You can create light sources simulated as rectangles (planes), discs,
spheres (points), and cylinders (tubes).
Area light sources are extremely efficient in Fast mode and can replace
the “emissive plane” technique for creating simulated light cards in a scene used to
provide more reflections in your geometry, as well as actual emissivity in Fast
mode.
You can create lights “on the fly”. A light can be matched to the current
camera’s position and direction, or placed with a single click on the model to indicate
either the target or source of the light.
To create a light:
- Do one of the following:
- Click .
- In the Palette, on the Scenes
tab, click .
- In the Palette, right-click in the Scenes tree and
click New Light.
- Select one of the following:
| Pick Target |
Defines the point on the model where you want the light to
shine. Pick a point in the viewport. |
| Pick Position |
Defines the source of the light. The light is placed at the
selected location and points in a direction normal to the
selected surface. This option is especially useful when adding
interior lights. Pick a point in the viewport. |
| Match Current Camera |
Matches the light to the current camera position and
direction. |
- On the General subtab, under
Type, select the type of light.
- Set other options.
 |
| Area light types in Fast mode, from left to right:
Tube (cylinder), Disc,
Plane (rectangle), and Sphere
(Point) |
Area lights also work in Fast render mode
. These
lights, in combination with Fast mode, can dramatically increase render speeds for
interior scenes. Accurate mode is not a requirement for interior scenes with these area
lights.