Lighting with Par type lamps (custom beam shape)

[Mickey]

I'm trying to figure out some coverage, but I don't know how to shape a beam for a PAR style lamp.

the options we have only offer spread, and beam, but a par lamp is an oval shape.

Is there a way to customize the shape of the beam or is that not a feature in VW?

I'm using 2013 SP3

Thanks

[RickR]

If you look down through the list of Spotlight parameters in the OIP you'll find Field Angle, Field Angle 2 Beam Angle and Beam Angle 2.

Only Spotlight Lighting Devices have both directions and only the Draw Beam function will show an oval beam.

[Mickey]

If you look down through the list of Spotlight parameters in the OIP you'll find Field Angle, Field Angle 2 Beam Angle and Beam Angle 2.

Only Spotlight Lighting Devices have both directions and only the Draw Beam function will show an oval beam.

That's helpful when I'm doing a light plot, but I'm trying to do a rendering.

I could make the draw beam work if it would show the beams on a wall, but it doesn't.

[michaelk]

Mickey

The built in beam for spotlight instruments is a cone shaped beam.

For PARS you need to get the IES data for each lamp. (check out this discussion: http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=183728)

hth

mk

[Mickey]

Mickey

For PARS you need to get the IES data for each lamp. (check out this discussion: http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=183728)

Oh well that sucks.

I have a daylight Par made by a european company. It's a retrofitted ETC par body with a MSR575 short arc lamp.

I'm just trying to get the shape of the beam right so I can spec my lensing.

Is there a way to create an IES file?

I just want the oval shaped beam so I can see the coverage.

This is way harder than it should be.

[michaelk]

It's probably possible to create a .ies file. You can open them with a text editor. It's just a big comma delimited file.

They are available from lamp and fixture manufacturers. I know ETC has them for their fixtures. I haven't tried using the S4 PAR .ies data for a few years, but it used to be pretty terrible.

But, that might be enough for your purposes. It's probably not even necessary to build it into the spotlight fixture. Just use a generic light object with the .ies data from the same position. It should get you pretty close.

hth

mk

[Mickey]

It's probably possible It's probably not even necessary to build it into the spotlight fixture. Just use a generic light object with the .ies data from the same position. It should get you pretty close.

This is all I was doing anyway.

I'm not even doing a complete rendering. I'm just rendering a piece of the set in an attempt to figure out coverage.

This isn't a typical stage setting. It's an outdoor event being set up overnight in the middle of a street. If I get the lensing wrong and have to re-lens 100 fixtures in the middle of night with a union crew it's going to be very expensive. I'm trying to avoid that.

Thanks

Now. Where do I get the ETC IES files.

[michaelk]

http://www.etcconnect.com/product.downloads.aspx?ID=20084

[James Russell]

I stumbled across this a little while ago whilst creating my own .ies files in playtime, it's been bookmarked for a while in my VW folder.

http://jamiecardoso-mentalray.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/creating-customised-ies-web-lights-for.html

If you're really keen that is!

J

[RickR]

The alternative is to use a real lighting program.

Dialux dial.de and Relux are both free and will import DWG/DXF 3DS.

These also use IES and similar EU format files (your fixtures might have this type available) so you won't save any work there. But you get far more accurate data! For all of VW Spotlight and rendering functions it is NOT a lighting program.