2017518 ExposureControls|3dsMax|AutodeskKnowledgeNetwork

ExposureControls
Appliesto3dsMax2017
Apr072017 Help

Exposurecontrolsareplugincomponentsthatadjusttheoutputlevelsandcolorrangeofarendering,
asifyouwereadjustingfilmexposure.

Standardmenu:Renderingmenu>Environment>EnvironmentandEffectsdialog>Environment
panel>ExposureControlrollout
Enhancedmenu:Renderingmenu>EnvironmentandEffects>EnvironmentandExposure
Settings>EnvironmentandEffectsdialog>Environmentpanel>ExposureControlrollout

Theexposurecontrolprocessisknownastonemapping.Thesecontrolsareespeciallyusefulfor
renderingsthatuseradiosityorthatrenderhighdynamicrange(HDR)imagery.

Exposurecontrolcompensatesforthelimiteddynamicrangeofcomputerdisplays,whichistypically
abouttwoordersofmagnitude:Thebrightestcolorthatappearsonadisplayisabout100timesbrighter
thanthedimmest.Theeye,bycomparison,canperceiveadynamicrangeofabout16ordersof
magnitude.Inotherwords,thebrightestcolorwecanperceiveisabout10millionbilliontimesbrighter
thanthedimmest.Exposurecontroladjustscolorssotheybettersimulatetheeye'sgreatdynamic
range,whilestillfittingwithinthecolorrangethatcanberendered.

Attention:ThementalrayrenderersupportsonlytheLogarithmic,mrPhotographic,andPseudoColor
exposurecontrols.

Left:Linearexposurecontrolmapsintensityevenly.

Right:Logarithmicexposurecontrolmapsmostintensitiestolowandmidtones.

Tips:
Iftheprimarylightingfromyourscenecomesfromstandardlights(ratherthanphotometriclights),
usetheLogarithmicexposurecontrolandturnonAffectIndirectOnly.
UseAutomaticexposurecontrolforrenderingstillimages.Thismethodisalsousefulforfirstdraft
renderings.
UseLogarithmicoroneoftheadvancedexposurecontrolforanimationswithamovingcamera.
AutomaticandLinearexposurecontrolwithamovingcameracancauseexcessiveflickering.
Forrenderinghighdynamicrangeimageswithmentalray,usethemrPhotographicexposure
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control.
2017518 ExposureControls|3dsMax|AutodeskKnowledgeNetwork

ForoutdoorscenesthatusetheDaylightsystem,turnontheExteriortoggletoprevent
overexposure.

ExposureandAttenuationforStandardLights
Whenyouusestandardlightsthatarenotattenuated,renderingstendtohavealowdynamicrange,
becauselightintensitiesdon'tvarygreatlyacrossthescene.Inthissituation,adjustinglightvaluesmight
beallyouneedtodotogetagoodrendering.

Ontheotherhand,whenlightsareattenuatedtheilluminationmightbetoobrightonnearsurfacesor
toodimondistantsurfaces.Inthissituation,theAutomaticexposurecontrolcanhelp,becauseitadjusts
thelargerdynamicrangeofthe(simulated)physicalscene,intothesmallerdynamicrangeofthe
display.

Topicsinthissection
ExposureControlRollout
Choosestheexposurecontroltouse,andprovidesapreview.
AutomaticExposureControl
AutomaticExposureControlsamplestherenderedimageandbuildsahistogramtogivegoodcolor
separationacrosstheentiredynamicrangeoftherendering.Itcanenhancesomelightingeffects
thatwouldotherwisebetoodimtosee.
LinearExposureControl
LinearExposureControlsamplestherenderedimageandusestheaveragebrightnessofthescene
tomapphysicalvaluestoRGBvalues.LinearExposureControlisbestusedforsceneswithafairly
lowdynamicrange.
LogarithmicExposureControl
LogarithmicExposureControlusesbrightness,contrast,andwhetherthesceneisoutdoorsin
daylighttomapphysicalvaluestoRGBvalues.Youcanuseitwitheitherthedefaultscanline
rendererorthementalrayrenderer.LogarithmicExposureControlisbestforsceneswithaveryhigh
dynamicrange.
PhysicalCameraExposureControl
SetsexposureforPhysicalCameras,usinganExposureValueandacolorresponsecurve.
mrPhotographicExposureControl
ThemrPhotographicExposureControlletsyoumodifyrenderedoutputwithcameralikecontrols:
eitherageneralexposurevalueorspecificshutterspeed,aperture,andfilmspeedsettings.Italso
givesyouimagecontrolsettingswithvaluesforhighlights,midtones,andshadows.Itsintendedfor
highdynamicrangescenesrenderedwiththementalrayrenderer,theirayrenderer,orthe
Quicksilverhardwarerenderer.
PseudoColorExposureControl
PseudoColorExposureControlisactuallyalightinganalysistoolthatprovidesyouwithanintuitive
wayofvisualizingandevaluatingthelightinglevelsinyourscenes.Itmapsluminanceorilluminance
valuestopseudocolorsthatshowthebrightnessofthevaluesbeingconverted.Fromdarkestto
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brightest,therenderingshowsblue,cyan,green,yellow,orange,andred.(Alternatively,youcan2/3
2017518 ExposureControls|3dsMax|AutodeskKnowledgeNetwork

chooseagrayscalewherethebrightestvaluesarewhite,andthedarkestareblack.)Therendering
includesthecoloredorgrayscalespectrumbarasalegendfortheimage.
LightingDataExporterUtility
TheLightingDataExporterrenderstheactiveviewporttoimagesthatincludeluminanceand
illuminancedatathatcanbeusedforlightinganalysis.
Parenttopic:Cameras

RelatedReference
EnvironmentPanel

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