Home Designer®
Software
Controlling Light Sources
Reference Number: KB-01007
Last Modified: July 16, 2015
The information in this article applies to:
QUESTION
When I create a 3D camera view, my cabinets and other objects appear washed out, or
do not have the de nition that I want them to have. Why is this?
ANSWER
In 3D views, lighting is calculated on a room-by-room basis; only the light sources in
the room containing the camera are used.
When the camera is outside a building, the program normally uses sunlight for lighting
calculations and turns o all other light sources. You can turn the sunlight o and use
all the other exterior lights to simulate night time views.
The maximum number of light sources that can be turned on in a view at
the same time is determined by your video card. If your video card's
maximum number of lights is eight, the program only uses the eight light
sources closest to the camera's position. You can manually turn on and o
certain lights in order to get the desired lighting e ects.
Lighting is extremely important in 3D views. Even small changes can have a large
impact on image quality.
Notice the di erence between the two images below. The top utilizes the default light
and the cabinets are clearly de ned. The lower image has only had a single light placed
above the bed, but this drastically changes how light re ects on the cabinet faces,
making them less de ned.
There are four ways to create light sources for 3D views, and each individual light
source has a set of properties, such as intensity and color, that can be de ned. The
four ways to create light sources are:
Default Light
Light Fixtures
Sunlight
Added Lights
Default Light
If you create an interior 3D view and no user de ned lights exist, the program creates
a Default Light source within the room. The Default interior light acts like a central
point light source.
The Default Light cannot be adjusted in any way. If you want to control the light in an
interior 3D view, you must add a light to the room that you are rendering by placing a
lighting xture, or by adding a light source using 3D> Lighting> Add Lights
.
Light Fixtures
An electric symbol that represents a Light Fixture has a light source associated with it.
Properties for the light source such as color and intensity can be modi ed in the
xture's Electrical Service Speci cation.
Default Sun Light
If you create an exterior 3D view, the program creates a Default Sun. The Default Sun
acts like a parallel light source, but its location is not based on any real world locations.
The Default Sun can be opened for speci cation in a 3D view by selecting 3D>
Lighting> Adjust Lights
to open the Adjust Lights dialog, clicking on the Default
Sun option to highlight it, and then choosing the the Adjust button.
Added Lights
3D> Lighting> Add Lights
allows you to quickly add a light source in oor plan view. Added
lights display 2D symbols in oor plan view and serve as sources of light in 3D views, but do not
display as objects in 3D
Added lights can be placed into objects that normally do not generate light, such as a TV.
There are three types of light sources, each of which generates light in a di erent way and allows you
to create a variety of lighting e ects. These three light sources are Parallel Lights, Point Lights,
and Spot Lights.
1. Parallel Lights
A parallel light has a direction but no position. The light appears to illuminate all
objects with equal intensity, as if it were at an infinite distance from the object. A
Parallel Light source is commonly used to simulate distant light sources, such as the
sun. It is the best choice of light to use for maximum speed generating 3D views.
Parallel Light sources are represented in floor plan view by three arrows
To add a Parallel Light:
1. Select 3D> Lighting> Add Lights
.
2. Click and drag in floor plan view.
3. When you release the mouse, a parallel light pointing in the direction that you
dragged is created.
2. Point Lights
Like a bare light bulb, a Point Light radiates light equally in all directions from its
origin. It slows rendering down, but it is a more realistic representation of electric
lighting and should be used where visual fidelity is the deciding concern.
If no user defined light exists, Home Designer creates a Point Light source to
represent a light within a room. Any light source, except a sun angle, can be changed
into a Point Light source by changing its light type in the specification dialog.
To create a Point Light source:
1. Select 3D> Lighting> Add Lights
.
2. Click in floor plan view. Do not drag the pointer when you click the screen, or you
will create a parallel light source.
3. Spot Lights
A Spot Light focuses the light in a specified direction. The location, tilt angle,
direction, and intensity of a Spot Light can be defined.
Spot Lights cannot be placed directly in the plan. They are created by changing an
existing light's specification. Once defined as a Spot Light, the direction of a spot
light can be changed in the Light Specification dialog or for an added light source,
by rotating the light in floor plan view.
To create a Spot Light source:
1. Create a Parallel or Point Light source.
2. Select the light and open it for specification.
3. Change its Type to Spot Light in the Light Specification dialog.
Adjusting Lights
Light sources in the current plan can be accessed and edited using the Adjust Lights
dialog. Select 3D> Lighting> Adjust Lights
to bring up the Adjust Lights dialog.
All lights in the current plan display in the Adjust Lights dialog list. Check the box
beside a light to turn it on or uncheck the box to turn it o .
To adjust the properties of one or more speci c lights, select that light in the list and
click the Adjust button. Make changes to the light in its speci cation dialog and click
OK once done. Select another light to adjust or click Done.
If you are in a 3D view, the view will regenerate based on the new light settings.
208-292-3400 (tel:+1-208-292-3400)
© 2003–2017 Chief Architect, Inc.
Terms of Use (https://www.chiefarchitect.com/company/terms.html)
Privacy Policy (https://www.chiefarchitect.com/company/privacy.html)