Light Lister

Command entry:Tools menu

Light Lister

The Light Lister is a modeless dialog that lets you control a number of features for each light. You can also make global settings that affect every light in your scene.

To display information, this dialog requires at least one light object in your scene. For a selected light, this dialog is a shortcut to the same functionality available on the Modify panel Parameters rollout. Global settings are duplicated on the Environment panel.

NoteThe Light Lister cannot control more than 150 unique light objects at a time (instances of a light don't count). If there are more than 150 unique lights in your scene, the Lister displays controls for the first 150 it finds, and a warning that you should select fewer lights. Select fewer lights and then use the Selected Lights configuration.

Procedures

To use global settings:

On the Light Lister dialog, on the Configuration rollout, choose General Settings.
The General Settings rollout appears.
Make changes to the settings. See Interface, below.

To set individual lights:

On the Configuration rollout, choose All Lights. The Lights rollout displays settings for all the scene lights (subject to the limit of 150 lights described above). Alternatively, you can select the lights to adjust, and then on the Configuration rollout choose Selected Lights.
TipIf you change the light selection, the Light Lister does not update interactively. Click Refresh to update the list.
On the Lights rollout, change the settings for any light on the list. See Interface, below.
Some changes show up immediately in the viewport.

Interface

Configuration rollout

Chooses which lights and controls to affect, and lets you update light settings.

All Lights: The Lights rollout shows all lights in the scene (subject to the 150-light restriction, described above).
Selected Lights: The Lights rollout shows only selected lights.
General Settings: Displays the General Settings rollout.
Refresh: Updates the list of lights to use the current light selection (if Selected Lights is active) and current scene settings.

NoteWhen the Light Lister needs to be updated, the Refresh button is highlighted in yellow.

General Settings rollout

These controls are for general lighting settings.

Selected LightsWhen chosen, general settings affect only selected lights.
All LightsWhen chosen, general settings affect all lights in the scene (subject to the 150-light restriction, described above).

On: When on, affected lights are active in the scene. When off, affected lights go dark in the viewports and renderings.
Multiplier: Increases or decreases the light intensity of standard lights. See General Lighting Parameters for standard lights.
Color: By default, the color of all standard lights is white. Click to display the Color Selector and change the light color for affected lights.

WarningFor photometric lights, this changes the filter color, not the color temperature.
Shadows: When on, affected lights cast shadows. When off, they don't cast shadows.
Shadow type drop-down list: Selects the shadow type for affected lights.
Map Size: Sets the size (in pixels squared) of the shadow map used by affected lights.
Bias: Setting depends on which shadow type is selected. In general, bias moves the shadow toward or away from the shadow-casting object. For specific effects, see Shadow Map Parameters and Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters.
Sm. Range (Sample Range): For shadow-mapped shadows, sets the Sample Range value. See Shadow Map Parameters. This value has no effect for ray-traced or area shadows.
Transp. (Transparency): When on, turns on transparency for advanced ray-traced and area shadows. Has no effect on shadow-mapped or standard ray-traced shadows. Default=off.
Int. (Integrity): For advanced ray-traced shadows or area shadows, sets the Shadow Integrity. See Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout or Area Shadows Rollout.
Qual. (Quality): For advanced ray-traced shadows or area shadows, sets the Shadow Quality. See Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout or Area Shadows Rollout.
Decay: (For standard lights.) Sets the type of decay: None, Inverse, or Inverse Square. See Intensity/Color/Attenuation Parameters.
Start: (For standard lights.) Sets the start range for decay. See Intensity/Color/Attenuation Parameters.
Length: (For photometric lights.) Sets the Length value for Line and Rectangle lights. See Shape/Area Shadows Rollout.
Width: (For photometric lights.) Sets the Width value for Rectangle lights. See Shape/Area Shadows Rollout.

_____

Global Tint: Adds a color tint to all lights in the scene except ambient light. Click to use the Color Selector. The tint is in addition to the global light color, or the color of individual lights. The default setting, white, has no tinting effect.
Global Level: Increases or decreases the overall lighting level for Standard lights. Default=1.0.

NoteThis setting, designed for standard lights, reduces the level of photometric lights to near darkness. If you have photometric lights in your scene, leave this setting at the default.
Ambient Color: Changes the ambient color, the color seen in shadows. Click to use the Color Selector.

Lights rollout

This rollout is visible while All Lights or Selected Lights is active on the Configuration rollout. Its controls are for individual light objects. This rollout displays two lists: one for standard lights, and another for photometric lights.

Blank gray button (Select): Click to select the named light. This button turns white for selected lights. Selecting a light opens the Modify panel for that light. This button has a gray box in the middle for the light that appears in the Modify panel. The gray box appears whether the light is selected or not.

Clicking Select deselects all other lights. If the entry is for an instanced light, clicking Select selects all instances (see the description of the Name field that follows). If the light is part of a group, the entire group is selected. If you are in Selected Lights mode (on the Configuration rollout), the list of selected lights is not refreshed automatically.

NoteYou can set the controls for a light without selecting it.
Check box: Turns the light on or off. Default=on.
Name: Shows the name of the light object.

If there are multiple instances of a light, only one entry appears in the Light Lister, and the Name field becomes a drop-down list. The list lets you see the names of all instances, but it has no other effect: parameter changes made in the Light Lister affect all instances of the light.
Multiplier: (Standard lights only.) Increases or decreases the intensity of the light. Default=1.0.

NoteThis control is unavailable if the light has a procedural controller.
Intensity: (Photometric lights only.) Sets the light intensity, in candelas. Default=1500.0.

NoteThis control is unavailable if the light has a procedural controller.
Color: Click to display the Color Selector and change the light color. Default=white.

WarningFor photometric lights, this changes the filter color, not the color temperature.
Shadows: Turns shadow casting on or off. Default=on.
Shadow type drop-down list: Selects the shadow type for the light.
Map Size: Available only when shadow map shadows is on. Sets the size (in pixels squared) of the shadow map used by all lights.
Bias: Setting depends on which shadow type is selected. In general, bias moves the shadow toward or away from the shadow-casting object. See Shadow Map Parameters and Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters for specific effects.
Sm. Range: For shadow-mapped shadows, sets the Sample Range value. See Shadow Map Parameters. This value has no effect for ray-traced shadows. Default=4.0.
Transp. (Transparency): When on, turns on transparency for advanced ray-traced and area shadows. Has no effect on shadow-mapped or standard ray-traced shadows. Default=off.

The shadow transparency control is on the Optimizations rollout.
Int. (Integrity): For advanced ray-traced shadows or area shadows, sets the Shadow Integrity. See Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout or Area Shadows Rollout. Default=1.
Qual. (Quality): For advanced ray-traced shadows or area shadows, sets the Shadow Quality. See Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout or Area Shadows Rollout. Default=2.
Decay: (Standard Lights only.) Sets the type of decay: None, Inverse, or Inverse Square. See Attenuation Parameters. Default=None.
Start: (Standard lights only.) Sets the start range for decay. See Attenuation Parameters. Default=0.0.
Length: (Photometric lights only.) Sets the Length value for Line and Rectangle photometric lights. See Shape/Area Shadows Rollout.
Width: (Photometric lights only.) Sets the Width value for Rectangle photometric lights. See Shape/Area Shadows Rollout .