noob question about linear point light

Ok, well, how the heck do you control the fall off area?

I watched the video about lights, but it would really help if they didn't only have videos that refer to older version of DS, since the controls for

later versions appear rather different

anyways, I created a new linear point light, and then I scoured every dial in each editor tab and I guess I'm stupid but I can't find the controls for the fall off radius....they seemed so clear in the older versions of DS, where did they hide them in this one?

Scaling seems to apply to the light only so I cant think of anything else....

Comments

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565

    Is your render engine set to Iray or 3delight?

  • Well, the render is set to Iray but I'm jsut looking at the vewport now, does it make a difference?

     

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565

    The options that are available are determined by the render engine, so the falloff options aren't available for Iray (not that a linear point light is physically realistic in any event).

  • I see, yeah, after you asked me that I tried switching to 3Delight and found the controls......

    for what I had in mind I guess the fall off controls wouldn't have been useful anyways, since even in 3Delight they can't be made smaller, I'm just trying to light up a very small area.... and I don't care too much about realism,  I just want to make the scene look good ;)

     

    any advice about how to light up a very small area without havein lights and shadows spread too much?

     

  • I menat "having", I was typing a little too fast

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001

    Use lights that you can attach IES profiles to and use a profile on it....there's a real nice set of 'artist friendly IES profiles along with some other IES info in my sig.

  • I had a look at the IES profiles. They seem interesting, and I downloaded the zip, but since I"m still figuring out how to use DS, obviously, I'm not really clear on how I should install them (or use them)

     

    to be precise, I've been working on one image for a while now, and it looks really good at the moment, for my taste at least, and almost done

    however, there is one shadow that, natural or not, I don't like in there.... I am mainly trying to get rid of it without wrecking the whole scene

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565

    How about a regular point light rather than a linear one, which will fall off very quickly?

  • I'm trying that, right now, but the problem is that it creates new shadows that spoil the overall picture

  • Lights in Iray always cast shadows, unless you switch to the Interactive mode.

  • ToborTobor Posts: 2,300

    One way to *possibly* reduce the shadow is to apply the matte setting to any object that is receiving the unwanted shadow. The method may not catch all shadows 100%, but may be enough for your application.

    1. Select the object in the scene.

    2. Go to My Library/Scripts/Utilities, and apply 'Create Advanced Iray Node Properties.' Nothing will appear to happen.

    3. In properties, you'll see a new setting for Enable Iray Matte.

    Do this for each object in your scene that is receiving an unwanted shadow.

    See this page for more info:

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/56978/shadowcatch-surface-iray

     

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