginners Apr 27, 2005
By bhallow
"bhallow"
I have always struggled with lighting. I hoped this book would help me, but it didn't. I'm very frustrated by the lack of good lighting books out there.
If you know nothing of MAX or lighting, then this book will probably be of some use to you, but if you want to learn advanced lighting techniques, this book isn't for you.
See all 7 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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