Anyone knows how to correct this? (Shadows)

I’ve started a living room and I’m on my way to complete it. But I came across a little detail that I don’t like much.

If you look at the images you can see a sofa, a table with an ashtray on top and a carpet. Everything is fine to me but the shadows that the table casts on the carpet…

If you look at it from afar you’ll probably say there’s nothing wrong with it, but at a closer look you can see that the shadow is completely black. It eliminates the carpet’s texture in that area. This never happens in reality.

I’m already using TraShado on the carpet for the table’s glass shadows, but obviously, since the table structure is not transparent, the shadows remain opaque.

If anyone could light me up on this I’d be pleased.

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Use some ambient occlusion. It is in the world buttons… It will take a lot longer to render, but with better results. You could also place another lamp in the room for some diffuse lighting…

Yeah, if you’re not using a GI or radiosity solution, then you’ll need a few bonus lamps to soften things up and fake diffuse lighting.

As BlackBoe said, you need “fill lights” to avoid completely black shadows. Not real need for AO there.

I wish I could find the article again, I think it was with pixar and the were asked about their lighting and how the get such soft shadows… But I do recall the reply… Simple, lots of lights… BlackBoe & Malefico already told ya the answer though, Key lights, fill, kick, rim… Depending on the lighting situation…

Here’s a link that’s well worth the read: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/BSoD/Introduction_to_Lighting
it is informative and well worth a read. It might feel a little dry at times, but play around a little then with the lights, settings etc, and see what effects you get. It’s more fun and i’m sure you’ll learn more that way!

Gee, I didn’t expect so many replies. Thanks a lot. I thought that it might have something to do with lighting tecniques, but I wasn’t so sure. I confess that I didn’t read much about lighting yet, but now that I’m sure it’s about it, I will.

And hiower, thanks for the link. I’ll read it.

Any suggestions on the furniture, modeling or whatever, are more than welcome.

Thanks.