Newbie Render questions . . .

solarview

Hi All,

OK, getting a grip on my characters, posing, lighting, etc.
Ready for some rendering.
I do have DAZ 4 Pro, so I have uberEnviroment. So far though, to keep it simple, I'm just using the basic lights in DAZ Studio.
After watching some tutorials, I've been playing a bit with the different lights (Distant Lt, Linear Point Lt, Etc.)
So, questions...,

Starting with a 'Distant Light' as a main light, should it be set at the default 100%. Is that considered an optimum starting point for rendering or something? (It seems a bit 'hot' to me.)

Is there a limit to, or specific number of lights and arrangements, the I should adhere to, to keep renders more efficient?

Should I use 'Shadows' for each light?

How much does each light and shadow added, add to render times? (Modest? Moderate? Double?)

What's the difference in 'Ray-Traced' and 'Deep Shadow Map'? Is one considered better for quality, or for render times?

Thanks, for any and all suggestions. :)

- Sol

Jaderail

Here friend look through this thread. http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/1201/ It is a contest that ran all month but was based on lighting. You will find many good tip's in it.