Lighting

[scheven_architect]

Hello,

- Is it possible to link a group of lights to a certain view(port)? So it would be possible to set different views, each with different lighting and then save all to batch render.

- Can someone explain to me directional light and what his angles mean?

greetings!

Edited February 17, 2011 by scheven_architect

[Pat Stanford]

Put the lights in different classes and then turn those classes on/off in the appropriate viewports.

[scheven_architect]

Put the lights in different classes and then turn those classes on/off in the appropriate viewports.

Ah! Why didn't i think about that , tyvm!

Could you also explain directional light to me? I don't really get the direction, angles,... I also wonder if this object is always use as sun or are there better ways? The tutorials i have from vectorworks are a bit vague at some points.

greetings!

Edited February 17, 2011 by scheven_architect

[Jonathan Pickup]

A directional light is like the sun, shining all over the scene.

Lights do not have to be added to classes, you can turn them off or on viewport by viewport

[Pat Stanford]

Please expand on this JP. Are you talking about the Visualization Palette?

[billtheia]

You don't need to class each light differently. You can use the Visualization Palette to control lights in each VP.

[Pat Stanford]

So are you saying that the radio buttons at the top of the light tab of the Visualization Palette that say This Scene and All actually refer to viewports?

And no I have not tried it as I am swamped right now.

[Danielj1]

Pat,

That is exactly how it works. A brief summary proof exercise is this:

1. Create a scene in a design layer and place a Directional light in it, representing the sun.

2. Create a sheet layer viewport of this scene, and leave it selected.

3. In the Visualization palette, click on the Light tab, and then select the Directional light. Turn it off by deselecting the check mark in the "on" column. And then click on the "Selected Viewport(s)" radio button at the top left of the palette.

4. Now, render the selected viewport in Fast Renderworks (in the Object Info palette, next to Background Render, select Fast Renderworks and then update the viewport). Note that the scene is dark (although not black).

5. Switch to the design layer containing the original scene, and render in Fast Renderworks. Note that the scene is fully illuminated, and displaying shade and shadows.

6. Go back to the sheet layer and make sure the viewport is selected. In the Visualization palette, turn on the Directional light by clicking in the "on" column.

7. Update the viewport and observe the now-illuminated scene.

Dan J.

[Benson Shaw]

Seems that ambient cannot be controlled from Sheet layer or Vis Palette.

In a sheet layer, ambient source does not show up in the Vis Palette light list, and Menu>View>Set Lighting Options is gray, whether or not any VP is selected.

Switch to a DL and ambient is controlled via menu, but not Vis Palette.

Ambient controls would be useful from Visualization Palette and in Viewports.

-B

[billtheia]

Ambient light can be controlled in a VP using lighting options button in OIP.

[Benson Shaw]

Thanks! There it is!

Now I have a SLVP which does not render in Open GL if the OGL shadows option is checkmarked. It renders properly in RW modes, but blank white in OGL. DL of same scene renders in OGL with shadows.

-B

Edited February 20, 2011 by Benson Shaw

[willofmaine]

Okay...

But how do you control individual light objects in multiple instances of the same light fixture symbol?

For example: I'm in the living room looking towards the entrance hall, both of which have the same ceiling mounted light fixture. I want the living room light on, and the hall light off. But because they are instances of the same symbol, they both have to be either on or off.

Whether it's the Visualization Palette (VP) or classes that are used to control scenes, all instances of the same fixture either need to be all on or all off.

Except that in the OIP (and not in the VP...) the Light Brightness can be controlled individually for symbols (so that 100% and 0% could be used to effectively turn them on and off, respectively). But this has to be done in the design layer, and for each scene change the appropriate light would need to be adjusted manually. Far from ideal...

Or maybe I'm completely missing something? If I'm not...

Is there a way to report on the "Light Brightness" of a symbol in a worksheet?.............

Thanks! Will