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Making a light bulb
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These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Making a light bulb // New Users
Post by dlpeach // Mar 12, 2007, 5:49pm
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dlpeach
Total Posts: 22
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Hi everyone,
My first post - hope I do it right, and don't break any rules. :)
I'm using trueSpace 6.6, and I'm new to this whole 3D thing, but learning. I have a little question about lights.
My question is basically how to make a bare light bulb that hangs from the ceiling, but which then acts as the main light in the room.
Modelling the bulb is no problem, but I want to use a local light, and make it seem as if the light is coming out of the bulb object, if you know what I mean.
But if I put the local light inside the bulb object, everything is black when the image is rendered (because the light is inside an object so the light is blocked I guess), so how can I do this? And without using a light emitting material, which I think only simulates area lights.
To put it another way to better understand what I mean - if a light bulb object could just act as a local light, it would be perfect. :)
Thanks.
Dan. |
Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Mar 12, 2007, 6:31pm
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TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
Total Posts: 858
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Firstly - welcome!
Make sure the light bulb object is selected, right click the object tool (big white arrow) and press the 'render options' button in the box that popped up (with all the dimensions, etc). Uncheck 'cast shadows' and, voila, your light will now shine through the object.
Hope that helps. |
Post by spacekdet // Mar 12, 2007, 6:48pm
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spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
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The glass material you paint on the bulb has to have 'transmission' value.
This will allow the light to transmit, or pass thru it.
The local light inside the bulb will need shadows enabled.
In the light properties panel right click the 'toggle shadowcasting by current light' icon and in the resulting panel click and hold on 'shadow transparency' and choose 'transparent shadows'.
Now your light should be visible. |
Post by dlpeach // Mar 12, 2007, 7:06pm
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dlpeach
Total Posts: 22
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Thanks guys - I have set the tranmission to the highest value, and now there is light again. :)
Thanks again.
Dan. |
Post by TomG // Mar 13, 2007, 9:46am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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Actually lots of solutions here
1. Use any material on the bulb, and set the bulb object to not cast shadows - the light shines right through, whether or not you have transmission etc, giving you control over the look of the bulb
2. Make the local light not cast shadows - probably not good as then no objects in your room will have shadows, but still, sometimes an option
3. Make the material emit light
Very slow render time, so not really recommended - though it will give soft shadows and a nice effect, so if you have a fast machine, and patience, this could be an option.
4. Make an array of lights just around the surface of the bulb.
Can give similar effects to 3, but lets you control speed and quality more as you control how many lights. Will have to watch the material on the bulb so it doesnt get affected in an odd way with all those nearby lights (eg shininess). May still get very odd shadows from the bulb casting shadows. May be hard to control the level and color of lighting without a plugin.
Personally, I would go with 1 myself :)
HTH!
Tom |
Post by dlpeach // Mar 13, 2007, 4:55pm
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dlpeach
Total Posts: 22
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Ahhhhh I get it now - I actually misinterpreted TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb's suggestion, and for some reason thought they meant to turn shadow casting off for the actual light rather than the bulb object.
I turned the shadow casting off for the bulb object I modelled, and yes, now there is light.
The other way I did it still works though, but this way I think is simpler.
Anyway - thanks for the help - helpful forum this. :) |
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