Add Default Lights to Scene

Command entry:Click or right-click the General viewport label (“[ + ]”).

General viewport label menu

Configure

Viewport Configuration dialog

Lighting And Shadows panel

Illuminate Scene With group

Choose Default Lighting and then choose 2 Lights (to activate the Add Default Lights To Scene menu item)

Click OK.

Create menu

Lights

Standard Lights

Add Default Lights To Scene

This command opens the Add Default Lights To Scene dialog, which provides options that let you convert the default scene lighting into actual light objects.

The default lighting for viewports consists of a key light, positioned in front and to the left of the scene, which behaves as an omni light..

This command is unavailable unless you use the Viewport Configuration dialog to configure the active viewport to use two lights. When viewports use two lights, and you invoke this command, the lights are added to the scene as omni lights. You can add either the key light, the fill light, or both.

Two default lights are placed opposite to each other.

A, the key light is in front of the object, on the upper left side, while B, the fill light is behind on the lower right side.

You can add either the key light, the fill light, or both. The omni light objects have the names DefaultKeyLight and DefaultFillLight.

If you have already added one or both default lights, a warning prompts you to rename or delete the previous default light object before you add another.

Procedures

To add the default lights as objects:

Click or right-click the General viewport label (“[ + ]”).
3ds Max opens the General viewport label menu.
Choose Configure.
On the Viewport Configuration dialog Rendering Method tab, in the Rendering Options group, turn on Default Lighting and choose 2 Lights. Click OK to close the dialog.
Choose Create menu Lights Standard Lights Add Default Lights To Scene.
On the Add Default Lights To Scene dialog, toggle Add Default Key Light, Add Default Fill Light, or both. Click OK.
Activate the Top viewport, and on the status bar, click (Zoom Extents).
The lights are now visible in the viewport.

Interface

Add Default Key Light: When on, adds the default key light to the scene. The key light is in front of the scene and to the left. The key light becomes an omni light with the name, DefaultKeyLight. Default=on.
Add Default Fill Light: When on, adds the default fill light to the scene. The fill light is behind the scene and to the right. The fill light becomes an omni light with the name, DefaultFillLight. Default=on.
Distance Scaling: Affects how far the lights are placed from the origin (0,0,0). The default value leaves the scene's lighting unchanged. Larger values move the lights farther away, dimming the scene, and smaller values move them closer, brightening the scene. Default=1.0. Range=0.0 to 1000.0.