Maya Arnold Render Black or Too Dark

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Add light and background

   Copy steps
   1. Add a skydome light or an area light
   2. Add a sky shader or background if you expect an environment
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Debug in Arnold RenderView

   1. Run the render in the Arnold RenderView and read the Arnold log for errors
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Check the view transform

   1. If an AOV looks dark, switch the viewer to sRGB; raw data without a transform appears dark
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Arnold render view or output image is fully black or very dark.

Why it happens

• No light and no sky or skydome light
• Raw image viewed without a color transform
• Missing background element

This guide also covers

• maya arnold black render
• arnold render black maya
• maya render black screen

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