Page 604 - Kitab3DsMax

Part IV: Materials, Cameras, and Lighting Basics

sky is controlled by the Time, Date, and Location parameters, but if you want to move the light indepen-
dent of these parameters, you can select the Manual option and move the light using the transform tools.

FIGURE 20.11
The Compass helper provides an orientation for positioning the sun in a Sunlight system.

Note
You can change the settings for the light that is the sun by selecting the light from the Select by Name dialog box
and opening the Modify panel. The sunlight object uses raytraced shadows by default. n
Once created, the light parameters for the Daylight system, including light intensity and shadows, are
located in the Modify panel, but the Date, Time, and Location parameters are in the Motion panel when the
light object is selected. You can access the Motion panel parameters by clicking the Setup button in the
Daylight Parameters rollout.

Understanding Azimuth and Altitude
Azimuth and Altitude are two values that help define the location of the sun in the sky. Both are measured
in degrees. Azimuth refers to the compass direction and can range from 0 to 360, with 0 degrees being
North, 90 degrees being East, 180 degrees being South, and 270 degrees being West. Altitude is the angle in
degrees between the sun and the horizon. This value ranges typically between 0 and 90, with 0 degrees
being either sunrise or sunset and 90 degrees when the sun is directly overhead.

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