Free software and HDR images for CG lighting!
http://www.hdrlabs.com/sibl/index.html
oliverwolfson.com, Oliver Wolfson's 3D animation web site.
Pennies Arrow Render
Stock image. Rendered with Maya and Mental Ray
MR10 Chair
Designed in 1927 by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich
Chromium-plated steel and leather
This chair was first exhibited at the 1927 Die Wohnung exhibition of modern living at the Weissenhof Settlement in Stuttgart Germany.
MR10 Chair. Image crated in Maya and Mental Ray.
The Wassily Chair, Model B3
The Wassily Chair, also known as the Model B3 chair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925-26 while he was the head of the cabinet-making workshop at the Bauhaus, in Dessau, Germany. Revolutionary in it’s use of tubular steel, which was inspired by the same used in the manufacture of bicycles.
Named after seminal abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky, who admired Breuer’s designs.
3D render, Mental Ray.
3D render, Mental Ray.
Red and Blue Chair
The Red Blue Chair was a chair designed in 1917 by Gerrit Rietveld. It represents one of the first explorations by the De Stijl art movement in three dimensions.
Maya and Mental Ray.
Model based on several models found on the 3D warehouse. Download an obj of the Red and Blue Chair.
Simple backdrop MEL script
This MEL script will create a simple soft cornered backdrop from a poly plane and bend deformer.
Studio Light HDR images
Studio Light HDR images, photographed from real studio lights. Download the images below – and PyMEL scripts to automatically attach them to a lighting rig.
These HDRIs can be used as image based lights and reflection cards.
Soft Box
Get the soft box HDR. 1 MB
Umbrella Light
Get the umbrella light HDR. 8 MB
Newly revised PyMEL Scripts
Recently updated the light rig scripts here with PyMEL. These should work better for people using later versions of Maya. Please comment or contact me if you have any problems with these scripts. You can locate the old MEL scripts here.
Get a PyMEL(Python) script that will rig the Soft Box HDR to a reflection card with spotlight, shadows, and other controls. Note: for this script to work properly, you will need to download the soft box HDR folder and place it in your Maya project’s sourceimages directory. XPM icon for shelf item.
Get a PyMEL(Python) script that will rig the Umbrella HDR to a reflection card with spotlight, shadows, and other controls. Note: for this script to work properly, you will need to download the umbrella HDR folder and place it in your Maya project’s sourceimages directory. XPM icon for shelf item.
Installation tip: Make sure that the HDR images are placed in the currently set Maya project. These images should also be within their respective folder just as they are when you download them. The folder containing the HDR images should therefore be named either “softBox” or “umbrellaLight”, depending on which one you downloaded.
Usage tip: Select the locator on the rig, called “softBoxLightControl”, to find attributes to control Color, Shadows, and light Intensity.
note: The easiest way to position the light, without affecting the “roll” orientation of the reflector card, is to position (translate) the locator in one plane (ex: the X Y plane) to set the distance from the subject and light angle, then rotate the top node (pick-walk up once) in the Y axis to set the “horizontal” orientation.
If you are using another 3D animation package, download an OBJ, with UVs set up to use with the Umbrella HDR.
Also see my procedural softbox MEL script here. My most useful script, IMO.
Many thanks to Daniel Vasquez of heylight.com for translating the MEL script into PyMEL.
Softbox Light MEL Script
This PyMEL (Python) script creates a rigged light and procedurally textured reflector card, simulating a studio style soft box light. The rig is intended to be used for reflection or IBL when rendering using Mental Ray in Maya.
Usage tip: Select the locator on the rig, called “softBoxLightControl”, to find attributes to control Color, Shadows, and light Intensity.
note: The easiest way to position the light, without affecting the “roll” orientation of the reflector card, is to position (translate) the locator in one plane (ex: the X Y plane) to set the distance from the subject and light angle, then rotate the top node (pick-walk up once) in the Y axis to set the “horizontal” orientation.
XPM icon for shelf item.
If you prefer, you can download the older MEL version of this script here.
Animating with audio
This animation was created using After Effects and Maya.
Getting audio key frames out of After Effects using Trapcode Sound Keys.
Importing keyframe data to Maya using Python.
Creating Maya shaders that react to audio key frames
Outputting a depth map from Maya and creating depth of field in After Effects.