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Print at Dec 16, 2025, 11:31:06 PM

Posted by db4tech at Aug 19, 2010, 11:25:39 PM

User lamp control
Hi all,

I have been working on full user lamp control, which enables a user to select both light size (the larger the light the soft the shadow produced) and also light intensity.

Here are some samples using the new controls.

First image is just one render, has a wall down the centre to separate the lights, so shadow differences can be seen, the foreground light is the same light set at different intensities:

Next without lamp control:

Lastly same scene with lamp control:

I have set the lights so they start of dim and can be adjusted to very, very bright levels. No more needing lots of lamps (as whippetsleek and others have found) to light a scene! smile

I know most people don't provide feedback but please let me know if you think this will be useful for you.

Please understand that this is work in progress and needs refining.
Thank you.

PS: Have also found a way to fix the multiple light sources through opposite windows bug.

db4tech

Edit: to fix a typo.

Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 20, 2010, 12:56:38 AM

Re: User lamp control
To let you know how useful I think it will be... where is the download link? Did I miss it?
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Posted by db4tech at Aug 20, 2010, 1:42:37 AM

Re: User lamp control
Thank you whippetsleek for your reply and interest.

This is work in progress at the moment and definitely needs some more work before it will be ready.

I have sent the code tweaks to Emmanuel. I hope the idea of user lamp control will be able to be included in the next Sweet Home/Render version.

Will keep you posted! smile

db4tech

Posted by db4tech at Aug 27, 2010, 11:41:07 PM

Re: User lamp control
Hi whippetsleek,

Have you seen the new Advanced rendering plugin version 1.6 with the user light control added? smile

Importantly:
The new BasicPlusExtraLights.sh3f or basiclights.sh3f (if only wanting the original white lights, which are included in BasicPlusExtraLights.sh3f) file is needed for it to work!

I would personally like to thank Emmanuel, firstly for adding my light control idea, and also for helping improve my math formulas in connection with the user light control.

I have lots of great ideas but am not the best when it comes to maths, can usually get my ideas working but then appreciate help to improve certain areas. smile

By the way, have several other ideas and things I want to add or see added (have sent a list to Emmanuel) to help improve renders and the plugin further (you may notice one extra one already included!) others are secret for now, wink

and some that even Emmanuel doesn't know about yet! biggrin

Hope you and others really enjoy this new plugin, I look forward to your feedback and seeing your renders in the gallery.

Take care,

db4tech

Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 28, 2010, 12:55:29 AM

Re: User lamp control
Yes, I just tried it out and I absolutely love it!! It works wonderfully.

This is a fast attempt and you can see how much of a difference it made to the sink and sunlight. I forgot to adjust the height on my bar stools, so no making fun of my midgets... lol

This is a great program and I thank you so very much for all your hard work on it.

The glass behind the sink was made extremely clear to work with the old render but with this renderer, the glass came out so pure looking, you can't even see it.. lol!

I'm going to be addicted to making renders now.. and it's all your fault! tongue

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Posted by db4tech at Aug 28, 2010, 1:23:57 AM

Re: User lamp control

I'm going to be addicted to making renders now.. and it's all your fault! tongue

It's one of those rare times when its nice to be accused. biggrin

If you'd like to make your Yoda (keeping a previous theme here!) size bar stools, a nice shiny, but slightly diffused chrome. Settings these you must use!

Hmmmmm!

Kd 0 0 0
Ks 1 1 1
Ka 0 0 0
illum 2
Ns 77

The Renders are strong with this one! biggrin

PS: Silk you must use, or black they will appear.

db4tech

Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 28, 2010, 1:57:57 AM

Re: User lamp control
A lady's friend, silk is. This Jedi has learned the ways of the forced render and has her settings on the silky mode already. Has only so much RAM with many programs also open, not as good quality as the Techmaster Yoda. Techmaster forgive the poor unfortunate whippet (at least until this jedi has only one light saber going at a time...)

biggrin

I am currently working on a new texture for the stools, and they will be matte, seeing I'm not really a gloss lover. I'm the odd female in that I don't like shiny things... lol... But I do want to fix the texture for the oven, it should be a slight bit shinier, and more stainless looking. I believe that is a problem with my texture settings though and not the renderer.

I say again, I love this plug-in!

Now if I can just get the forum to stop kicking me out and telling e I'm invalid...
sad

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Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 28, 2010, 3:00:53 AM

Re: User lamp control
I did a second render with furniture that I had trouble with before, and these pieces look alot better with the new light controls. But there are still some little questions I have.

The wall lights have black in parts of them, and I know the glass was made with 4 layers or faces in the Blender program so that it would diffuse the light from Blenders render in a certain way, so I am asking if the extra layers in the file is what is causing the black spots? I would love to get the diffuse soft light that I have seen from these wall lights but I'm not exactly sure how to modify the file so that it renders correctly.

The table is from Google and was a dae file. I kow there were issues with dae files, and I was wondering if the glass of the table top is considered a transparent texture, and that is why the table top is not visible? The table should have a golden glass top. I have tried making the top less transparent in Sketch up, but I still can't make it visible, though I must admit, the floating look is kinda nice.. smile

The complex shadows under the sideboards are really lovely. I should have moved my sun a little bit more though. Did I say how much I like the new plug in?
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Posted by db4tech at Aug 28, 2010, 4:34:10 PM

Re: User lamp control
Hi whippetsleek,

The black spots on the lights inside the lamps are caused by the light source being partially inside the shade so photons are lost.

If you reduce the size of the light source slightly (it will harden the shadow a little but not too much) or move the light source further, maybe even slightly into the wall, will also overcome the problem, this may cause a bit more noise in the shadow areas of the render though, due to lost photons.

How does the scene look with different light intensities?

Don't forget that, not only can light sources be made bigger, they can also be made smaller down to 1 x 1 x 1 if needed. smile

This information is for all users:
If it is helpful, the best method is to always keep the bulb (light source) slightly smaller than the object it will be inside, or a black spot will appear at the point where the light source intersects with an object or objects.

*****

As for the glass top table, have you tried loading it into a new instance of Sweet Home, then export it as an obj which can then be tweaked in Art of Illusion?

If you can't get that to work please find attached a golden glass top for your table. Hope the colour is about right.

Here's a render of how it looks:

Remember the Light Source is strong with this one! smile

db4tech
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Golden_glass_top.zip (646 bytes) (Download count: 4445)

Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 28, 2010, 9:48:43 PM

Re: User lamp control
Say will I, great advice from the Master Tech. Check out this render will he, much better will he notice the source has made it.

biggrin

The moving of the lights was good advice, and I had a sheepish moment since I should have thought of that. But the mesh within the file was alsoquite messed up. I've never (in my very short time of editting meshes) seen such a contorted mesh. So I tweaked the meshes for the glass and this is the result....

There is still one little black spot, but I think that is just the way I put the light in the lamp. Look at the light underneath the lamp though, it is pretty neat how it can compute the refractions.

And the table glass, that is exactly the color I was going for. Is that a shower door? What was the color you used?
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Posted by db4tech at Aug 28, 2010, 11:06:16 PM

Re: User lamp control
Ah! my young padawan, you learn quickly! wink

Yes I noticed the wall.

Oh! Just spotted (on my render) that we have a regression bug, plus I can replicate it every time. sad

Where is the sconce model from, is it archive3d.net?

db4tech

Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 28, 2010, 11:12:52 PM

Re: User lamp control
It is my own design, and I'll try attaching it in this post. I started fresh from the orignal lamp scone, because the mesh was just to weird, so I made my own version of it in Sketch up. The mesh is much smoother, but I have to admit the idea was a friend of mine who made the original in Blender as a 3ds file. Anyone can use this if they like, and let me know if anyone does not have Sketch up, and I'll convert it into 3ds for them.
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lamp1.skb (78764 bytes) (Download count: 38456)

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Posted by db4tech at Aug 28, 2010, 11:28:27 PM

Re: User lamp control
Found out that if I remove the 'Plate, glasses and cutlery' models the render completes without problem.

PS: Sketchup I don't use. So 3DS convert you must! smile

Thank you,

db4tech

Posted by whippetsleek at Aug 28, 2010, 11:45:33 PM

Re: User lamp control
Here you go... Also put in a zipped obj file if anyone finds that easier to work with.

And you should try Sketch up, it is a cute little program. tongue

Of course it is not as good as AOI but it is easier to use, and change textures with. And Master Yoda Tech you not be if the ways of Sketch you do not learn... smile

And BTW, Thank you for attaching the glass top. I am trying to correct the file with your glass top for the table now. I'll post a picture when, if, I get it done. The table base is a dae file, and I'm having trouble with converting the meshes in Obj form. Some of the faces just disappear. I'm guessing that is due to the differences in assigning 3d coordinates between the two file types, but I don't really know. But I do like the color of the glass top, so hopefully it will work soon... lol
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lamp1.3ds (17300 bytes) (Download count: 38654)

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lamp1.zip (18907 bytes) (Download count: 52179)

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Posted by whippetsleek at Sep 3, 2010, 9:45:31 PM

Re: User lamp control
I was told of a problem with the 3ds file for the scone. It won't let me edit the download, so I would just like to let people here know that the above 3ds file is no good. I'm not sure what happened, but I will try to fix the 3ds file, and repost it. The Object file works great for me, and if you experience a problem with it, please let me know. Thanks!

Or if Puybaret would be kind enough to just delete the download or attachment?
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Dec 16, 2025, 11:31:06 PM