We have added a tutorial to our site to help people who are not yet comfortable fixing the surface settings for characters in Studio. This tutorial only uses the basic surface settings so its fairly basic. I hope we covered everything but if we didn't then let us know.

www.calida3d.com/tutorials6.shtml

Thanks for sharing your tutorial :)

This looks like a really helpful tutorial. Thanks so much! (In fact, I wonder why I haven't perused your tutorials before.)

One quick question on this one, please. Although you've said what "neutral lights" shouldn't be, can you give me some idea of what is appropriate? No matter how many tuts I read about them, I have a horrible time with lights, so any tips would be much appreciated.

Thanks again.

If I had not been working on two tutorials at once I suspect that I would have thought to explain that. It didn't help a bit that the other tutorial is one on lighting to go with a light set we are finishing up and I'm sure my brain called it explained.

Neutral lighting boils down to "no color".. which is a bit to simplified to help you out. -grin- When I set up test lights I don't do anything to complex. A distance light at about 50 percent for some general fill and a spot around 50 percent are fine for initial tests. If you wanted more light I'd suggest adding another low level distance light angled slightly that was diffuse only. After you get to about 100 percent total on all the lights you start getting a little to much specularity. And if your wondering how I judge.. when I am setting up lights I like to load in something I know needs and uses a good bit of specularity. If that looks right then I know that the specularity in the scene is good but off on the character.

Great explanation.

Now I just need to figure out  where to tuck this info so that it's findable again. lol

Thanks so very much!