Adding Light Sources

The Light tool places light sources in the drawing. Select the type of light and specify the light preferences from the Tool bar.

Adding a visible light source to a drawing hides the default lighting scheme that is automatically present for basic rendering purposes. The design layer containing the light source must contain 3D geometry upon which to project the light, and the 3D objects must not have a perfectly black fill (which absorbs all light).

Other methods of adding light include the linear light and the area light; see Inserting an Area or Linear Light , and in the Vectorworks Design Series, the Heliodon tool (see Solar Studies).

To add a light source:

1. Click the Light tool from the Visualization tool set.

From the Tool bar, select the type of light source to insert (directional light, point light, or spot light). If inserting a directional light, select the light placement method (Default Direction or Set Direction).

2. Click the Preferences Tool bar button to specify the light source preferences for this session. Depending on the light source selected, different parameters are available.

The Light Preferences dialog box opens. Set the parameters.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
On/Off	Shows or hides the light produced by the light source
Color	Specifies a color associated with the light source; click the color box to select the color. This parameter is not available if Use Emitter is selected and a Color Temperature is specified.
Cast Shadows	Select to create shadows
Soft Shadows	Creates more realistic shadows by decreasing hard edges; shadows appear softer the farther they travel, as in reality. rendering is slower when this option is enabled.
Brightness	Specifies the light source brightness; enter a percentage or drag the slider bar. A value over 100% can be entered. This parameter is not available if Use Emitter is selected.
Use Emitter	For accuracy, specifies the light’s actual brightness and color temperature; leave deselected to use the light as a simple light source
Get Brightness From	Specifies the luminous quantity of a light
User Input	Specifies the brightness as an accurate number in Lux, Lumens, Footcandles, or Candelas; the units vary depending on the light source
Distribution File	Does not apply to directional, point, or spot lights; see Inserting a Custom Light
Color Temperature	Specifies the light color temperature in Kelvin. This refers to an ideal black body emitter, glowing “red hot” or “white hot.” A lower temperature generates an orange color; the hotter the temperature, the closer to white the color of the light is. Specifying this parameter is optional. If not specified, the default temperature is 0, meaning that the final emission color for the light is entirely controlled by the selection in Color. When the temperature is specified, Color cannot be changed. The final emission color is set by the Color Temperature. Color temperature settings can be white-balanced on a per-layer basis; see Setting Lighting Options.
Directional, Spot, or Point Light Specs	Click to set additional specifications for the light source

3. Click Directional Light Specs, Spot Light Specs, or Point Light Specs, for the selected light source type, to specify additional parameters. Custom light parameters are described in Inserting a Custom Light.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Directional Light
Direction	Specifies the light’s direction by either specifying the light angle or vector
Angle	Sets the light’s angle by azimuth and elevation. The azimuth angle is set based on an angle of 0 degrees at the negative Y axis, and is positive in a counter-clockwise direction; the elevation angle is the angle above (positive) or below (negative) the horizon.
Vector	Indicates the direction of the light by specifying the coordinates of its X, Y, and Z vectors
Point Light
Distance Falloff	Select the distance falloff function (rate of intensity change while moving along the beam away from the light source): ●    None: Brightness does not change ●    Smooth: Brightness decreases according to a linear falloff ●    Realistic: Light is brightest near the light source, and falls away according to the square of the distance, as in reality. This falloff selection is the most natural in appearance.
Spot Lights
Spread/Beam diagram	Drag the handles on the diagram to set the spot light Spread and Beam angles, or enter the values in the fields below the diagram
Spread	Specifies the spread angle of the spot light (the light cone’s maximum angle)
Beam	Specifies the beam angle of the spot light (the cone of light that does not change intensity up to the spread angle)
Distance Falloff	Select the distance falloff function (rate of intensity change while moving along the beam away from the light source): ●    None: Brightness does not change ●    Smooth: Brightness decreases according to a linear falloff ●    Realistic: Light is brightest near the light source, and falls away according to the square of the distance, as in reality. This falloff selection is the most natural in appearance.

4. Click OK to return to the Light Preferences dialog box. Click OK to return to the drawing.

5. Click to place a light object with the parameters specified in the Light Preferences dialog box.

If placing a directional light, click to specify the light position in Default Direction mode. In Set Direction mode, click once to specify the light target or direction, and then click a second time to specify the light position.

If placing a spot light, click to place the light, and then drag to specify the light direction and target. The spot light can be aimed at any object. Click again to set the spot light. The target Z height can be adjusted precisely with the Look To Height parameter of the Object Info palette.

The spot light target handle and projection line only display when the spot light is selected. Use the Selection tool to move the light. The target handle aims the spot light and can be adjusted with the Selection tool once the spot light has been created. Use the Reshape tool to move the target handle constrained about an axis selected in the Tool bar.

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Adding Light Sources

Inserting a Custom Light

Inserting an Area or Linear Light

Light Source Properties

Managing Lights and Cameras with the Visualization Palette

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