The Light Editor Dialog Box

Scene » Light Editor

The Light editor provides functions for creating and manipulating light sources in VRED and contains a listing of all light sources within the scene. For an empty scene, the headlight is the default light source and is disabled automatically when a new light source is added to the scene. The headlight can be re-enabled by activating it within the Light Editor or with the Toggle Headlight button in the main toolbar.

Search Field

The search field helps to find light sources by name; it has live-search capabilities.

Light Sources Tree

The light sources tree is on the left; it has entries for all scene-contained light sources. After selecting one of the light sources from the list, the parameters like name the name, color, or intensity are editable.

Context Menu

Create
  • Directional Light: Light rays from directional light sources are parallel like sunlight. A directional light represents a distant light source and has no position only a direction that affects how the scene is illuminated. Directional lights always create hard shadows.

  • Point Light: Point light rays start at a single point radially emits light. In Raytracing mode, the point light generates a hard shadow. In OpenGL, a point light shows no shadow.

  • Spot Light: Spot light rays follow a beam cone. They start at a single point and spot in a circled area to the direction it is oriented. An area around the hotspot defined by the penumbra property setting is where the light falls off to dark. The spot light is often used to emphasize an object or a surface.

  • Spherical Light: Spherical give off light rays as if from a glowing ball. Spherical light generates diffuse light and soft shadows. It provides indirect lighting and it is more atmospheric and natural than a point light.

  • Disk or Rectangular Light: Light rays from disk and rectangular light sources appear as if from a hole in the ceiling; either in the shape of a circle or disk; or in the form of a square or rectangular shape.

  • Ray Light: Ray light files contain the simulated spatial and angular distribution and photometric or spectral information of emitted light from a complex light source.

  • Group (Ctrl + G): The group node enables you to create a tree structure within the lights module that is independent from geometrical Scenegraph tree. It helps to keep scene-contained light sources clear arranged.

Edit
  • Rename (Ctrl + R): Enables you to rename the selected light source or group.
  • Duplicate (Ctrl + D): Creates an independent copy of the selected light source.
  • Delete (Del): Removes the selected light source or group.
  • Group Selection (Ctrl + Shift + G): Creates a group node where the selected light sources are located and pastes the selection as its children.

Convert to

Changes the selected light source into another type of light source.

  • Switch On/Off: Enables or disables the light source respectively.
  • Toggle (Ctrl + T): Toggles the light source on or off depending on its previous state.
  • Select Nodes (Ctrl + N): Selects the current node in the Scenegraph.
  • Select All (Ctrl + A): Selects all the nodes in the light sources tree.
  • Deselect All (Ctrl + Shift + A): Deselects all nodes in the light sources tree.
  • Invert Selection (Ctrl + I): Inverts the current selection in the light list. Selects all deselected lights, and deselects all currently selected lights.
  • Save Selected Lights: Saves the selected lights and preferences to an .osb file.
  • Load Lights: Loads previously saved lights from an .osb/.vpe/.vpb file.
  • Validate: Updates and validates all lights in the SceneGraph.

Properties

Name

The name for the selected light.

Type

The type of the currently selected light. The type of light can be changed here.

Local Lighting

This option enables the light to illuminate only certain objects in the scene. See Light Link Sets, for a description on how to set up which objects should be illuminated.

Enabled

Enables the selected light when checked.

Intensity

This value is the relative strength or intensity of the light, where a higher value gives off more light.

Diffuse

Diffuse color is the color of light of a diffuse reflection (characteristic for light reflected from a dull, nonshiny surface). A diffuse color attribute specifies the color of the light diffusely reflected by the objects to which it is assigned.

Glossy

Glossy color is the color of light of a glossy reflection. A glossy color attribute specifies the color of the light reflected by the objects to which it is assigned.

Use Texture

Loads an image texture to the light source for projecting into the scene. Not available for Directional and Ray lights.

Use Image Sequence

Select when an image sequence is loaded in the Use Texture box. An animation for the sequence is created in the Curve Editor. Go to Animation > Timeline. Click play to view the animated image sequence on the light.

Note: For definition of an image sequence, refer to the Phong material Diffuse Texture section.
Frame Offset

Sets an offset to the image number when an image sequence is loaded in the Use Texture box and when Use Image Sequence is selected.

Inline Image Sequence

When selected, loaded image sequences are packaged within the .vpb file. If the .vpb is moved to another computer, the image sequence does not need to be moved separately.

Repeat Mode UV
Sets the repeat mode of the texture. There are four modes:
  • Repeat: Repeats the texture in all directions.

  • Mirrored: Repeats and mirrors the texture on the x-and y-axis with every repetition.

  • Decal: The texture is not repeated.

  • Clamp: Repeats only the last pixel of the texture.

Repeat UV

Sets the number of repetitions for the UVs.

Offset UV

Sets the offset for the UVs.

Rotate

Rotates the UVs.

Use Temperature

When enabled, the temperature value is used to determine the light's color values.

  • Temperature: This option simulates the light's color by using a Temperature value.
Shadow Intensity
Sets how dark or intense the shadows cast by objects are and their color.
Map Resolution

Sets the quality of OpenGL shadow maps. Higher values increase the quality.

Illuminate Shadow Material

The light illuminates the shadow material when this option is activated. The shadow material needs to have its reflection mode set to Diffuse Only, Glossy Only, or Diffuse + Glossy for this option to work correctly.

Cast Shadow on Shadow Material

When enabled, this option allows lights to cast shadows on shadow materials.

Importance Multiplier

A value higher than 1 increases the probability that the light source emits photons at the photon mapping. This is useful for rather dark light sources in an interior if incident light comes from outside Environments.

Attenuation
Sets the falloff of the light intensity. Three values are available:
  • None: Light intensity of light is constant in relation to the distance of light.

  • Linear: Light intensity decreases linearly in relation to the distance of light.

  • Quadratic: Light intensity decreases quadratically in relation to the distance of light.

Cone Angle
Light beam’s angle from one edge to the other measured in degrees.
Penumbra Angle

Controls the light edge’s falloff in degrees. This feature can be a positive or negative value.

Visualization

Show/Hide All Lights
Shows or hides all light sources representations in the renderview.
Show/Hide Light
Shows or hides the selected light source representations in the renderview.
Scale
Scales the light source representation to better fit the renderview.

Transform

Position
  • Get from Camera: Sets the light’s position and direction to the current camera’s position and direction

  • Apply to Camera: Sets the camera’s position and direction to the values of the currently selected light source.

  • Get from Node(s): Positions the light by using the node’s transformation properties.

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