Light Viewport Controls
 
 
 
Command entry:Click or right-click the Point-Of-View (POV) viewport label. POV viewport label menu Lights Lights submenu Choose a light.
Command entry:Keyboard $

A Light viewport shows the view from a spotlight or directional light, looking at its target.

Light viewport controls include the following. Two of these controls are available in all viewports.

Dolly Light, Target, or Both

Light Hotspot

Roll Light

Zoom Extents All, Zoom Extents All Selected (available in all viewports)

Light Falloff

Truck Light

Orbit/Pan Light

Maximize Viewport Toggle (available in all viewports)

For photometric lights, the Light Hotspot control actually adjusts the beam angle. At the beam angle, the light is 50 per cent of the maximum intensity.

Targeted photometric lights can be used as views only when the light's distribution is set to spotlight.

WarningSwitching to or from a light view clears the Undo/Redo lists.

Procedures

To set a Light viewport:

  1. Activate the viewport you want to show the view from a spotlight or directional light in the scene.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Press the keyboard shortcut $.
    • Click or right-click the Point-Of-View viewport label. 3ds Max opens the POV viewport label menu. Choose Lights and then choose the light from the Lights submenu.
  3. If you have more than one spotlight or directional light in the scene (and none is selected), the Select Light dialog is displayed: choose the light you want.
  4. If there are more than 10 lights listed, the last entry is "More Lights." Choose this to display the Choose a View dialog, which shows the complete list.

To undo changes to a Light viewport, do one of the following:

  1. Click (Undo) on the Quick Access toolbar.
  2. Press Ctrl+Z.
    NoteThis is different from orthographic viewports, which require the use of Views menu Undo, or Shift+Z.
  • Dolly Light, Target, or Both

    Dolly Light, on the Dolly Light flyout (see below) moves the light or its target or both along the light’s main axis, toward or away from what the light is pointing at. A free light moves along its depth axis in the direction its lens is pointing. On a target light, the target distance remains fixed, no matter how far you dolly.

  • Light Hotspot

    Light Hotspot lets you adjust the angle of a light's hotspot. This button replaces the Zoom All button when a light viewport is active.

  • Roll Light

    Roll Light rotates the light about its own line of sight (the light's local Z axis). Although Roll does change the light view, it affects the light object only if the light casts a rectangular beam or is a projector.

  • Light Falloff

    Light Falloff adjusts the angle of a light's falloff. This button replaces the Zoom Region button when a light viewport is active.

  • Truck Light

    Truck Light moves a target light and its target parallel to the light view, and moves a free light along its XY axis.

  • Orbit/Pan Light

    Orbit rotates a light about the target. Pan rotates the target about the light.