Command entry:Create menu
Lights
Photometric Lights
Create a light.
Modify panel
Shape/Area Shadows rollout
The Shape/Area Shadows rollout lets you choose the light shape used to generate shadows.
NoteThese controls work only with the
mental ray renderer. The
scanline renderer does not calculate photometric area shadows (although with the scanline renderer you can use
Area shadows to get a similar effect). Also, the scanline renderer does not render a photometric area light as self illuminating, or display
its shape in renderings.
Interface
Emit Light From (Shape) group
- Drop-down list
-
Use the list to choose the shadow-generating shape. When you choose a shape other than Point, dimension controls appear in
the Emit Light group, and a Shadow Samples control appears in the Rendering group.
- Calculates shadows as if the light were emitted from a point.
The Point shape has no other controls.
- Calculates shadows as if the light were emitted from a line.
The Linear shape has a Length control.
- Calculates shadows as if the light were emitted from a rectangular area.
The Area shape has Length and Width controls.
- Calculates shadows as if the light were emitted from a disc.
The Disc shape has a Radius control.
- Calculates shadows as if the light were emitted from a sphere.
The Sphere shape has a Radius control.
- Calculates shadows as if the line were emitted from a cylinder.
The Cylinder shape has Length and Radius controls.
Rendering group
- Light Shape Visible in Rendering
-
When on, the shape of the light is visible in renderings as a self-illuminated (glowing) shape, provided the light object
is within the field of view. When off, the light’s shape is not rendered, only the light it casts. Default=off.
See Self-Illuminating Photometric Lights
- Shadow Samples
-
Sets the overall quality of shadows for lights that have an area. If the rendered image appears grainy, increase this value.
If rendering is too time consuming, decrease it. Default=32.
This setting doesn’t appear in the interface when Point is chosen as the shadow shape.
Create panel 
(Lights)