I can't figure out spot light

ilseturnbull

I'm following along with the light tutorial - http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/lighting/videos/lighting_editor/start

. I loaded in a G3 figure, and put some clothes on him, posed him.

I'm in the lights - editor - The first light seemed to work - distant light. Then we were to turn off the distant light and add in a spot light. I did that. The spot light does nothing that I can see. I've tried moving it around but i can't find any light.

I got point light to work, and linear point light. It's the spot light that I can't figure out at all.

Philopp

Hi,

first question what render engine are you using? The video is from 2011 so it was teaching about 3DLight. If you want to work with the 3DLight engine I believe the tutorial is still correct.

The spot light works also for the Iray render engine. But the default setting for the light 1500 lumen is very very weak. Probably this is the reason you cannot see its effect. If you turn the luminosity higher, you should be able to see the effect. To set the luminocity go to the properties of your spot light, then to Light / Photometrics, and set the luminosity to 1,000,000. That should work.

Greetings

P.

ilseturnbull

I'm trying to practice with iRay. Ok turned it up and I do see some light now. thank you. I'll have to play with it a bit more, and look for an iRay tutorial.

Fishtales

Use Tone Mapping to get more light into the camera.

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/interface/panes/render_settings/engine/nvidia_iray/tone_mapping/start

ilseturnbull

Thanks Fishtales I'll check it out

SpottedKitty

ilseturnbull said:

The spot light does nothing that I can see. I've tried moving it around but i can't find any light.

Do you mean "moving around" as in rotating, or actually shifting the light to another location? Remember that the default load location for a light is right in the middle of the scene, pointing forwards. If your scene is just a Genesis figure, then it also default loads right in the middle of the scene — with the newly loaded spot light right between his feet, and not actually pointing at anything.

ilseturnbull

Thanks SpottedKitty - it's good to know where things are supposed to be. I think I rotated, I did catch some light, eventually, so I know it's there now. I'm checking out some tuts so I can understand it all a bit better.

SpottedKitty

Just noticed another point from your first post — Point Lights and Linear Point Lights work exactly the same in Iray renders. The Linear Points were introduced several versions back (long before Iray came around) because plain Point Lights in 3Delight have a very short default range, and you have to tweak them a bit to get around this. The problem doesn't exist in Iray, because all lights default to working pretty much like they do in the real world — no workarounds or tweaks needed, just fiddle with the parameters to get the lighting effects you want.

ilseturnbull

Great! thanks SpottedKitty