#Fluorescent lights
13 messages in this thread
How can I simulate fluorescent lights in 3D Studio? Jeffrey.
Jeffrey,
Our book "Inside 3D Studio" shows how to simulate fluorescent lights as well as
many other types of lights. You can find it in many larger bookstores or you
can order it directly from us at 800-428-5331.
____kevin
Dear Kevin, I have the "Inside 3D Studio" book and went through some
tutorials in the book. I am not sure if I can simulate fluorescent
lights in subway stations. Will there be "Inside AutoCAD R13" book?
Jeffrey.
Jeffrey,
I don't know why fluorescent lights in a subway station would be any different
than fluorescent lights anywhere else. Maybe I'm not understanding your
question. What do you see as the difference?
Inside AutoCAD R13 for Windows is shipping now. The R13 for DOS book will ship
at the end of this month.
Kevin Coleman, Product Developer, New Riders Publishing
Dear Kevin, the fluorescent lights in the subway stations cast light downward.
The lights in TUBELITE.3DS file cast light upward. The lights in my model of
subway station are about 200 feet long. I would have to create several
spotlights along the lights but that would make the scene too bright unless I
turn down the luminance of the spotlights. I don't know if I should put the
spotlights above or below the lights and cast shadows correctly. I uploaded
"SUBWAY.ZIP" file in the Autodesk Showcase vehicle library. Please download the
file, unzip it, and look at the image. Thank you very much for telling me that
"Inside AutoCAD R13 for Windows" book is shipping but I am NOT waiting for
"Inside AutoCAD R13 for DOS" book. I prefer DOS version to Windows version.
Jeffrey.
Jeffery,
Yuo touched upon a point I' grappeled with before. That is hoe to get iregular
shape lights, espsecially when they reflect of the surface.
As a student of design who spent many hours trying to give renderings (ala
markers, colored pencils, etc) "punch" I would argue that you will get more
"readable" results with fewer and more traditional light sources (over the
right shoulder).
the only place the flourecent bulbs are going to read is in their reflection,
not there light. Try making a reflection map of the inside of the tunnel (lots
of long white stripes against dark gray.) I think you'll find it may look
pretty cool. You'll probably have to fool around with your map icon, types and
position, a bit.
Regards, Peter Kroko
Pete's starlight drive-in <g>
Jeffrey, This is what I'd do for a subway type lighting environment. First,
make a flourescent tube and assign it a 100% self illuminating blue-white
material. Mostly white. Now, copy it around your subway station, up and down
the tunnel etc. Wherever you'd like. This way you'll be able to "see" the light
from the bulbs. The shadows they'd cast would hit the ground just like normal
lights. You could place spotlights above them (If the ceiling is in the way
then turn off its shadow casting attribute with Modify\Object\Attributes). This
way you can get shadows from anywhere you'd like. If you've got Inside 3DS
reference the chapter on lighting for how to get glows around your lights. Good
luck.
DM
Jeffrey,
While I have not looked at your scene, I would point the spot lights downward
to create shadows. Because fluorescent lights cast very diffuse light, don't
use ray-traced shadows and create very soft-edged shadows. You'll probably need
several spotlights along the length of your 200' of lighting fixtures to get
the hotspot and falloff cones at the right angle. Add omni lights to simulate
the diffuse light bouncing around the scene. Most of your light should come
from the omni-lights; the spotlights are just to create the shadows. (In fact,
if you don't need the realism of shadows, you could probably just illuminate
the whole scene with omni lights.) Use a self- illuminated material on the
bezel meshes of the light fixtures to provide a "perceived" light source in the
scene. If you're using bare bulbs, use the self-illuminated material on the
bulbs themselves.
This should get you started. Somebody else my have better solutions.
____kevin
Dear Kevin, almost all of the subway stations in New York City have fixtures
with bare fluorescent bulbs. I put two omni lights in the scene. I thought the
scene is bright enough but most subway stations are dim. I tried simulating
sunlight in another scene of a car on a street following the tutorial in "3D
Studio Tutorial Guide" book and there were shadows under the car and in the
interior of the car. I have problems creating chrome material for bumpers and
wheels. I have problems creating shiny material for car's body. I bought
"Inside 3D Studio 4.0" book and I found out that most of the text in the book
are same as text in "Inside 3D Studio 3.0" book. Jeffrey.
Jeffery
A couple of things I've found handy on cars:
Add a little self-illumination to the material. It keeps the unlit areas from
becoming too dark.
Place several large white, fully self-illum. panels in the scene around the
car. Hide everything but the car and the panels. Make a .CUB reflection map.
Unhide all objects, hide the panels. Use the .CUB reflection in the material.
You'll have to play with the size, intensities, etc. but it can look
"realistic". In most car ads on tv, in magazines, there are large white
reflective panels places off screen. Look closely in the ads.
Hope that helps some.
TedB
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Dear Ted, Thank you very much for telling me how to make *.CUB reflection map.
If I draw a box around the car, I would have to flip the normals of the box.
Jeffrey.
Jeffery
>> I would have to flip the normals of the box <<
Yes, you would have to flip the box, but a box will probably add too much to
the reflection. By all means try it, but smaller panels will work better.
TedB
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Jeffrey, to create glows around the light bulb without using IPAS, create a
circle or sphere with a self illum material, very very transparent.
If you are creating a still or animation with little movement, you may want to
use a circle (directed towards camera) with an opacity map where the center is
brighter and more opaque than the borders.
Eni