Toolkit 2 - Maya Arnold Physical Skylight

Original Scene

  Arnold physical skylights works only in the maya arnold render engine to give the impression of a realistic sky. Behind the scenes in the node editor, the physicalsky1 node is working in conjunction with a aiSkyDomeLightSphere1. However, the Physical SkyLight overrides the aiSkyDome settings.

SkyLight Nodes

  This formation creates a Heliodome, allowing a full 360 degree manipulation of the sun and creating different sequences in daytime. 

HelioDome

  Turbility: This is mainly Atmosphere and the amount of matter that is present. The higher the number the more matter and a lower number creates a clearer sky.

Turbility

  Ground Albedo: Bounce light that is reflecting from the ground into the atmosphere. The more light being projected, the brighter the atmosphere.

Ground Albedo

  Intensity: This is the amount of light being shown from the sun, 1 creates a natural light and 10 can cause whiting out. 

Intensity

  Elevation: This bringing the sun upwards in the atmosphere. The lower the number, the lower it is in the sky and towards the ground. 

Elevation

  Azimuth: This allows 360 control over the suns positions. in the case of the building below, 90 degrees is facing and 210 is behind causing shadows. 

Azimuth

  Sun and Sky Tint: This is what its says on the tin, the ability to change the colour of the sky and sun.

Sun and Sky Tint

  To clean up the noise created from the light system, settings will need to changed on the arnold renderer. This means bringing up the Diffuse and Camera. In darker Scenes, noise isn't as notable, but clean up can still be done via the Skydome samplings, found under its attributes. As both nodes are linked, they will work together. 

 As with Sampling, Exposure can help but it has altered be carefully. Too much exposure can cause unnatural lighting and wash out. 

  The Skylight can not make any night time effects, and can look like just a filter without any sense of clouds. So, Images can be used in skydomes and this light used in partnership.