Chapter 1: Getting Started with mental ray in 3ds max Adding a bounced light component results in light and color transfer into the shadow and shaded areas of the scene, thereby lightening those areas and reducing the overall contrast of the scene for a more convincing and natural look. In the real world, light bounces repeatedly until it is absorbed or loses its energy through attenu- ation, and while theoretically possible in mental ray, it would be very inefficient. Three or four bounces in mental ray are often enough to provide very good result without overtaxing computer resources. 1.3.1.3 Environmentlight Environment light is generally an outdoor occurrence of light being scattered by water vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere. If you go outdoors in the morning before the sun comes over the horizon, your surroundings are lit entirely by environment light, for example. However, it's an important component because it greatly affects the brightness and color of shadows and shaded areas of your scene. In mental ray, environ- ment light or skylight is a component of the Daylight system used in outdoor scenes (see Figure 1.9).