lydia02 wrote:Is there someone else I need to check to verify that the render is all iray? Tlaero posted that she thought my first render was 3delight.
In the Render Painel, Editor tab, if the engine is set to NVIDIA Iray it means Iray will be used to process your scene. Iray is a computational process but also determines your light system, as it apply the real lights concept.
Comparing the two in a macro view, in 3Delight you have a Skydome which is a very large finite object, semi sphere, to represent the horizon. The main light sources are inside the object like other objects.
In Iray the light come from outside as an abstract source. If you put a Skydome object for example, everything will be dark, because it is a object blocking the light. To represent the horizon in Iray you apply HDRI images on the render settings, you can see them at editing only on render. They cause an effect of infinite horizon, what seem more close to reality. This is the main difference that rises other differences in the way objects are processed in the scene.
Now, we also need to check surfaces. Almost every existing surface has two versions: RSL for 3Delight and MDL for Iray (you can see these options specially on hair materials). Iray work better if all surfaces are optimized for it. If the surface don't have those options, you can always convert them to Iray applying Iray Uber:
1) Select a figure or prop on the scene painel.
2) Go to the surface painel and expand the object to see its surfaces.
3) Select all surfaces under the object.
4) Go to the Content Library, expand My Daz 3D Library -> Shader Presets -> Iray -> Daz Uber.
5) Double click on !Iray Uber Base.
6) This will make the surface look strange on the Editor, but after render, usually it looks just the same, identical. The diference now is that the surfaces parameters will be very different and Iray engine will work better.
Back to light:
You already will have a large distant light embedded on Iray. You control it in the Render Settings -> Environment. Change Dome Rotation, Environment intensity and so.
If you add a Distant Light object, it means you now have a second distant light source, which you will control on the Lights painel. Maybe you are only changing the second source. To disable the first one you need to change Environment Mode from "Dome and Scene" to "Scene only".
Spotlights has a very narrow focus, they seem more artificial.
If you will allow me to suggest a laboratory:
1. Disable the dome light.
2. Disable the camera headlamp.
3. Create a Linear Point Light in the front/right of the figure.
4. On Lights painel, increase the intensity to something like 8.000%, go testing until the point you like.
5. This will be your Key Light, representing the main light source.
6. Create another Linear Point Light in the front/left of the figure.
7. Increase the intensity to something like 4.000%
8. This will be your Fill Light, just to complete the gaps.
9. Create the Third Linear Point Light behind the figure, like the figure is hiding it from the camera.
10. Increase the intensity to something like 12.000%.
11. This will be your Rim Light, this light will highlight the character and illuminate the other objects
Now just go changing intensity, temperature, pose... and render, to going to see the results.