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Lights

Create panel (Lights)

Create menu Lights Lights are objects that simulate real lights such as household or office lamps, the light instruments used in stage and film work, and the sun itself. Different kinds of light objects cast

light in different ways, emulating different kinds of real-world light sources. When there are no lights in a scene, the scene is shaded or rendered with default lighting. You

add lights to give the scene a more realistic appearance. Lighting enhances the clarity and three-dimensionality of a scene. In addition to general lighting effects, lights can be used to project images.

Light objects replace the default lighting. As soon as you create a light, the default lighting is turned off. If you delete all the lights in the scene, default lighting is turned back on. The default

lighting consists of two invisible lights: one is above and to the left of the scene, and the other is below and to the right. TipOne way to begin your work on lighting a scene is to convert the default lighting into light

objects by using the command Add Default Lights To Scene. NoteA scene's lighting is also affected by the Ambient Light setting on the Environment And

Effects dialog Environment panel. Types of Lights 3ds Max provides two types of lights: photometric and standard. All types are displayed in

viewports as light objects. They share many of the same parameters, including shadow generators.

Photometric Lights Photometric lights use photometric (light energy) values that enable you to more accurately define lights as they would be in the real world. You can set their distribution, intensity, color

temperature, and other characteristics of real-world lights. You can also import specific photometric files available from lighting manufacturers to design lighting based on commercially

available lights. TipFor the most physically accurate, photorealistic lighting, use Photometric lights and the mental ray renderer. When you render with mental ray, use Final Gather and the mental ray

Photographic exposure control. With this setup, you also can do lighting analysis of your model. Standard Lights

Standard lights are computer-based objects that simulate lights such as household or office lamps, the light instruments used in stage and film work, and the sun itself. Different kinds of light objects cast light in different ways, simulating different kinds of light sources. Unlike

photometric lights, Standard lights do not have physically-based intensity values.

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A nighttime scene that uses standard lights for atmosphere rather than realism Tips

You can animate not only the location of a light, but also its color, intensity and some other creation parameters. See Animating Lights.

You can use the Place Highlight command to change a light's position. See the Procedures

in Working with Lights. A Light viewport can be a useful way to adjust lights other than omni lights.

To simulate sunlight, use a daylight or sunlight system, which allows you to set the date, time, and geographic location of your model. The daylight system is photometric, while the sunlight system uses a standard directional light.

NoteThe standard Skylight light is distinct from the photometric daylight lights. The Skylight light is for use with light tracing.

Target Spotlight

Create panel (Lights) Standard Target Spot button Create menu Lights Standard Lights Target Spotlight

A spotlight casts a focused beam of light like a flashlight, a follow spot in a theater, or a headlight. A target spotlight uses a target object to aim the camera.

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Top: Top view of a target spotlight Bottom: Perspective view of the same light

NoteWhen you add a target spotlight, 3ds Max automatically assigns a Look At controller to it, with the light's target object assigned as the Look At target. You can use the controller settings on the Motion panel to assign any other object in the scene as the Look At target.

Procedures To create a target spotlight:

1. On the Create panel, click (Lights). 2. Choose Standard from the drop-down list. 3. On the Object Type rollout, click Target Spot.

4. Drag in a viewport. The initial point of the drag is the location of the spotlight, and the point where you release the mouse is the location of the target.

The light is now part of the scene. 5. Set the creation parameters.

To adjust a target spotlight:

1. Select the light.

2. On the main toolbar, turn on (Select And Move), or right-click the light and from the

quad menu, choose Move. Move the light to adjust its aim. Because the spotlight is always aimed at its target, you can't rotate it about its local X or Y axis. However, you can select and move the target object as well as the light itself.

When you move either the light or the target, the light's orientation changes so it always points at the target.

NoteThe target’s distance from the light does not affect the attenuation or brightness of the light.

To select the target:

The target, displayed as a small square, is often in the same area as objects that you want to illuminate. It can be difficult to select it by clicking.

1. Select the spotlight itself. 2. Right-click the light, and from the Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant of the quad menu, choose

Select Target.

Clicking the line that connects the light and its target selects both objects. However, region selection doesn't recognize the link line.

Another way to adjust a spotlight is to use a Spotlight Parameters. To change a viewport to a Light view:

1. Click or right-click the POV viewport label.

3ds Max opens the Point-Of- View viewport label menu.. 2. Choose Lights.

The Lights submenu shows the name of each spotlight or directional light in the scene. 3. Choose the name of the light you want.

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The viewport now shows the light's point of view. You can use the Light viewport to adjust the light.

The default keyboard shortcut for switching to a Light viewport is $. Interface When you rename a target spotlight, the target is automatically renamed to match. For example,

renaming Light01 to Klieg causes Light01.Target to become Klieg.Target. The target's name must have the extension .Target. Renaming the target object does not rename the light object.

Name and Color Rollout (Lights)

Create panel (Lights) Create a light. Name and Color rollout

Create menu Lights Photometric Lights or Standard Lights Create a light. Modify

panel Name and Color rollout

Create a light. Modify panel Name and Color rollout

The Name And Color rollout lets you change the name and geometry color of a light. Changing the color of the light geometry can be useful when working with many lights. For example, in a scene with many different types of lights, you could make all spotlights red, and all omni lights

blue to easily distinguish them. Changing a light's geometry color has no effect on the color of the light itself. You can set the

color the light emits on its Intensity/Color/Attenuation rolloutfor photometric lights, or the Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout for standard lights. Procedures

To change the color of a light’s geometry:

1. Create or select a light in your scene.

2. On the Name And Color rollout, click the color swatch to open a Color Selector. 3. Choose a new color and click OK.

To change the name of a light:

1. Create or select a light in your scene. 2. On the Name And Color rollout, click the name field and enter the new name, then press

the Enter key. The light's name has changed.

Interface

Name

The name of the selected light.

NoteWhen you rename a target-type light, the target object will be renamed to match the light.

Color The color of the light’s geometry. This has no effect on the color the light emits.

General Parameters Rollout (Standard Lights)

Create panel (Lights) Standard Create a standard light. General Parameters rollout

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Create menu Lights Standard Lights Create a standard light. General Parameters rollout

This General Parameters rollout is displayed for standard lights. These controls turn a light on and off, and exclude or include objects in the scene. On the Modify panel, the General Parameters rollout also lets you control the light’s target object

and change the light from one type to another. The General Parameters rollout also lets you turn shadow-casting on or off for the light, and

choose which type of shadow the light uses. See Shadow Types and Shadow Controls and Shadow Parameters. Procedures

To turn a light on and off: Turn the On toggle on or off.

Default=on. TipTo make a standard light flash on and off, set its Multiplier parameter to 0 in repeated keyframes, and assign a step tangent to this parameter.

To have a light cast shadows: In the General Parameters rollout Shadows group, make sure On is selected.

The light will now cast shadows when you render the scene.

Left: A spotlight's projection cone truncates shadows. Right: An omni light casts complete shadows.

NoteWith Overshoot turned on, standard spotlights cast light in all directions but cast shadows only within the falloff cone; standard directional lights cast light throughout the scene, but cast shadows only within the falloff area.

To have a light use the global settings for shadows: On the General Parameters rollout, turn on Use Global Settings.

When Use Global Settings is on, the other shadow controls are set to the values used by all other shadow-casting lights in the scene that have Use Global Settings set. Changing the affected parameters for one light with Use Global Settings set, changes

them for all lights with Use Global Settings set. To set a light's shadow parameters individually:

On the General Parameters rollout, turn off Use Global Settings. The settings revert to the individual settings for the light. By default, Shadow Map is the active shadow type. In the Shadow Map Parameters

Rollout, the default settings are: Map Bias=1; Size=512; Sample Range=4.0; Absolute Map Bias=Off.

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Scene with shadow-mapped shadows Shadows rendered using default parameter settings

NoteWhen you render a scene, you can turn rendering of shadows on or off. To cast area shadows:

On the General Parameters rollout, choose Area Shadows from the drop-down list.

Use controls on the Area Shadows Rollout to adjust the shadow properties. To cast advanced ray-traced shadows:

Advanced ray-traced shadows are similar to ray-traced shadows, however they provide control over antialiasing, letting you fine-tune how shadows are generated.

On the General Parameters rollout, choose Advanced Ray-traced Shadows from the drop-

down list. Use controls on the Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout to adjust the shadow

properties. To cast shadow-mapped shadows:

1. On the General Parameters rollout, choose Shadow Maps from the drop-down list.

2. Go to the Shadow Map Parameters Rollout. o Use the Size spinner to set the size of the shadow map.

o Use the Bias spinner to adjust the shadow offset, if necessary. o Use the Sample Range spinner to create a soft-edged shadow.

To cast ray-traced shadows:

Ray-traced shadows are generated by tracing the path of rays sampled from a light source. Ray-traced shadows are more accurate than shadow-mapped shadows.

1. On the General Parameters rollout, choose Ray-Traced Shadows from the drop-down list.

2. Use controls on the Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters Rollout to adjust the shadow offset, if necessary.

To keep an object from casting shadows:

1. Select the object.

2. Right-click the object to display the quad menu, then from the Transform (lower-right) quadrant, choose Properties. 3ds Max opens the Object Properties dialog.

3. Turn off Cast Shadows, and then click OK. Now when you render the scene, the object casts no shadows.

To make an object not receive shadows:

1. Select the object. 2. Right-click the object to display the quad menu, then from the Transform (lower-right)

quadrant, choose Properties. 3ds Max opens the Object Properties dialog.

3. Turn off Receive Shadows, and then click OK. Now when you render the scene, the object receives no shadows.

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NoteYou can also prevent objects from casting shadows by excluding them from a light. Interface

Light Type group (Modify panel) On

(Both Create panel and Modify panel) Turns the light on and off. When On is on, shading

and rendering use the light to illuminate the scene. When On is off, the light is not used in shading or rendering. Default=on.

In viewports, the interactive renderer shows the effect of turning lights on or off. [light type drop-down list]

Changes the type of the light. If you have selected a standard light type, the light can be

changed to an omni, spot, or directional light. If you have selected a photometric light type, you can change the light to a point, linear, or area light.

This parameter is available only on the Modify panel. Targeted

When on, the light is targeted. The distance between the light and its target is displayed to

the right of the checkbox. For a free light, you can set this value. For target lights, you can change it by turning off the checkbox, or by moving the light or the light's target object.

Shadows group On

Determines whether the current light casts shadows or not. Default=on.

Use Global Settings Turn on to use global settings for shadows cast by this light. Turn off to enable individual control of the shadows. If you choose not to use the global settings, you must choose

which method the renderer will use to generate shadows for this particular light. When Use Global Settings is on, the shadow parameters switch over to show you what the

global settings are. This data is shared by every other light of this class. When Use Global Settings is off, the shadow parameters are specific to that particular light.

[shadow method drop-down list]

Determines whether the renderer uses shadow maps, ray-traced shadows, advanced ray-traced shadows, or area shadows, to generate shadows for this light.

The “mental ray Shadow Map” type is provided for use with the mental ray renderer. When you choose this shadow type and enable shadow maps (on the Shadows & Displacement rollout of the Render Setup dialog), shadows use the mental ray shadow-

map algorithm. If this type is chosen but you render with the default scanline renderer, no shadows appear in the rendering.

NoteWhen shadow maps are enabled and the shadow map type is Shadow Map, the mental ray renderer attempts to translate the shadow map settings into comparable settings for mental ray shadow maps. (The results might not be what you expected.) In all

other cases, the mental ray renderer generates ray-traced shadows.

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Each shadow type has its particular controls: Advanced ray-traced shadowsSee Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout and

Optimizations Rollout. Area shadowsSee Area Shadows Rollout and Optimizations Rollout. mental ray shadow mapsSee mental ray Shadow Map Rollout.

Ray-traced shadowsSee Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters Rollout. Shadow mapsSee Shadow Map Parameters Rollout.

TipUse ray-traced or advanced ray-traced shadows when you want shadows cast by opacity-mapped objects. Shadow-mapped shadows don't recognize the transparent portions of the mapping, and as a result they don't look convincing.

Exclude button Excludes selected objects from the effects of the light. Click this button to display the

Exclude/Include dialog. Excluded objects still appear lit in shaded viewports. Exclusion takes effect only when you render the scene.

Roll Angle Manipulator To change the roll angle of a target light, you can use a manipulator. This can be useful if the

light does not cast a round beam, or if it is a projector light (see Advanced Effects Rollout). To display the manipulator, select the light, right-click it, and then click Roll Angle Manipulator Toggle on the Tools 2 (lower left) quadrant of the quad menu.

Roll angle manipulator on a target light

Drag the circular portion of the manipulator to rotate the light by an arbitrary number of degrees. Click one of the red or green “clock hands” of the manipulator to rotate the light in 90-degree increments.

Note You can also access the roll angle manipulator by selecting the light object and then turning on Select And Manipulate on the main toolbar.

General Parameters Rollout (Standard Lights)

Create panel (Lights) Standard Create a standard light. General Parameters

rollout Create menu Lights Standard Lights Create a standard light. General Parameters rollout

This General Parameters rollout is displayed for standard lights. These controls turn a light on and off, and exclude or include objects in the scene.

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On the Modify panel, the General Parameters rollout also lets you control the light’s target object and change the light from one type to another.

The General Parameters rollout also lets you turn shadow-casting on or off for the light, and choose which type of shadow the light uses. See Shadow Types and Shadow Controls and Shadow Parameters.

Procedures To turn a light on and off:

Turn the On toggle on or off. Default=on. TipTo make a standard light flash on and off, set its Multiplier parameter to 0 in repeated

keyframes, and assign a step tangent to this parameter. To have a light cast shadows:

In the General Parameters rollout Shadows group, make sure On is selected. The light will now cast shadows when you render the scene.

Left: A spotlight's projection cone truncates shadows.

Right: An omni light casts complete shadows. NoteWith Overshoot turned on, standard spotlights cast light in all directions but cast shadows

only within the falloff cone; standard directional lights cast light throughout the scene, but cast shadows only within the falloff area. To have a light use the global settings for shadows:

On the General Parameters rollout, turn on Use Global Settings. When Use Global Settings is on, the other shadow controls are set to the values used by all other shadow-casting lights in the scene that have Use Global Settings set.

Changing the affected parameters for one light with Use Global Settings set, changes them for all lights with Use Global Settings set.

To set a light's shadow parameters individually: On the General Parameters rollout, turn off Use Global Settings.

The settings revert to the individual settings for the light.

By default, Shadow Map is the active shadow type. In the Shadow Map Parameters Rollout, the default settings are: Map Bias=1; Size=512; Sample Range=4.0; Absolute

Map Bias=Off.

Scene with shadow-mapped shadows Shadows rendered using default parameter settings

NoteWhen you render a scene, you can turn rendering of shadows on or off.

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To cast area shadows: On the General Parameters rollout, choose Area Shadows from the drop-down list.

Use controls on the Area Shadows Rollout to adjust the shadow properties. To cast advanced ray-traced shadows: Advanced ray-traced shadows are similar to ray-traced shadows, however they provide control

over antialiasing, letting you fine-tune how shadows are generated. On the General Parameters rollout, choose Advanced Ray-traced Shadows from the drop-

down list. Use controls on the Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout to adjust the shadow properties.

To cast shadow-mapped shadows: 1. On the General Parameters rollout, choose Shadow Maps from the drop-down list.

2. Go to the Shadow Map Parameters Rollout. o Use the Size spinner to set the size of the shadow map. o Use the Bias spinner to adjust the shadow offset, if necessary.

o Use the Sample Range spinner to create a soft-edged shadow. To cast ray-traced shadows:

Ray-traced shadows are generated by tracing the path of rays sampled from a light source. Ray-traced shadows are more accurate than shadow-mapped shadows.

1. On the General Parameters rollout, choose Ray-Traced Shadows from the drop-down list.

2. Use controls on the Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters Rollout to adjust the shadow offset, if necessary.

To keep an object from casting shadows:

1. Select the object. 2. Right-click the object to display the quad menu, then from the Transform (lower-right)

quadrant, choose Properties. 3ds Max opens the Object Properties dialog.

3. Turn off Cast Shadows, and then click OK. Now when you render the scene, the object casts no shadows.

To make an object not receive shadows:

1. Select the object. 2. Right-click the object to display the quad menu, then from the Transform (lower-right)

quadrant, choose Properties. 3ds Max opens the Object Properties dialog.

3. Turn off Receive Shadows, and then click OK.

Now when you render the scene, the object receives no shadows. NoteYou can also prevent objects from casting shadows by excluding them from a light.

Interface

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Light Type group (Modify panel) On

(Both Create panel and Modify panel) Turns the light on and off. When On is on, shading and rendering use the light to illuminate the scene. When On is off, the light is not used in shading or rendering. Default=on.

In viewports, the interactive renderer shows the effect of turning lights on or off. [light type drop-down list]

Changes the type of the light. If you have selected a standard light type, the light can be changed to an omni, spot, or directional light. If you have selected a photometric light type, you can change the light to a point, linear, or area light.

This parameter is available only on the Modify panel. Targeted

When on, the light is targeted. The distance between the light and its target is displayed to the right of the checkbox. For a free light, you can set this value. For target lights, you can change it by turning off the checkbox, or by moving the light or the light's target object.

Shadows group On

Determines whether the current light casts shadows or not. Default=on. Use Global Settings

Turn on to use global settings for shadows cast by this light. Turn off to enable individual

control of the shadows. If you choose not to use the global settings, you must choose which method the renderer will use to generate shadows for this particular light. When Use Global Settings is on, the shadow parameters switch over to show you what the

global settings are. This data is shared by every other light of this class. When Use Global Settings is off, the shadow parameters are specific to that particular light.

[shadow method drop-down list] Determines whether the renderer uses shadow maps, ray-traced shadows, advanced ray-traced shadows, or area shadows, to generate shadows for this light.

The “mental ray Shadow Map” type is provided for use with the mental ray renderer. When you choose this shadow type and enable shadow maps (on the Shadows &

Displacement rollout of the Render Setup dialog), shadows use the mental ray shadow-map algorithm. If this type is chosen but you render with the default scanline renderer, no shadows appear in the rendering.

NoteWhen shadow maps are enabled and the shadow map type is Shadow Map, the mental ray renderer attempts to translate the shadow map settings into comparable

settings for mental ray shadow maps. (The results might not be what you expected.) In all other cases, the mental ray renderer generates ray-traced shadows. Each shadow type has its particular controls:

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Advanced ray-traced shadowsSee Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout and Optimizations Rollout.

Area shadowsSee Area Shadows Rollout and Optimizations Rollout. mental ray shadow mapsSee mental ray Shadow Map Rollout. Ray-traced shadowsSee Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters Rollout.

Shadow mapsSee Shadow Map Parameters Rollout. TipUse ray-traced or advanced ray-traced shadows when you want shadows cast by

opacity-mapped objects. Shadow-mapped shadows don't recognize the transparent portions of the mapping, and as a result they don't look convincing.

Exclude button

Excludes selected objects from the effects of the light. Click this button to display the Exclude/Include dialog.

Excluded objects still appear lit in shaded viewports. Exclusion takes effect only when you render the scene.

Roll Angle Manipulator

To change the roll angle of a target light, you can use a manipulator. This can be useful if the light does not cast a round beam, or if it is a projector light (see Advanced Effects Rollout). To

display the manipulator, select the light, right-click it, and then click Roll Angle Manipulator Toggle on the Tools 2 (lower left) quadrant of the quad menu.

Roll angle manipulator on a target light

Drag the circular portion of the manipulator to rotate the light by an arbitrary number of degrees. Click one of the red or green “clock hands” of the manipulator to rotate the light in 90-degree increments.

Note You can also access the roll angle manipulator by selecting the light object and then turning on Select And Manipulate on the main toolbar.

Intensity/Color/Attenuation Rollout (Standard Lights)

Create panel (Lights) Standard Create a Standard light. Attenuation

Parameters rollout The Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout allows you to set the color and intensity of your light. You can also define the attenuation of your light.

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Attenuation settings cause distant objects to be dimmer. Attenuation is the effect of light diminishing over distance. In 3ds Max, you can set attenuation

values explicitly. The effects can vary from real-world lights, giving you more direct control over how lights fade in or fade out. NoteWith no attenuation, an object can paradoxically appear to grow brighter as it moves away

from the light source. This is because the angle of incidence more closely approaches 0 degrees for more of the object's faces.

Two sets of values control attenuation for objects. The Far attenuation value sets the distance at which the light drops off to zero. The Near attenuation value sets the distance at which the light "fades in." Both these controls are turned on and off by a toggle called Use.

When Use is set for far attenuation, the light at its source uses the value specified by its color and multiplier controls. It remains at this value from the source to the distance specified by Start, then

its value drops off to zero at the distance specified by End.

Adding attenuation to a scene When Use is set for Near attenuation, the light value remains at zero up to the distance specified

by Start. From Start to the distance specified by End, its value increases. Beyond End, the light remains at the value specified by the color and multiplier controls, unless far attenuation is also

active. You can't set the Near and Far attenuation distances so they overlap. The Decay controls are an additional way to make a light fade out.

TipWhen lights are attenuated, the light might be too bright on near surfaces or too dim on far surfaces. If you see this in renderings, exposure control can help correct the problem. It adjusts the larger dynamic range of the (simulated) physical scene, into the smaller dynamic range of the

display. See Environment Panel for additional information on exposure control. Procedures

To choose the color of a light using the color selector: 1. Click the color swatch next to the On checkbox.

A modal Color Selector is displayed.

2. Use the Color Selector to choose a new color, and then click OK. Shaded viewports update to show the new light color, which also appears in renderings.

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To change a light's intensity: Increase the light's Multiplier value.

To use attenuation: 1. Set the Start and End values. 2. Turn on Use.

Attenuation is now in effect for this light when the scene is shaded or rendered. NoteYou can also change the decay type (and values) to reduce the light’s intensity over

distance. To see the attenuation range in viewports:

Set Show for far or near attenuation.

You can preview the effect of attenuation in shaded viewports only if you turn this on as an option in viewport preferences.

Interface

Multiplier

Amplifies the power of the light by a positive or negative amount. For example, if you set

the multiplier to 2, the light will be twice as bright. A negative value subtracts light and thus is useful for selectively placing dark areas in the scene. Default=1.0.

Using this parameter to increase intensity can cause colors to appear "burned out." It can also generate colors not usable in videos. In general, leave Multiplier set to its default of 1.0 except for special effects and special cases.

High Multiplier values wash out colors. For example, if you set a spotlight to be red but then increase its Multiplier to 10, the light is white in the hotspot and red only in the falloff area, where the Multiplier isn't applied.

Negative Multiplier values result in "dark light." That is, the light darkens objects instead of illuminating them.

[color swatch] Shows the color of the light. Clicking the color swatch displays the Color Selector so you can choose a color for the light.

Decay group Decay is an additional way to make a light's intensity reduce over distance.

Type drop-down list Sets the type of decay to use. There are three types to choose from.

None(The default.) Applies no decay. The light maintains full strength from its

source to infinity, unless you turn on far attenuation. InverseApplies inverse decay. The formula is luminance=R 0 /R, where R0 is the

radial source of the light if no attenuation is used, or the Near End value of the

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light if attenuation is used. R is the radial distance of the illuminated surface from R0.

Inverse SquareApplies inverse-square decay. The formula for this is (R 0 /R) 2 . This is actually the "real-world" decay of light, but you might find it too dim in the world of computer graphics.

This is the decay formula used by photometric lights. TipIf Inverse Square decay makes the scene too dim, you can try using the

Environment Panel to increase the Global Lighting Level value. The point at which decay begins depends on whether or not you use attenuation:

With no attenuation, decay begins at the source of the light.

With near attenuation, the decay begins at the Near End position. Once the beginning point is established, the decay follows its formula to infinity, or until

the light itself is cut off by the Far End distance. In other words, the distance between Near End and Far End does not scale, or otherwise affect, the apparent ramp of decaying light.

TipBecause decay continues to calculate dimmer and dimmer values as the distance of the light throw increases, it's a good idea to set at least the Far End of attenuation to eliminate

unnecessary calculations. Start

If you don't use attenuation, sets the distance at which the light begins to decay.

Show Displays the Decay range in viewports. For spotlights, the decay range appears as a lens-shaped section of the cone. For directional lights, the range appears as a circular section of

the cone. For omni lights and spot or directional lights with Overshoot turned on, the range appears as a sphere. By default, the Start range is blue-green.

NoteThe decay range is always visible when a light is selected, so turning off this checkbox has no apparent effect until you deselect the light.

Near Attenuation group

Start Sets the distance at which the light begins to fade in.

End Sets the distance at which the light reaches its full value.

Use

Enables near attenuation for the light. Show

Displays the near attenuation range settings in viewports. For spotlights, attenuation ranges appear as lens-shaped sections of the cone. For directional lights, the ranges appear as circular sections of the cone. For omni lights and spot or directional lights with

Overshoot turned on, the ranges appear as spheres. By default, Near Start is dark blue and Near End is light blue.

NoteThe attenuation ranges are always visible when a light is selected, so turning off this checkbox has no apparent effect until you deselect the light.

Far Attenuation group

Setting a Far Attenuation range can help improve rendering time dramatically. TipIf your scene has a large number of lights, use Far Attenuation to limit the portion of the

scene each light illuminates. For example, if an office area has rows of overhead lights, you could set Far Attenuation ranges to keep the lights’ illumination from being calculated when you render the reception area instead of the main office. As another example, a staircase might have recessed

lights on each stair, as many theaters do. Setting a small Far Attenuation value for these lights

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can prevent their (negligible) illumination from being calculated when you render the theater as a whole.

Start Sets the distance at which the light begins to fade out.

End

Sets the distance at which the light has faded to zero. Use

Enables far attenuation for the light. Show

Displays the far attenuation range settings in viewports. For spotlights, attenuation ranges

appear as lens-shaped sections of the cone. For directional lights, the ranges appear as circular sections of the cone. For omni lights and spot or directional lights with Overshoot

turned on, the ranges appear as spheres. By default, Far Start is light brown and Far End is dark brown. NoteThe attenuation ranges are always visible when a light is selected, so turning off this

checkbox has no apparent effect until you deselect the light. Advanced Effects Rollout

Create panel (Lights) Create a light. Advanced Effects rollout The Advanced Effects rollout provides controls that affect how lights affect surfaces, and also includes a number of fine adjustments and setting for projector lights.

You can make a light object into a projector by choosing a map for the light to project. A projected map can be a still image or an animation.

Casting a projection with a light NoteIf your scene includes animated bitmaps, including materials, projector lights, environments, and so on, the animation file is reloaded once per frame. If your scene uses multiple animations,

or if the animations are large files, this can slow down rendering performance. Procedures

To make a light a projector:

1. Open the Material Editor. The Material Editor is where you adjust the map's parameters.

2. Use an unused sample slot to display a map.

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3. Drag the map from the Material Editor to the light's Map button in the Advanced Effects rollout. A dialog asks if the projection map should be a copy or an instance. Choose

Instance. If you choose Copy, adjusting the map in the Material Editor has no effect on the projected map. You can also drag from any other used map button, as in the Environment dialog.

Assigning the map displays the map name in the button, and turns on the Projector toggle. After you have set up the map, you can turn off Projector to test rendering the scene

without the projected image. An alternative is to click the Map button. This displays the Material/Map Browser, which lets you choose the map type. At this point, the light behaves as a projector. To assign a

map or adjust its parameters, you need to use the Material Editor. NoteLights project maps only within their cone, even if Overshoot is turned on.

To put the map in the Material Editor: Drag from the light's Map button to an unused sample slot in the Material Editor.

NoteSample slots with white triangles in the corners indicate materials that are used in the

current scene. You can adjust the map in the Material Editor by changing the map's parameters.

To blur a projection map: Increase the value of Blur Offset in the map's Coordinates rollout in the Material Editor.

You can animate Blur Offset to have a projected map go in or out of focus.

To make the shape of the light fit the projected bitmap: NoteThis procedure applies to Standard spot and direct lights only.

1. Choose a bitmap to project, as described in the preceding procedures.

2. Make sure the light's shape is set to Rectangular, and then click Bitmap Fit. 3ds Max opens a file selection dialog.

3. Choose the same bitmap you chose for the standalone map, and then click OK. You can also choose a bitmap other than the one the light projects.

Interface

Affect Surfaces group Contrast

Adjusts the contrast between the diffuse and ambient areas of the surface. Leave this set to 0 for normal contrast. Increase the value to increase the contrast for special effects: for example, the harsh light of outer space. Default=0.0.

Soften Diffuse Edge Increasing the value of Soften Diffuse Edge softens the edge between the diffuse and

ambient portions of a surface. This helps eliminate edges that can appear on a surface under certain circumstances. Default=50. NoteSoften Diffuse Edge reduces the amount of light, slightly. You can counter this, to

some extent, by increasing the Multiplier value. Diffuse

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When on, the light affects the diffuse properties of an object's surface. When off, the light has no effect on the diffuse surface. Default=on.

Specular When on, the light affects the specular properties of an object's surface. When off, the light has no effect on the specular properties. Default=on.

For example, by using the Diffuse and Specular checkboxes you can have one light color the specular highlights of an object, while not coloring its diffuse area, and then have a

second light color the diffuse portion of the surface while not creating specular highlights. Ambient Only

When on, the light affects only the ambient component of the illumination. This gives you

more detailed control over the ambient illumination in your scene. When Ambient Only is on, Contrast, Soften Diffuse Edge, Diffuse, and Specular are unavailable. Default=off.

The effect of Ambient Only isn't visible in viewports. It appears only when you render the scene.

A: Affect specular only

B: Affect diffuse only C: Affect ambient only

Projector Map group These controls make the photometric light a projector. Map checkbox

Turn on to project the map selected by the Map button. Turn off to turn off projection. Map button

(Labeled "None" by default.) Names the map used for the projection. Clicking the button

displays the Material/Map Browser. You can choose the map type using the Browser, then drag the button to the Material Editor, and use the Material Editor to select and

adjust the map. You can also drag and drop a map from a Material Editor sample slot. If the Slate Material Editor is open, you can drag from a map node's output socket, then drop onto the

projector button. You can also drag and drop from a map button in the Material Editor or anywhere else in the 3ds Max interface. When you drop a map onto the projector map

button, a dialog asks if you want the map to be a copy (independent) or an instance of the source map. To adjust the map's parameters (for example, to assign a bitmap or change the coordinate

settings), drag the Map button to the Material Editor, and be sure to drop it as an instance. In the Compact Material Editor, drop the map over an unused sample slot. In the Slate

Material Editor, drop it over the active View. Spotlight Parameters

Create a standard Target Spotlight or Free Spotlight. Spotlight Parameters rollout

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The Spotlight Parameters rollout appears when you create or select a Target Spot or Free Spot. Procedures

To see the spotlight cone in viewports: The cone is always visible while the light is selected. This setting keeps the cone visible when the light is unselected.

1. Select the spotlight. 2. In the Spotlight Parameters rollout Light Cone group, turn on Show Cone.

3. Select another object to deselect. A wireframe outline of the light's cone appears. The hotspot region is outlined in light blue, and the falloff region is outlined in dark gray.

Spotlight cone displayed in a viewport

To adjust the hotspot and falloff, do one of the following:

Use the Hotspot and Falloff spinners to increase or decrease the size of the hotspot and falloff regions. For spotlights, Hotspot and Falloff are expressed in degrees.

Use manipulators to adjust hotspot and falloff by dragging in a viewport, as described in

the procedure that follows. By default, falloff value is always constrained to be at least two degrees or two units greater than

the hotspot value. The size of this constraint is a preference that you can change in the Rendering panel of the Preferences dialog. The falloff value can range from 0 to 10,000 units. When the hotspot and falloff values are close in value, the light casts a hard-edged beam.

To use manipulators to control hotspot and falloff:

1. Select the spotlight.

TipWhen you select multiple spotlights, all their manipulators are accessible.

2. On the main toolbar, click to turn on (Select And Manipulate).

Now when you move the mouse over the hotspot or falloff circle, the circle turns red to show you can adjust it by dragging. Also, a tooltip displays the spotlight name, the parameter, and its value.

3. Drag the hotspot or falloff circle to adjust the value. The hotspot and falloff constrain each other, as their spinner controls do.

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Spotlight manipulators are described at the end of this topic. To set the shape of the light beam:

1. Choose either Rectangle or Circle. The shape of the light's cone changes to reflect the shape you chose.

2. If you chose Circle, you are done. If you chose Rectangle, you can now adjust the aspect

ratio of the rectangular light in the Aspect field. To change a rectangular light's aspect ratio:

1. Choose Rectangle, as described above. 2. Change the Aspect value to the aspect ratio that you want.

The Bitmap Fit button is another way to set the aspect ratio. It is mainly used with

projections. Interface

These parameters control hotspots and falloff for spotlights. Show Cone

Turns display of the cone on or off.

NoteThe cone is always visible when a light is selected, so turning off this checkbox has no apparent effect until you deselect the light.

Overshoot When Overshoot is on, the light casts light in all directions. However, projections and shadows occur only within its falloff cone.

Hotspot/Beam Adjusts the angle of a light's cone. The Hotspot value is measured in degrees. Default=43.0.

Falloff/Field Adjusts the angle of a light's falloff. The Falloff value is measured in degrees.

Default=45.0. For photometric lights, the Field angle is comparable to the Falloff angle. It is the angle at which the light's intensity has fallen to zero.

You can manipulate the hotspot and falloff by dragging manipulators in viewports, as described in the previous procedures, and the later section "Manipulators for Spotlights."

You can also adjust hotspot and falloff angles in a Light viewport (looking at the scene from the point of view of the spotlight).

Circle/Rectangle

Determine the shape of the falloff and hotspot areas. Set Circle when you want a standard, circular light. Set Rectangle when you want a rectangular beam of light, such as light cast

through a window or doorway. Aspect

Sets the aspect ratio for the rectangular light beam. The Bitmap Fit button lets you make

the aspect ratio match a specified bitmap. Default=1.0. Bitmap Fit

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If the light's projection aspect is rectangular, sets the aspect ratio to match a particular bitmap. This is useful when you are using the light as a projector light.

Manipulators for Spotlights

Manipulators are visible and usable while the Select And Manipulate button is turned on. This button is on the default main toolbar. When you move the mouse over a manipulator, the

manipulator turns red to show that dragging or clicking it will have an effect. Also, a tooltip appears, showing the name of the object, the parameter, and its value.

TipWhen you select multiple spotlights, all their manipulators are accessible. For more information on using the spotlight manipulators, see the Procedures section at the top of this topic.

Hotspot manipulator: In a viewport, drag the hotspot circle to adjust the hotspot value. Falloff manipulator: In a viewport, drag the falloff to adjust the falloff value.

The hotspot and falloff constrain each other, as their spinner controls do. Shadow Parameters

Create panel (Lights) Create a light. Shadow Parameters rollout

The Shadow Parameters rollout is displayed for all light types except Skylight and IES Sky, and for all shadow types. It lets you set shadow colors and other general shadow properties.

A bridge's shadow cast by sunlight The controls also let atmospheric effects cast shadows. Interface

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Object Shadows group Color

Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector and choose a color for the shadows cast by this light. Default=black. You can animate the shadow color.

Dens[ity] Adjusts the density of shadows.

The shadow density increases from right to left. Increasing the Density value increases the density (darkness) of shadows. Decreasing Density makes shadows less dense. Default=1.0.

Density can have a negative value, which can help simulate the effect of reflected light. A white shadow color and negative Density render dark shadows, though the quality of

these is not as good as a dark shadow color and positive Density. You can animate the Density value.

Map checkbox

Turn on to use the map assigned with the Map button. Default=off. Map button

(Labeled "None" by default.) Click to open the Material/Map Browser and assign a map to the shadows. The map's colors are blended with the shadow color. You can also drag and drop a map from a Material Editor sample slot. If the Slate

Material Editor is open, you can drag from a map node's output socket, then drop onto this button. You can also drag and drop from a map button in the Material Editor or anywhere

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else in the 3ds Max interface. When you drop a map onto the map button, a dialog asks if you want the map to be a copy (independent) or an instance of the source map.

To adjust the map's parameters (for example, to assign a bitmap or change the coordinate settings), drag the map button to the Material Editor, and be sure to drop it as an instance. In the Compact Material Editor, drop the map over an unused sample slot. In the Slate

Material Editor, drop it over the active View. Light Affects Shadow Color

When on, blends the light's color with the shadow color (or shadow colors, if the shadow is mapped). Default=off.

A checker map is used to alter the shadow cast by the piano.

Atmosphere Shadows group These controls let atmospheric effects such as Volume Fog cast shadows.

On When on, atmospheric effects cast shadows as the light passes through them. Default=off. NoteThis control is independent of the On toggle for normal Object Shadows. A light can

cast atmospheric shadows but not normal shadows, or vice versa. It can cast both kinds of shadows, or neither.

Opacity Adjusts the opacity of the shadows. This value is a percentage. Default=100.0.

Color Amount

Adjusts the amount that the atmosphere's color is blended with the shadow color. This value is a percentage. Default=100.0.

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A Volume Fog cloud casts a colored shadow on the city.

Shadow Map Parameters Rollout

Create a light. General Parameters rollout Shadows group Choose Shadow Map. Shadow Map Params rollout

Select a light. Modify panel General Parameters rollout Shadows group Choose

Shadow Map Shadow Map Params rollout The Shadow Map Parameters rollout is displayed when you have chosen shadow mapping as the

shadow-generation technique for a light. You select this in the General Parameters rollout. Both the scanline renderer and the mental ray renderer support Shadow Map shadows. NoteWhen using photometric lights with shadow maps, a hemispherical shadow map is created

for the entire light sphere. To capture sufficient detail with complex scenes, the map resolution must be very large. For best results with photometric lights, use ray-traced shadows instead of

shadow maps. Interface

Bias

Shadow bias moves the shadow toward or away from the shadow-casting object (or objects).

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Left: Default shadows Right: Increasing the Bias value separates the shadow from the object.

If the Bias value is too low, shadows can "leak" through places they shouldn't, produce moire patterns or making out-of-place dark areas on meshes. If Bias is too high, shadows can "detach" from an object. If the Bias value is too extreme in either direction, shadows

might not be rendered at all. This value depends on whether Absolute Map Bias is on or off:

When Absolute is off (the default), Bias is calculated based on the scene extents, and then normalized to one. This provides similar default shadow results, regardless of scene size. User adjustments to Bias are typically low decimal values

near 1.0 (for example, 1.2). When Absolute is on, Bias is a value in 3ds Max units. User adjustments to Bias

depend on the size of the scene, and can range from values close to zero to values in the hundreds (see the Tip at the end of this topic).

Left: Too small a Bias value causes shadow “leaks.”

Right: Increasing the Bias value fixes the problem. Size

Sets the size (in pixels squared) of the shadow map that's computed for the light.

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The shadow map size specifies the amount of subdivisions for the map. The greater the value, the more detailed the map will be.

Left: Size set to 32. Right: Size set to 256.

Sample Range

The sample range determines how much area within the shadow is averaged. This affects how soft the edge of the shadow is. Range=0.01 to 50.0.

Increasing the Sample Range blends the shadow edges and creates a smooth effect, hiding the granularity of the map.

Absolute Map Bias

When on, the bias for the shadow map is not normalized, but is instead based on a fixed scale expressed in 3ds Max units. This value does not change during an animation. You

must choose the value, based on the size of the scene extents.

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When off, the bias is computed relative to the rest of the scene, and then normalized to 1.0. This provides a common starting bias value in scenes of any size. If the scene extents

change, this internal normalization can vary from frame to frame. Default=off. TipLeaving Absolute Map Bias off gives good results in most situations, because the bias is internally balanced to match the scene size. In animations, however, if moving objects

cause a large change in the scene extents (or if objects are unhidden, and so on), the normalized bias value might become inappropriate, causing shadows to flicker or

disappear. If this happens, turn on Absolute Map Bias. You will have to set the Bias control to a value appropriate for the scene. As a rule of thumb, try a Bias value that is the distance between the light and the target object, divided by 100.

2-Sided Shadows When on, backfaces are not ignored when calculating shadows. Objects seen from the

inside are not lit by lights from the outside. When off, backfaces are ignored, which can cause outside lights to illuminate object interiors. Default=on.

The faces inside the sliced sphere do not cast shadows if 2-Sided Shadows is not selected.

NoteThe mental ray renderer disregards this setting, and always renders 2-sided shadows.