Substance Painter
In this start to finish texturing project within Substance Painter we cover all the techniques you need to texture the robot character.
# 1 28-06-2013 , 09:43 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 5

Rendering always turns out black (almost)

First of all hi, I'm new here and fairly new to maya

I have finished my 3d biped model for a uni course. The only problem is it wont render. The only one that sort of works is the maya hardware render but that comes out really dark. Every time I press render all I get is a black screen. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Is it my three point lighting? The lambert I put on the model? Do I have some setting configured wrong?

The thing is that this is a re-submission and I have to submit before monday. Last time I did a model it rendered fine so I don't know what I am doing wrong. I have looked everywhere on the internet for a solution but no where seems to give me a definitive answer. I have tried all of the suggestions that I could find on google but none of them seem to work. I am really pressed for time and really worried user added image

# 2 28-06-2013 , 11:54 AM
PixalZA's Avatar
Lifetime Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 525
Can you share the attributes of the lights in your 3-point lighting setup (Intensity, Illum by default, Emit diffuse, emit spec, decay rate)

Also, what have you tried so far?


Earth: The crazy asylum of the universe.
# 3 28-06-2013 , 01:24 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 5
user added image

user added image

user added image

I have made sure the cameras say render able, I have unchecked auto-render clip frame for cameras, I have tried different shaders, I have tried no lighting, differen't lighting, different renders basically any suggestion I could find. I bet it is one setting buried somewhere in the program that I can't find. One box that needs to be ticked/unticked.

# 4 28-06-2013 , 01:52 PM
PixalZA's Avatar
Lifetime Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 525
Do you experience this with any shader you assign to the objects?
Do you experience this with any lights you add?
Can you select one of the lights and then go Window->Relationship Editors -> Light Linking -> Light Centric and post a screen shot.
If possible, to speed things up, can you post the scene file?


Earth: The crazy asylum of the universe.
# 5 28-06-2013 , 02:17 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 5
Do I just upload the .mb file?

# 6 28-06-2013 , 02:55 PM
PixalZA's Avatar
Lifetime Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 525
Just zip it up and attach


Earth: The crazy asylum of the universe.
# 7 28-06-2013 , 03:16 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 5
Here is my folder for maya with the model. I don't have a clue how to do uv mapping so I'm leaving that bit out!

Attached Files
File Type: zip 3D.zip (207.7 KB, 234 views)
# 8 28-06-2013 , 03:46 PM
PixalZA's Avatar
Lifetime Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 525
Your scene is ok. You can increase the intensities of the area lights (E.g. 30 for the key light) or increase the size of the area lights.


Earth: The crazy asylum of the universe.
# 9 28-06-2013 , 03:51 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 5
Thank you so much! The only thing is now that because the lights are so bright, there are no shadows defining the shapes on the body, everything is lit up. I made the key light 30 and the other two 15.

# 10 28-06-2013 , 04:12 PM
PixalZA's Avatar
Lifetime Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 525
Play around with light intensities until it reaches the levels you like. For shadows you will have to increase the number of shadow rays of the key light.


Earth: The crazy asylum of the universe.
Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads