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Custom lights in a Spotlight Symbol


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I'm getting deeper into modifying my 3D fixture symbols.  I want to make sure I'm correct in the thought that Spotlight lighting fixtures contain a default simple spotlight, and that's it.  You can't really customize that light too much?  I've gotten some results I like by placing a spotlight object inside the fixture, but then it's not controllable from the visualization palette.  I don't mind the automatic light for some things, but when it's a tiny spot in the middle of a large lens, it looks ridiculous.  Trying to find the best balance.

 

What are others doing?

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Sam -

 

The Symbols the Spotlight Lighting Device PIO uses do not contain Light sources - and, yours shouldn't, either.  The PIO code is looking for the 3D Locus that is top-most in the stacking order - more than likely at the fixture body pivot-point - to use as a reference as to where to place the Light source.  (I have multiple Loci in my fixture Symbols - all assigned to the NonPlot-Loci Class - Insertion Point, convenience snaps, pivot point(s), etc. - and all works just fine because of where they each are in the stacking order.)

 

There really isn't a way around the large lens/small source issue.  Making the lens glow will fix SOME of that but projected beams will still show the difference.

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2 hours ago, C. Andrew Dunning said:

Sam -

 

The Symbols the Spotlight Lighting Device PIO uses do not contain Light sources - and, yours shouldn't, either.  The PIO code is looking for the 3D Locus that is top-most in the stacking order - more than likely at the fixture body pivot-point - to use as a reference as to where to place the Light source.  (I have multiple Loci in my fixture Symbols - all assigned to the NonPlot-Loci Class - Insertion Point, convenience snaps, pivot point(s), etc. - and all works just fine because of where they each are in the stacking order.)

 

There really isn't a way around the large lens/small source issue.  Making the lens glow will fix SOME of that but projected beams will still show the difference.

 

Thanks, Andrew.  This is exactly what I thought.  I have added light sources into my symbols for visualizations not related to stage looks, and put them into a class of their own so I can turn them off at other times.  They're bright enough to glow the lens, but not bright enough to put much out on stage.  One s the Spotlight default light and the other is my custom one.  The spotlight one looks ridiculous, even moreso when the pivot point isn't in the center of the head!
image.thumb.png.d3def34cf6dd433f8aab57361f556ca8.pngimage.thumb.png.ab79dc3db900ef80093ef2c777c7633f.png

 

 

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I've abandoned using Spotlight symbols for rendering for this reason.  I developed a series of simple lighting symbols I use for this purpose that solve the beam origination issue.  Still doesn't solve the fall-off issue, but better than nothing and definitely speed up the period of time it takes to get renderings together.  Here is an image of a generic profile, a "sharpy" type fixture and a "Bee-Eye" type fixture to give you an idea.  

fixture image.jpg

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1 minute ago, scottmoore said:

I've abandoned using Spotlight symbols for rendering for this reason.  I developed a series of simple lighting symbols I use for this purpose that solve the beam origination issue.  Still doesn't solve the fall-off issue, but better than nothing and definitely speed up the period of time it takes to get renderings together.  Here is an image of a generic profile, a "sharpy" type fixture and a "Bee-Eye" type fixture to give you an idea.  

fixture image.jpg

 

Yep...I got ya.  I still want my symbols to be able to take on Spotlight info, so I'm making them "hybrid" symbols for now.  They have a  spotlight light in them, but for some renderings, I'll turn that off and turn my visual light on.

Curious...how do you focus them?

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I just build them at various tilt angles and insert the symbols I need. Then it’s just a question of rotating the hybrid symbol in plan view to give me what I want. For most renderings it seems fixtures seem to end up in straight and/or fan focuses so this works pretty well and I don’t have to waste any time on focus positions. 

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