Stephen M.

must be something else I'm missing. I've changed the drape to different objects and the lights still show through. Is there some other settings to the environment that has to be switched?

I think I tried that. could you look at the file and let me know what I missed? drape opaque.vwx

I am uplighting drapery and the light is showing through the drapery. Could someone remind me what I have to set to make the light "bounce" off the drapery and not go through it?

Thanks, my problem usually is when I'm building a model in the Layer and I just need a measurement to check something, not actually place a dimension in a Sheet. So if I'm building in a top/plan and then wish to check a measurement changing to a side view.

When I switch from top/plan to either a front or side views is there a way to set the parameters so it picks the points in a 2D plane. When I try to grab points they're not always in the same plane. Not sure if I should be re-setting the plane views. -could be I'm not familiar enough with the program after a year or so of using it. thanks if advance for any advice.

Thanks Pat, I did the import and the 14mb file blew up into a 187mb file! It is a bit heavier than I had hoped but it worked.

And just as I asked this question I went back to my Spotlight and see there is an import for the format, so I'm giving it a try.

Has anyone opened a .step file? It's a format I got from a truss supplier and I'm trying to import a model of an exhibit booth.

Thanks guys, I'll try the variations. I appreciate the advice.

Something like the way the Drawing Label Tool works?

Thanks for the info Kevin. That must be a hidden command because I don't see it on a Keyboard Shortcuts list.

Does anyone know of a way to stop a render which is in progress without quitting the program? -using Spotlight 2018 on a Mac.

All good tips guys, thanks. Steve M.

A colleague of mine works in 3DS Max and sometimes he builds an object and makes it glow. Do we think we could do the same thing here? -build a fake instrument from an object and somehow shutter it to give the effect of a wide cyc light?

that thing about the Light Info Record - could it be that I copied a fixture from another file? and that messed up the file? I am just doing the scenic layout and another person -the lighting designer- built the file for the lighting and I copied one of his fixtures into mine.