Daz Character Creation Lighting

[Deleted member 4707538]

When creating new characters in Daz, what is the best setup you've found for lighting?

 

[coffeeaddicted]

When creating new characters in Daz, what is best setup you've found for lighting?

Use of primitives. Easy, effective..

 

[Deleted member 4707538]

Use of primitives. Easy, effective..

So you use primitives with light emissives when creating new characters? What size and placement do you use?

 

[coffeeaddicted]

So you use primitives with light emissives when creating new characters? What size and placement do you use?

Just to confirm, you meant to light the character. Right?
Yes, that is what i use. I usually create a sphere and just switch the emission on. The rest is to your own taste really

You should probably create several. So you cover the sides better. Others use planes. I just think spheres are easier to use.

Temp around 5000 and the farther you away usually it's better. You have to crank up the wattage of course but it's more subtle light.

 

[Deleted member 4707538]

Just to confirm, you meant to light the character. Right?
Yes, that is what i use. I usually create a sphere and just switch the emission on. The rest is to your own taste really

You should probably create several. So you cover the sides better. Others use planes. I just think spheres are easier to use.

Temp around 5000 and the farther you away usually it's better. You have to crank up the wattage of course but it's more subtle light.

Thanks, I'll give that a try!

Yes, just the initial character creation. So usually blending together 2-4 purchased characters and then doing additional body and facial morph changes. After saving that, hair and then clothes. I don't want to go through the creation process, then see that I've missed something when they're in a scene.

In the past there hasn't been any lighting during the creation, but I've wondered if it might be better to use an HDRI and/or a 3-point light setup, or some other setup as you've described.

 

[MissFortune]

If you mean purely character creation, then just the standard Sun-Sky/Dome should be more than adequate. Otherwise, your generic three-point lighting setup should be fine. You don't really need anything extra for character creation outside of assets to make them (obviously). Three-point is going look best, but playing with dramatic lighting techniques can also help figure out how your character will look in multiple mood lighting situations.

I usually use the

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as an environment when creating characters as I want to make sure they look good in a closed/artificially lit environment, as some vendors/PAs often make create their figures around HDRI (HID3D being one, though his still look fine indoors. Tomars being one I've noticed a specific issue with.) lighting and tend to look a bit 'off' in interior environments. Whereas, if they look fine in interior setups, then they'll like be fine with exterior. For example, I use the aforementioned Photo Studio with different light styles and/or techniques, just to get an idea of what they work best with. Like so:




But this is sort of above and beyond what you'd need for character creation, especially if you're buying from the more well-known PAs/creators, as they'll almost always transfer well regardless. You don't really need any special lighting in that regard, though I'd just generally recommend you get a good grip on lighting styles and techniques. It's going to make your life a lot easier at the end of the day, regardless of whether you want to do stuff like above or something else entirely.

 

[coffeeaddicted]

Thanks, I'll give that a try!

Yes, just the initial character creation. So usually blending together 2-4 purchased characters and then doing additional body and facial morph changes. After saving that, hair and then clothes. I don't want to go through the creation process, then see that I've missed something when they're in a scene.

In the past there hasn't been any lighting during the creation, but I've wondered if it might be better to use an HDRI and/or a 3-point light setup, or some other setup as you've described.

I think there is not right or wrong, or maybe there is. Dunno.

When i create a character i usually just use the primitives. Somes use sportlights and sunlight.
You can also load your creation into a scene.

Below is a character i created myself, stole skin from somewhere.
Anyway, this is my simple setup. Works for me.

 

[coffeeaddicted]

If you mean purely character creation, then just the standard Sun-Sky/Dome should be more than adequate. Otherwise, your generic three-point lighting setup should be fine. You don't really need anything extra for character creation outside of assets to make them (obviously). Three-point is going look best, but playing with dramatic lighting techniques can also help figure out how your character will look in multiple mood lighting situations.

I usually use the

You must be registered to see the links

as an environment when creating characters as I want to make sure they look good in a closed/artificially lit environment, as some vendors/PAs often make create their figures around HDRI (HID3D being one, though his still look fine indoors. Tomars being one I've noticed a specific issue with.) lighting and tend to look a bit 'off' in interior environments. Whereas, if they look fine in interior setups, then they'll like be fine with exterior. For example, I use the aforementioned Photo Studio with different light styles and/or techniques, just to get an idea of what they work best with. Like so:

View attachment 2127120 View attachment 2127121
View attachment 2127122 View attachment 2127125

But this is sort of above and beyond what you'd need for character creation, especially if you're buying from the more well-known PAs/creators, as they'll almost always transfer well regardless. You don't really need any special lighting in that regard, though I'd just generally recommend you get a good grip on lighting styles and techniques. It's going to make your life a lot easier at the end of the day, regardless of whether you want to do stuff like above or something else entirely.

I remember when i started, i tried out many of these portray setups. I suppose they great but i dunno. As mentioned, i use mostly now primitives as it is cheap and easy.

When in a scene i noticed that outside HDRI can dim the inside for some reason. Like when you use one of the night HDRI. Dunno why.

And, i have to be honest, i have never thought about the points you made.

 

[MissFortune]

I remember when i started, i tried out many of these portray setups. I suppose they great but i dunno. As mentioned, i use mostly now primitives as it is cheap and easy.

When in a scene i noticed that outside HDRI can dim the inside for some reason. Like when you use one of the night HDRI. Dunno why.

If you're referring to lighting presets, I don't really use them. Most of my lighting, sans Ghost Lights, is entirely manual. Spotlights are all you really need for most situations and Ghost Lights for everything else. I do personally find lighting with primitives very situational, but the lack of control over primitives that I have with spotlights is more or less what stops me from using them.

HDRIs are something I usually save for outdoor-only stuff, or in shots that show a window/open door/etc. and accent them with one or more spotlights. I find most HDRIs fairly flat, so using those spotlights ends up creating some detail highlights that end up working really nicely with HDRIs (see the forehead and the neck/chest area, along with the eyes, in the image below.).

 

[coffeeaddicted]

If you're referring to lighting presets, I don't really use them. Most of my lighting, sans Ghost Lights, is entirely manual. Spotlights are all you really need for most situations and Ghost Lights for everything else. I do personally find lighting with primitives very situational, but the lack of control over primitives that I have with spotlights is more or less what stops me from using them.

HDRIs are something I usually save for outdoor-only stuff, or in shots that show a window/open door/etc. and accent them with one or more spotlights. I find most HDRIs fairly flat, so using those spotlights ends up creating some detail highlights that end up working really nicely with HDRIs (see the forehead and the neck/chest area, along with the eyes, in the image below.).

View attachment 2127172

Well, at the moment i use a lot of DOF which is actually really great. I usually don't post edit at all.

The HDRI can, i mean really, can give some realistic night sky for example. But true, you can also archive it with just a simple spot light (i probably use a sphere) and a plane to stick a picture of a night sky on it.
What i really would love is some house fronts. Just the house front itself. I am using Orestes HDRI at the moment.

Inside i use mostly my sphere for doing the job plus the build in lights like in the asset i use at the moment. European Apartment. Judging from the plugs, it must be british.

The lights there are almost enough and i kind of like the layout and the fact that it is a complete apartment.

I kind of tend to use what DAZ has build in vs. to buy or download something else. The sphere has surely not a lot of options but the temp and strength usually are ok.

Here is a render that i did recently. I love the hair but it's not dforce. I hate it.
Anyway, the lights are coming from a laptop and a lamp in the back. That's it.
I learned if you crank up the lights, you lose a lot of contrast. Though the laptop has maybe a little too much light.
So yes, again a primitive.

p.s. i noticed that i forgot to switch off the light at the ceiling.

 

[Deleted member 4707538]

If you're referring to lighting presets, I don't really use them. Most of my lighting, sans Ghost Lights, is entirely manual. Spotlights are all you really need for most situations and Ghost Lights for everything else. I do personally find lighting with primitives very situational, but the lack of control over primitives that I have with spotlights is more or less what stops me from using them.

HDRIs are something I usually save for outdoor-only stuff, or in shots that show a window/open door/etc. and accent them with one or more spotlights. I find most HDRIs fairly flat, so using those spotlights ends up creating some detail highlights that end up working really nicely with HDRIs (see the forehead and the neck/chest area, along with the eyes, in the image below.).

View attachment 2127172

Thanks for your above feedback and advice, its much appreciated!

 

[UncleNanard]

When creating new characters in Daz, what is the best setup you've found for lighting?

3 points lights or this pack :

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a lot's of presets and when the pack is in sale you can grab it for 3$.