DirectionalLight

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Lights Render Tools	Render Create Directional Light

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Create Directional Light

The DirectionalLight command inserts a light that simulates the sun defined with parallel rays and a direction.

Location point (1), dolly point (2), target point (3).

Steps

Pick a location at which to aim the directional light.
Pick a location for the directional light.

Note

A directional light shines toward a specified direction. The location of the light does not matter: the light object merely indicates the direction the light shines.
Turn on the light's control points and move or drag the control points to edit the light's direction and target.
To move the light without changing its direction, move the dolly point (the control point at the midpoint on the direction vector).

LinearLight

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Lights Render Tools	Render Create Linear Light

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Create Linear Light

The LinearLight command inserts a light that imitates a fluorescent tube.

Steps

Pick the start of the light.
Pick the end of the light.

PointLight

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Lights Render Tools	Render Create Point Light

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Create Point Light

The PointLight command inserts a light object that emits light from a single location in all directions (omni light).

Steps

Pick the light's location.

RectangularLight

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Lights Render Tools	Render Create Rectangular Light

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Create Rectangular Light

The RectangularLight command inserts a rectangular light object that emits light from an array of light points in one direction.

Location point (1), length control (2), width control (3), dolly point (4), target point (5).

Note

Turn on the light's control points and move or drag the control points to edit the light's direction, length, width, and target.
To move the light without changing its direction, move the dolly point (the control point at the midpoint on the direction vector).

Steps

Pick the light's start point.
Pick a the light's length.
Pick the light's width.

Command-line option
Target	Aims the light at the specified location.

Spotlight

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Lights Render Tools Standard	Render Create Spotlight

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Create Spotlight

The Spotlight command inserts a light object into the model that directs a narrow beam of light with falloff.

The spotlight object appears as a cone shape. Its light appears only in full renderings of the targeted objects.

Use the Properties command to set the light's color and on or off state. Darker colors, like gray, light the scene less.

Location point (1), dolly point (2), radius control (3), target point (4), hotspot control (5).

Steps

Pick the center and radius of the base circle.
See the Circle command for option descriptions.
Pick the end of the light.

Command-line options
Direction constraint options	Direction constraints restrict the direction of the circle. None The center can be anywhere in 3-D space. The second point can be placed anywhere using elevator mode, object snaps or other modeling aids. Vertical Draws an object perpendicular to the construction plane. Pick the center and a radius or diameter. AroundCurve Draws a circle perpendicular to a curve. Select a curve and pick the center of the circle on the curve and a radius or diameter.

Command-line options

Direction
constraint
options

Direction constraints restrict the direction of the circle.

None

The center can be anywhere in 3-D space.

The second point can be placed anywhere using elevator mode, object snaps or other modeling aids.

Vertical

Draws an object perpendicular to the construction plane.

Pick the center and a radius or diameter.

AroundCurve

Draws a circle perpendicular to a curve.

Select a curve and pick the center of the circle on the curve and a radius or diameter.

Note

Turn on the spotlight's control points and move or drag the control points to edit the spotlight's direction, length, beam angle, hotspot angle, and position.
To move the light without changing its direction, move the dolly point (the control point at the midpoint between the cone tip and the center of the cone base).
Spotlights with narrower cones produce more detail than spotlights with wider cones.
The cone for the spotlight represents the direction of the light, not the range of the light.
The brightness of the light from the spotlight remains constant, even as you move away from the tip of the cone.
The length and width of the spotlight together do control the shape of the infinite cone in space that is illuminated by the spotlight.
Objects near the center axis line of the cone are illuminated the most brightly. That bright full illumination continues for half of the width of the cone, and then slowly drops off to nothing at the very outside of the cone.
Spotlight hardness controls the fully illuminated region. You can either shrink it or expand it so that there is no drop-off at all. The easiest way to see what this does it is to create a plane with a single spotlight shining on it, and then play with the spotlight hardness parameter to see what it does.

DirectionalLight

Steps

Note

LinearLight

Steps

PointLight

Steps

RectangularLight

Note

Steps

Spotlight

Steps

None

Vertical

AroundCurve

Note

See also

Render