Tutorial Uber Area Lighting: The Basics

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  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited July 2013

    I have multiple spheres, UberAreaLight Sphere and Light Sphere (highlighted in yellow). Which one should I use? The Light Sphere points to Props\Built-In, and the UberAreaLight sphere points to Light Presets\omnifreaker\UberAreaLight. Not sure what the difference is, and I've never bought omAreaLight.

    light_spheres.jpg
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    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Use the bottom one UberAreaLight Sphere.

    Well I am seriously confounded over this one.

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited July 2013

    The Props are new but are the same thing and essentailly they are props as they have Geometry however the Area Base is just a material preset in essence.

    They come with the program.

    Post edited by Szark on
  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited July 2013

    Oh and a TIP just place spheres on one side and then copy and paste the postiion Crtl + C to copy and Crtl + V to paste the other speheres for the other side.

    So you should now have two speheres in all of the positions, now move one over to the other side until lined up. Notice which axis it moves in side ways and copy that axis poistion in the Parameters Pane and Select the other spheres for the other side and paste the translation in to the correct axis. Job Done

    Post edited by Szark on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    Wow, I did not know about copy/paste right in the scene tab. I always went back/forth between objects manually changing the numbers. Learn something new every day.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,563
    edited December 1969

    Check the file extensions -- I believe some of the Uber presets were recently updated to .duf, so depending how you installed them the older versions may not have been removed.

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    They both work as expected and as far I can tell mike there is no Duf Area Base preset.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    Mike: All of them are DUF on my end, including the base.

    Szark: THANK YOU! Until this surface thing gets sorted out, I think I'll stick to the spheres. The rear is still brighter, but that just may be because I don't understand lighting. It may do this in real life too. I've never looked at a lit bridge at night. lol

    Now, I have 8 mini-spheres parented to a null so I can just move 'em all around at once easier. How do I save the whole rig as a preset? Can I just select the null and save as > light preset?

    UberAreaSpheres_Bridge.jpg
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  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Yeah I don't know why that back bit is still lighter.

    To save your lights set, well they aren't lights in general terms they are light emiting surfaces. Anyway use the "Save As Scene Subset" in your Save as meun and you will get an options box pop up asking you to choose what parts of the scene to save as a subset. This will then merge in to any scene.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    Thanks!

    /ugh- unable to receive your submission. I hate that error. >.<</p>

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited July 2013

    You folks do Know that Area lights point the Direction of the World Axis and the Mesh Normals, right? So that sort of means the greater portion of the light even on a sphere will follow the Axie as it is a Shader and not a light. I believe the Normal aligned Axis is the default direction and the rest follows the Mesh normals. That's why items with normals pointing inward cause the lights to not emit on some older items.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    You folks do Know that Area lights point the Direction of the World Axis and the Mesh Normals, right? So that sort of means the greater portion of the light even on a sphere will follow the Axie as it is a Shader and not a light. I believe the Normal aligned Axis is the default direction and the rest follows the Mesh normals. That's why items with normals pointing inward cause the lights to not emit on some older items.

    I thought of the normals on the mesh being backwards, but all 4 lamposts are the same object, just in the scene 4 times so that wouldn't explain it since half of them worked.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited July 2013

    As I stated or thought I did the Axis aligned with the Greater amount of normals or the Default X axis (Spot light defaults to it also) will give the most light, the EFFECT needs a Default direction before the calculations can start for the shader, I'm only going by what is seen and by other shader packs, they all need a default direction to function. Thus the effect is strongest in that default axis. I'm only guessing but it makes the most sense to me after using things like Area lights and The Shades of Life - Nature set of shaders.

    They both EMIT in a way. One Light and the other displacements.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    I know lights need a direction, which is why I asked earlier if there was a way to aim area lights, which I'm assuming there isn't. At the moment they seem to be defaulting towards the y-axis horizon line, that is if I'm understanding you right (the bridge loads by default with the x-axis running down the middle of the bridge lengthwise).

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    I think it all depends on the mesh its added too, and its defaults. I and again this is just guessing.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    Is there a way to check these defaults? There is an angle set in the surfaces pane for the bridge, but I have zero idea what it's for as changing it does nothing.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Not that I know of, sorry.

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    I understand what you are saying Jaderail but in my eyes they should all emit light the same as they are all clones of each other. Your assumptions might have been correct if the results were the same for the Spheres and I have had a look at the mesh, even Sub-D it, took the maps out and not matter what I tried the inconsistencies are still plain to see. I would have agreed with you if turning the props 180% produced the same uneveness but it doesn't.

    I can check to make sure all the normals are pointing out but to be honest i don't think that is the case with the way i test things. :- )

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Check the file extensions -- I believe some of the Uber presets were recently updated to .duf, so depending how you installed them the older versions may not have been removed.
    Yeah there are all in Duf format. Doh! never thought to look to be honest.
  • wizard33wizard33 Posts: 4
    edited December 1969

    Just seen this thread and was intrigued, I'm not new to daz studio but never tried to use uber area lighting before now but I can't figure out how to implement it. Nothing I've read so far has helped, just deepened my confusion.

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Can you expand on what you find confusing and what aspect you are stuggling with. Only then I can try to help. Your the first that has complained that they cannot follow the instructions...so far. :)

  • wizard33wizard33 Posts: 4
    edited December 1969

    Hello Szark,
    Thanks for the quick reply.
    How do you apply it to an object and get it to emit light? Tried to follow the original post by putting a sphere inside a cube and applying the uber base but my sphere did not emit any light. Do I need to apply the uber sphere as well?>:(
    I am using the latest version of studio

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    No it should work but if you using a sphere then just load a Uber Sphere and it will owrk the same, however learning to load it yourself will be better for you.

    So from the top
    Step 1 load a sphere
    Step 2 Select the Sphere and the sphere's surface in the Surfaces pane.
    Step 3 apply uber base
    Step 4 set up the base in the surfaces pane.

    Leave the Fall Off settings to make sure there is light, then you can fiddle with those as you want after that.

  • wizard33wizard33 Posts: 4
    edited December 1969

    Just about to have something to eat, so will give it another go shortly. Sooner or later I will get it, probably need to do something else for a while and clear my head. Anyway thanks again.

  • wizard33wizard33 Posts: 4
    edited December 1969

    It was working all along (early onset I think), shaders, lights. Render to see the effect. Obviously a lot of spot rendering to get what you want, work, and I thought I was retired!

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    LOL well at least it was working. Yeah this hobby is not for the faint hearted and many give up on the first hurdle.

    Sorry for the late reply. I haven't been getting notifications for some time....can't wait for them to change forum software again.

  • Yonas AngYonas Ang Posts: 108
    edited October 2013

    Say, if the object is a cube and I add Uberlight base to it, will the ray spread around like the cube surface and goes all around the room ?

    Because sometimes when I set uberlight base to some more rounded object it didn't spread out well, sometimes the object next to it or behind it, didn't get the light

    Nice tutorial btw, thank you

    Post edited by Yonas Ang on
  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Area lights will emit light in the direction of the mesh's normal so for example loading a DS cube the light should emit outward in all directions becasue the default cube has the normasl facing outward so it should work. I am about to head out but I will test this out when I get back.

    What rounded objects did you try it on and did you increase the light intensity?

  • Yonas AngYonas Ang Posts: 108
    edited October 2013

    I'm trying to emit the cube like object with downward U shape, umh like elevator rim, but the elevator door didn't get light, the elevator rim itself is over bright already. I set it on 1000 intensity and 1000 fall off 'end'

    The area facing the elevator rim get the light, but not with the side of the rim. Oh and I was trying to render a dark area which only the rim emit the light. Wait a minute, I'll try to post the pic here.

    The light bar on the ceiling is like what i want to achieve, and I tried to set the emmision setting to be the same, since they roughly the same size. Oh, I've change the intensity to 700%, ambient 100%, shadow 90%, and fall off end at 200, since 1000 will light up the whole hallway.

    test.png
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    Post edited by Yonas Ang on
  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Yeah a screenshot of what you are trying to do will help me understand thanks.

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