Lighting : shapecontrolled lighting

[Dave Black]

Have you tried using a light gobo? This, in max, is refered to as a "projector" map. The controls for this feature are accessible through the spot light's rollout within the command panel. You may drop your image map, either a bitmap, or a map from the material editor, within this map slot in the light rollout. This should do the trick just fine. Let us know if this solves your problem. BTW, I must commend you on a very well explained problem/question. Heck, you even gave us pictures, and explained what you want you did to solve the problem. We need more like yours!

Best of luck!

-3DZ

:D

[Seven]

Fantastic that has solved my problem. Just goes to show if you cant figure something out... ask, saves hours of brain hurt :)

hehe, I do like to explain my problems as well as possible.

Thanks again

Sev

[Seven]

After going back to my light, another reason why I was using the geometric shape with the shape cut out of it was because..

I have applied a wave and animated noise to that geo shape. When animated, it gives the light projecting through it a lovely wavely moving feel to the pattern it creates.

However, using the method you desribed 3DZealot I am finding it hard to create this effect again. I have tried applying a wave and noise modifier to the Target light itself. It kind of gives the same movment to the light but it just doesnt feel the same. The light itself moves more in a circle than the shape of the projector map getting distorted itself in a still position.

I hope I have explained that well enough.

Here is a *.mov file of the light being projected through the geo shape: 237 k

http://www.jonberry.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/geoshape.mov

And here is a *.mov file of a wave and animated noise being applied to the Target light itself with a Projector map: 94k

http://www.jonberry.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/projector.mov

As you can see they are very differnet, I am aiming for the look and feel of the first *.mov file using the technique of the second :) Unless there is a way to get soft edges without using a projector map.

Man this is complicated isnt it :)

Sev

[Marcel]

Man this is complicated isnt it

If it was easy to to it wouldn't be as much fun :)

What you could do is make a texture of your shape in Photoshop, and make it 100% self illuminated and put it on a plane.
Now put the wave deformation on the plane and render out an animation.
Use the animation as the projection map for the light...

Alternatively you can use your 'real' shadows version with a raytraced shadow light. This light also takes the opacity map of the texture into account, so you can map a soft texture on a plane and use it to cast the shadows. Probably much slower...

[Seven]

-----------------------------
Now put the wave deformation on the plane and render out an animation.
Use the animation as the projection map for the light...
----------------------------

Im not sure what you mean, how can I use a rendered animation as my projector ? So could I render the shape from the top perspective in black and white. Then use that instead of a jpg as the projector ?

I dont get this :) hehe

Sev

... and you are right, it wouldnt be as much fun :)

[Seven]

Oh Marcel you STAR!!!

It works, using a *.mov that I rendered from the geoshape wave/noise thing as the projector map.

It works, im happy...

/me hugs Marcel

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Sev

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