I would like to test your file to troubleshoot this issue that you are experiencing. Please send it to support@d5techs.com and have it titled “Clov-Forum D5 Render 2.11 — Underside of chajja (overhang/soffit) is too dark”
As suggested, I’ve emailed the D5 scene via WeTransfer (using the given title). I’ve also attached 3 renders of the same scene with identical lighting.
Issue (repeatable):
Across multiple projects, the underside of the chajja (overhang/soffit) looks too dark in wide/long shots, but when I move the camera close to the building it becomes bright again—even with Auto Exposure OFF.
Steps to reproduce (in the file I sent):
Open the scene and render a long shot → soffit underside is very dark.
Move the camera closer and render again → soffit underside becomes much brighter.
Auto Exposure is OFF in both tests.
Is this a known camera-distance issue (AO/SSGI/tone mapping) in 2.11?
Any recommended settings to keep soffit brightness consistent between wide and close shots without adding fill lights?
If there’s a patch or a specific combo (GI/AO/Environment), I’m happy to test and report back.
Please note that this problem was there in earlier version also.
Thanks for looking into this!
Can you also share the file where this image is from? The one you have sent seems to have these dark overhang because of environmental light positioning and the lack of lighting assets. While the first image you have shared seems to be more unnatural.
The images I shared are all from the same file. The first two images are close-up shots of the same angle and lighting as the long shots. I’ve noticed that the underside of the chajja (overhang/soffit) appears too dark in the wide/long shots, but becomes brighter when the camera is closer to the building, even with Auto Exposure turned off. This can be verified in the same file. All images shared recently are from the same project, although the thread initially included three different projects.
My Apologies, I wasn’t able to link the image that I was talking about. Anyway, the other file also displayed similarly but acquiring this file may also help us in determining the issue. Thank you.
I have sent you the requested file. Please note that this project differs from those with long shots of high-residential towers. This project primarily uses close-up shots. When using long shots, the underside appears dark; it brightens when closer. this is the core problem. This is the final version of the file; I’ve adjusted the material settings to improve brightness, unlike the earlier version in your screenshot. Please do the needful.
Alright, I just tested both of your files. So basically, this file that you have recently sent does not have any major issues regarding the surface darkening compared to the residential tower file?
Could you please clarify what changes you made to resolve the dark soffit issue in the first file? Because, based on the first image you sent, the soffit material still appears dark. It would be helpful if you could try applying those same changes to that file (High Residential Towers) as well.
As for the high residential tower file, both wide and close-up shots yield the same results; these surfaces are relatively darker. I tried changing the Sky Lights from Geo & Sky to HDRI, and it’s better.
I think you can activate this specific material’s emissivity, just to make it appear brighter
Or simply use a bright HDRI
Both suggestions can be done at the same time if changing to HDRI is still not what you expect these surfaces to look like.
Thanks for the suggestions. I also tried changing the material (making the soffit brighter and adding a small emissive). It lifts the dark area, but it is not practical for production:
Many areas need lifting and they do not share the same material.
Brightness still changes with camera distance (it gets brighter when I move closer), even with Auto Exposure OFF.
For aerial/long shots, I would have to change materials again, which breaks a consistent workflow.
Because of this, I believe the issue is more likely a GI/SSAO/shadow behavior tied to camera distance, not a material setup problem. My scene and test renders were shared via WeTransfer—please feel free to test on your side.
About the images you shared:
The examples are okay, though the overall rendering is not great. In your renders too, the underside area looks too dark—that is exactly what I am reporting. Also, your close-up shots are of the middle building. If you move the camera close to the front two buildings, you will notice the underside becomes brighter with your own settings. This matches the camera-distance issue I am seeing.
Why this may be missed by others:
On this forum, many posts are small buildings/bungalows with close-up views. Those projects do not need very wide-angle shots, so this problem might not show up and fewer people notice it.
Request:
Could you confirm if this is a known issue/bug in D5 Render 2.11?
If yes, please share a ticket/reference ID and next steps.
If not, could you provide a settings-based workaround (GI, AO, Environment/Skylight, tone mapping) that keeps soffit brightness consistent between wide and close shots without emissive or extra fill lights?
I am happy to test any proposed settings or a test build and report back. Thank you for looking into this.
This issue really hurts exterior renders (especially wide shots where the chajja/soffit underside goes too dark), so a fix will help the whole D5 community level up quality.
I love D5 Render and use it daily. Please keep pushing on this; your work makes a big difference.
If possible, please share any update or temporary workaround when you can. Appreciate the effort!
Please keep pushing on this; your work makes a big difference.