Chapter 17 Lighting
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PROFESSIONAL TIP PROFESSIONAL TIP
When rendering metal and other shiny materials, it helps to have a
bright object nearby to create some highlights on the object. Adding a
simple box to the left and right of the object (out of the camera’s view)
and applying a self-illuminating material to the box will create some
nice highlights. Photographers use this trick in the studio.
Hotspot and Falloff
A spotlight produces a cone of light. The hotspot is the central portion of the cone,
where the light is brightest. See Figure 17-3. The falloff is the outer portion of the cone,
where the light begins to blend to shadow. The hotspot and falloff of a spotlight are not
affected by the distance the light is from an object. Spotlights are the only lights with
hotspot and falloff properties.
Low specular
factor (matte)
High specular
factor
Figure 17-2.
Matte surfaces
produce diffuse
light. This is also
referred to as having
a low specular
factor. Shiny
surfaces evenly
reflect light and
have a high specular
factor.
Figure 17-3.
The hotspot of a
spotlight is the
area that receives
the most light. The
smaller cone is
the hotspot. The
falloff receives light,
but less than the
hotspot. The larger
cone is the falloff.