Can lights be instanced?

kaotkbliss

I was wondering if there was a way to instance lights (such as spotlights and pointlights) in the same way that figures and objects can be instanced so that when I make adjustments to the original, it affects all the instances?

I know selecting a spotlight and doing the create->new instance doesn't work (even though there is a new instance node, it has no lighting effects)

BeeMKay

It works with meshlights, but I don't think it works for "regular" lights.

But I've found this tool very useful, which works on all Iray light sources: http://www.daz3d.com/iray-light-manager-pro

FirstBastion

I recognize you were specifically asking for point lights and spot.  I don't know if they do,  but mesh lights in Iray,  can be instanced.

kaotkbliss

Forgot about that product, although I do have it in my wishlist. Although that only takes care of half the problem. I'm creating a sci-fi cityscape and need to make numerous road sections, each with street lights. So each road section instance, needs spotlights manually added to each lamp post instance :(

I was hoping there was a quicker way.

Richard Haseltine

Lights can't be instanced, but they can be duplicated (from the Edit>Duplicate sub-menu). Instancing is for things with geometry, creating additional items using the same geometry data.

kaotkbliss

I was planning on getting all the lights in as I was laying out the city. Then when it was done, run test renders to adjust the lighting as I'll have tons and tons of spotlights, pointlights and meshlights.

Maybe there's someway Daz could figure out a way to instance lights so that changing the value of one, affects all copies of that light.

j cade

kaotkbliss said:

I was planning on getting all the lights in as I was laying out the city. Then when it was done, run test renders to adjust the lighting as I'll have tons and tons of spotlights, pointlights and meshlights.

Maybe there's someway Daz could figure out a way to instance lights so that changing the value of one, affects all copies of that light.

 

If you have any mesh lights you can definitely instance those

If you're adjusting all of the lights the same ammount, its probably easier just to adjust the tonemapping in the rendersettings panel.

 

The other thing that might help is to organize your lights as you set up, parent all lights that you plan to change as one to a null. then its easy enough to just select all of them together and edit them as a unit.

You can even parent that null to another one and keep all your lights completely seperate from the rest of the scene that way

 

kaotkbliss

How quickly I forget...

The above mentioned product was designed to edit multitudes of lights... So now I just need to scrounge up the cash...

stitlown

Richard Haseltine said:

Lights can't be instanced, but they can be duplicated (from the Edit>Duplicate sub-menu). Instancing is for things with geometry, creating additional items using the same geometry data.

As always, Richard H hits the nail on the head.  I've just spent over an hour experimenting on why no shadows, and the answer is no instanced light.  Thanks once more, Richard. Your knowledge is astounding. Lx

Richard Haseltine

I should have said that Instances use the same geometry and material data - it's Geometry Shells that use the same geometry but not necessarily the same materials.

WendyLuvsCatz

Off topic a bit

but

I just learnt today instance groups can be node hierarchy duplicated and those duplicated

awesome, I can create huge vineyards, orchards etc with 3 props

the gap is intentional, the Wine Annex set is going there