16 ◾ 3D Animation for the Raw Beginner Using Maya
the brick wall, the palm trees, and the sky beyond. Maybe we do not consciously realize that the coloring of the sky gives us the feel of warmth, and the apparent angle of the sunlight makes us think of sunset—the people are probably not there at sunrise. We see that the people are dressed casually. We might even notice that the girl is wearing a dress with a fatigue pattern on it. The other two characters are taller and might have gray hair. It all makes sense. But unless we grew up on the Atlantic coast or have a habit of vacationing in fancy resorts, we have never seen a cabana. We have heard of them, of course. But if that’s what this is, it’s a bit over the top. It’s huge and ostentatious. It certainly does not provide these people with privacy, but it does give them shade. They are probably on vacation. This cabana could indeed belong to a resort. The accompanying hotel is probably vast and ornate. Let’s break this down. 1. First, it is a complete scene. An “environment,” as animators might call it, with an architectural model serving as the focus of the scene. It is fleshed out. This is important. What we are seeing is complete and very visual. The scene makes a strong impression on us. It’s vibrant. 2. The structure is exotic. But the scene as a whole fits into our understanding of the world around us. It is grounded in reality but has its own unique look and feel. 3. There appears to be only one source of light—the sun. It seems to be low in the sky, and, ignoring the overall context of the scene, this suggests that the sun is just now rising or setting. The tall shadows of the two characters in the left half of the cabana also indicate that the sun is low in the sky. But on closer examination, there is something odd about the lighting in the scene. The overall scene is cast in soft shadows, but there are pronounced shadows of the man and child on the interior wall of the cabana. Why are they there? Without these shadows, the people in the cabana would appear to be floating in air. A tough choice has been made: a modest secondary light source has been introduced to enhance the shadows inside the cabana. The size of the rendering might make it difficult to detect this, but the table and chairs and the woman are also casting shadows created by this secondary light. 4. The reflections of the gold arches and furniture are bright, and they add a little majesty to the scene. All in all, the lights, shadows, and reflections give us a strong sense of depth. Also, the shadows don’t blur together; we can tell exactly what object is creating each shadow. 5. We may wonder how the cabana is supported. The modeler has tried to suggest that it is structurally sound by showing us the internal wood walls and support beams. 6. The patterned material seems to be cloth. The cloth has some smooth curves where it comes down below the golden arches. This is fitting with our cabana concept. But the four corners of its roof are awfully sharp for something made out of cloth and held up with wood slats.