Thanks for the tips. I think applying a map or gradient to the light is going to be the way to go. I've never use an IES profile and will look into that as well.
On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 9:06 AM, Ed Manning <[email protected]> wrote: > That would be best, but in the meantime, there is the Shape Attenuation > control group in the soft_light Attenuation tab... It's not great, but it > has helped me a little on occasion. > > Also, to the OP: if you are not using distance-based attenuation, then > you can put a color_exponent node between the soft_light and Light_shader > nodes in the rendertree, and modulate the falloff ramp that way. In fact, > you can use the scalar fcurve there too, or a gradient mixer, if you want > really fine control, and lots of pretty colors in one light. > > Remember that this works by remapping input levels to output levels, so if > you have attenuation in any direction, your control will affect it. Not > sure if there's a way to split distance falloff control away from radial. > > Another idea -- you can use the mia_photometric light and an IES profile > that comes close to what you want, if you can find one. I suppose there > must be a way of generating custom IES profiles, but I haven't looked for > one. > > And one more observation -- if you're using a linear workflow, and have > most things set to use inverse-square falloff, you'll find that the default > falloff settings no longer look as crappy as you may be used to from > working in sRGB. > > Lastly, you might want to try the user_ibl_rect lights, with an HDR of a > realworld light source mapped onto them. I've been amazed at how well this > approximates the real-world behavior of light sources. > > > > > > On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 6:32 AM, Ciaran Moloney > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Would be nice if we could have fcurve controls on the penumbra falloff >> >> >> On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 11:28 AM, patrick nethercoat < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I think a projector shader is definitely the way to go with lights. You >>> can directly control the falloff and colour impurity you want in the spot. >>> Doing it with the basic light controls is always going to be too >>> 'computery'. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 28 September 2012 10:05, Eric Gunther <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> I think I misunderstood. My *guess* is that you could use a photo >>>> exposure shader on the camera, but this is a wild guess. :] >>>> >>>> This is considering one of the other replies about the "white point". >>>> >>>> I have to mention though, that I did not mean the "spread" control on >>>> the light... there is also a falloff control, which is achieved by >>>> clicking on the circle at the cone terminus. >>>> >>>> -e >>>> >>>> >>>> > I understand how to change the spread, but it doesn't seem to give >>>> > predictable or nice falloffs. I've been playing with settings since I >>>> > wrote that and I wonder if it's related to Color Management. I'm >>>> > interpreting my source textures as sRGB since they are just jpeg's. I >>>> > have Color Management turned on for Regions. When I turn it off, the >>>> > light falloff is much more smooth and closer to what I want, however, >>>> > the gamma is way off since it's showing the linear image I'm assuming. >>>> > I have been rendering without Color Management on my passes and >>>> > interpreting them as linear in After Effects. I'm not sure how to get >>>> > the falloff looking better though since I can't very well ignore the >>>> > gamma issues. >>>> > >>>> > On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 11:14 PM, Eric Gunther <[email protected]> >>>> > wrote: >>>> > Unless I am mistaken, in soft, you select the light and press >>>> > the b key >>>> > to go to the controls on the light (not a ppg but in the >>>> > viewport). >>>> > Then you just click and drag the edges to change the spot >>>> > softness. I >>>> > can't check right now but I think its the "b" key. Actually >>>> > pretty nice >>>> > feature. >>>> > >>>> > -e >>>> > >>>> > On Thu, 2012-09-27 at 23:05 -0400, Byron Nash wrote: >>>> > > This seems basic but it has always confounded me. I would >>>> > like a >>>> > > softer fade from the center of my spot light to the outside >>>> > of the >>>> > > cone angle. Adjusting the spread seems to make little >>>> > difference. See >>>> > > the linked photo for an illustration. I don't understand why >>>> > the >>>> > > falloff does not start at the inner ring of the cone and >>>> > fade to the >>>> > > outer edge? There seems to be a limit to the amount of >>>> > softness I can >>>> > > get out of a light. What am I doing wrong? >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > > https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6776444/coneAngle.png >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> - Ciaran >> > >
