In this episode I’ll tell you much of what I know about the Environment Lighting in DAZ Studio. This technique is also known as Global Illumination. I’ll explain the meanings of such cryptic abbreviations as IBL and HDRI, and how all these pieces fall together to make your scenes look handsome.

This is a continuation of the previous episode about Mesh Lights. If you haven’t already, you can watch it here.

Products I’m using in this video:

• HDRI Platinum Pack 1 by DimensionTheory
• HDRI Platinum Pack 2 by Dimension Theory
• Monsters in my Cupboard by 3D Universe

Some links to HDRI resources:

• https://textures.com
• https://hdrihaven.com
• https://hdrmaps.com
• https://www.hdri-hub.com
• https://hdri-skies.com
• https://cloud.blender.org
  

Podcast: Download (Duration: 28:47 — 26.4MB)

In this episode I’ll explain the basics of using Mesh Lights. Those are surface properties that can make any object emit light. I’ll show you how to set this up, how to adjust it and how to make it invisible so you can shoot through it.

I’ll also throw in some random anecdotes about surface normals and “Shaders vs Material Presets”. I hope you like it! Here’s the link about Surface Normals: – –

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_(geometry)

And this is the link to Eastman Kodak Museum:

• https://www.eastman.org/

Patreon Supporters can get my Light Starter Scene I’ve mentioned here:

• https://www.patreon.com/posts/31080812

Enjoy!

Podcast: Download (Duration: 20:03 — 18.4MB)

In this episode I’ll give you an introduction to the various parametric light objects we can create from the menu, how to use them and how to tweak their respective parameters as they apply to the Iray render engine.

Here’s the link about Colour Temperature I’ve mentioned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature

Here’s the one about Luminous Flux: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_flux

Podcast: Download (Duration: 33:37 — 30.8MB)

In the following episodes I’ll tell you everything I know about lighting in DAZ Studio. It’s so much that I’ve decided to split this section into multiple smaller parts.

In this part I’ll explain the different types of lighting we have at our disposal, touch on surface properties as they apply to Iray and 3Delight, and I’ll explain how the default lighting works that we get with every new scene (and also how to remove it).

Podcast: Download (Duration: 27:24 — 25.1MB)

In this episode I’ll show you how to install 3D Content with Install Manager into another directory of your choice.

By default, Install Manager will use a folder called “My DAZ 3D Library”, but sometimes you may need a second directory to install content in. For example, to keep pre-release files separate from “release versions”, or perhaps you’d like to keep Genesis 2 content separate from Genesis 3 content.

For those occasions, you can tweak both Install Manager and DAZ Studio, and define several other directories. In this episode you’ll find out how to do it.

In this episode I’ll show you how parent objects to one another, and how to create groups, and the implications either of these actions has on your scene. I’ll also explain the Null object and when/how to use it.

Understanding these concepts means you’ll be able to build scenes more efficiently: hierarchies let you move multiple objects around at once, make them (un-)selectable and (in-)visible.

Oh yes, and I’m explaining the concept of selectability and visibility as well. A fun packed episode it is indeed!

In this episode I’ll show you how to change the location of the Pivot Point in DAZ Studio. It’s the point at which the 3D manipulator gizmo shows up and from where objects are translated and rotated. Blender calls this the “origin point”. DAZ Studio uses the Joint Editor to manipulate this point.

While I’m at it, I’m also showing you how to use multiple viewports, so this will be our first exercise in placing an object in relation to another in 3D space.

In this episode I’ll show you how to manipulate objects in the viewport using numeric values and the Parameters Tab. This can be useful to make precise adjustments to the alignment and placement of your objects.