Learning about how to light CG scenes is one of the key skills of learning 3D, and with Slik 2 for Modo The Foundry has offered a practical solution for every level of CG artist.
Why you can trust Creative Bloq
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Slik 2 for Modo offers a complete light setup and HDR-creation environment for new or experienced Modo artists
Lighting is one of those disciplines that is simple to learn but requires patience and research to master. The mistake many new CG artists make is to light their 3D art as they see other 3D artists do, when in fact the best source is to look at how photographers and cinematographers light their scenes.
Slik (The Studio Lighting & Illuminance Kit) for Modo was an excellent solution; the plug-in added true lighting setups to a scene, with realistic modelled objects like softboxes and reflectors with embedded Modo lights. This enabled the artist to set up a scene like a photographer.
Lighting is one of those disciplines that is simple to learn but requires patience and research to master
However, the scene could get heavy with the extra geometry. With the release of Slik 2 for Modo (while you can use the old workflow, which benefits from the speed improvements of Modo 902), there are now a lot more options which lift Slik 2 into full production solution.
Chief among those is the new Slik reflector object, which, like all the lights in Slik 2, can be targeted in any camera viewport window including Modo's preview by pressing the [9] key. The Slik reflector object is a lot less heavy in terms of geometry and has features like gradients and interactive falloffs enabling the creation of a truly bespoke lighting system.
It is still good practice to use the supplied meshes, especially the platforms which provide a good base for product lighting shots.
The UI has been improved, with the excellent Lighting Board giving you full access to all your Slik Lights. The Lighting Board allows full power and colour control of each light, with the ability to mute or solo them; it's a sophisticated way of identifying which light is doing what.
When you're ready to render, Slik can create mattes and lighting passes, which, when rendered, can be imported and controlled in Photoshop and After Effects with the included scripts. Slik 2 also makes it easy to create HDR images of any Slik setup. These can be swapped out for the Slik geometry to simplify the scene (and help with render times) and can be used in any 3D application, adding to Modo's excellent abilities as a true modelling and look-development tool for any 3D artist.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Learning about how to light CG scenes is one of the key skills of learning 3D, and with Slik 2 for Modo The Foundry has offered a practical solution for every level of CG artist.
Mike Griggs is a veteran digital content creator and technical writer. For nearly 30 years, Mike has been creating digital artwork, animations and VR elements for multi-national companies and world-class museums. Mike has been a writer for 3D World Magazine and Creative Bloq for over 10 years, where he has shared his passion for demystifying the process of digital content creation.
