Topic Title

Greetings,

I have a question about o2c lights: I'm modeling a small lobby, and there are a number of pendant lights (roughly 24). If I make a symbol, can I include an o2c light in each one? Or, will this only work with an XRef?

I'm pretty sure that I remember from a presentation that Mark M. gave, that there is an easy way to get as many lights into a model as you might want...

If so, how does one put an o2c light into a model?

That is something I have wondered before. I would also like to know how to place lights in a model. I have also heard that if you shrink your model really small. You can use the lights to act as the default/sun light and get it to come in from the direction you want.

...If I make a symbol, can I include an o2c light in each one? Or, will this only work with an XRef?

Unfortunately symbols doesn't store lights with it. May be this is a great wish item to be added to the future improvements. I'd support it with enthusiasm.

I'm pretty sure that I remember from a presentation that Mark M. gave, that there is an easy way to get as many lights into a model as you might want...

It is precisely with the X-Ref's. As many as you want.

If so, how does one put an o2c light into a model?

The lights are put using the 'Shader' feature menu. Use 3D Cursor to position the lights with precision. You are limited to 7 single lights on each drawing. But you can put the lights in an external file which you can X-Ref into your drawing to get more lights.

...I have also heard that if you shrink your model really small. You can use the lights to act as the default/sun light and get it to come in from the direction you want.

This is a trick. In a situation that you need to increase light strenght you can shrink the model to get a stronger effect for the lights.

Thanks,
Miguel

In DataCAD 12, I am not seeing any effect of the Shader lights on an O2C object - either in it's interactive form or after raytracing. I have tried setting Sunlight on and off, Ambient to various percentages and have added two Shader lights to no apparent effect. The effect is noticed when using the shader.

In DataCAD 12, I am not seeing any effect of the Shader lights on an O2C object - either in it's interactive form or after raytracing. I have tried setting Sunlight on and off, Ambient to various percentages and have added two Shader lights to no apparent effect. The effect is noticed when using the shader.

Hi Jim,

The sharp positionning of the lights might be taking effects. If you placed a light inside a bulb, and the bulb itself is not transparent if won't show on o2c viewer.
You can start by turning off all day lights (sun and ambient) and check results when rendering in interactive form. Or displace one of the lights by a known distance, to a clean position, over a table, to see if it reflects shades.
After this you can play with the viewer lights On/Off.

Here a sample done right now.

Here only an Internal (from the model) light is ON:


Adding Sunlight:


Here are all lights (internal and ambients) ON:


Thanks,
Miguel

So what does the placing of multiple light sources look like, still?

I've created a drawing of a lamp together with a light. It shows and renders just like it should in the model. The light is placed just next to the bulb, not inside it. But when I insert the lamp into a different drawing as an XREF the light does not show.

What have I missed?




Sincerely,
Marko

I discovered that the "include lights from XREFs" of rendering options was unchecked. Now all lights show as expected.



Sincerely,
Marko

I am still trying to figure out the relationship between the settings within the Shader and the internal O2C Viewer and creation of O2C objects. I am trying to change the sun direction to impact shadow creation in views rendered from the viewer. No matter what I change, I can only get shadows created from a light source from the upper right of the image.

Are changes to the Sunlight intensity, orientation, and ambient settings supposed to be reflected in the O2C viewer? I do not have any lights set in the model other than Sunlight.



What does the "Lights=xx" setting in the O2C section of Dcadwin.ini do?

Thanks

To follow up on some additional testing, I tried to go through Migel's series of light settings in the O2C viewer and the "Lamps On/Off" has no effect when I toggle it on or off. Changes to light settings are reflected when using the Shader however.

I tested these settings using the default drawing supplied by DataCad as part of the V12 release package and the light settings work fine. I then copied (using the clipboard) the model from my original file to the DataCad supplied default drawing and the light setting stopped working.

There must be a setting or linkage between the Shader settings and the O2C viewer that is missing or broken.

A puzzler for sure.

To my understanding, the sunlight settings of the shader do not have any effect on the o2c model. The sun will always be in the "right upper corner", always, ... (wish I was wrong...)

The other 7 lights can be positioned and adjusted from Shader > Settings and they also show in o2c.

Try placing a light in the desired direction (from Shader > Settings), but not too far from the model (as lights do not light up longer distances). If you switch the light on and switch off the sun in o2c viewer, you should get at least some light from your chosen direction.

It may work fine to create a sunspot in the "right" place of the interior, but for lighting up streetscapes this trick is useless : (
(unless you downscale your model...)
: )