Lighting Tool help!

[Shawncfer]

So I've got a basic question. I can't figure out how to use the lighting tool! I know it might be pretty easy, but I'm teaching myself how to do 3D in vectorworks, and I've gotten pretty far, just run into a little bump in the road. I've built a theater space, and completely finished with texture and everything. But I want to see the final product. When I view a camera with Open GL, I can see everything, but not final rendered. When I do the finally render, everythings pitch black. Well when I built the theater I completely sealed it up so I could re-create the scenes of a play with lighting how I want, and no exterior light. But now I can't use the lighting tool. I've tried different types of lights with the lighting tool, but I just can't seem to get it to work. If I set it to spot light, the height is right, the direction is right, and the pointing to height is right. But I final render, and Nada!

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, and I'm sure with the little information I've provided, you can't tell what I'm doing wrong. But I'm just hoping someone can help walk me through it so I can figure it out.

Also, if I import my Lighting Designers light plot, and he has all his areas set up, as well as those lights focused at those areas, and then I set the lights of the lights, can I turn those lights on to mimic the lighting as it will be in that scene? Or would I just have to put the light tool on top of his lights?

I know that last question should be posted in the Spotlight board. But I think the first question is more appropriate here. If you think I should move it, please let me know!

[Tamsin Slatter]

Hi

Choose Window > Palettes > Visualization and click on the Lights tab. You will see each of the light sources listed here. They are turned off by default. Click in the first column to turn them on. Then render again. You can right click each light source and choose Edit - then check Lit Fog to make the beam visible.

Hope that helps!