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How can I achieve realistic lighting in a night scene without excessive render times?
Asked on Jan 19, 2026
Answer
Achieving realistic lighting in a night scene involves balancing light sources, shadows, and reflections while managing render times effectively. Focus on using efficient lighting techniques and optimizing your scene to maintain visual quality without unnecessary computation.
Example Technique:
- Step 1 – Use HDRI maps or low-intensity area lights to simulate ambient moonlight.
- Step 2 – Add point lights or spotlights for artificial sources like street lamps, ensuring proper falloff and shadow settings.
- Step 3 – Optimize render settings by adjusting sample rates and using denoising features to reduce noise without increasing render times.
Additional Comment:
- Consider using light linking to control which objects are affected by specific lights, reducing unnecessary calculations.
- Use light portals or simplified geometry to guide global illumination and improve efficiency.
- Experiment with different render engines or settings to find the best balance between quality and speed.
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