3D World

TuTorials

Spot lights

I

f you’re new to CGI, you may

feel that there are far too

many tools to choose from in

a dizzying array of software. This

series aims to break everything

in CGI down to the very basics,

so that every artist can be armed

with the knowledge of which tool

is best. We continue our look at

lighting this issue with spot lights.

Spot lights have been around

since the start of computer image

creation. As the name suggests,

they take their influence from

spot lights in the theatre or a film

stage. Spot lights can be directed

in a much more predictable

way than other light types, and

therefore offer a wide range of

creative possibilities.

In the past few years image-

based lighting and area lights

have become more commonly

used due to the increase of

computer power, which has meant

that spot lights are determined

by many artists to be a potentially

more primitive tool.

While there is some truth

to this in terms of how a spot

light works, they can still be an

incredibly powerful tool. This is

due to their longevity, as many of

the more established 3D software

packages have used spot lights to

mimic lighting effects, so that they

can be used as projectors and

negative light sources. A negative

light source is when a light can be

inverted to make dramatic lighting

on the focus object of a scene,

just as a director of photography

would do on a film set.

Dependant on the 3D software

used, spot lights can have barn

doors which again can help focus

Mike Griggs

Mike Griggs is a 3D and

visual effects artist

with vast experience

across the industry, as

both a creator and a

technical writer.

http://www.creativebloke.com

Author

lights on just the objects that

matter, providing greater control

over the lighting in a scene.

Another main use of spot

lights is to drive volumetric

effects in order to create literal

atmosphere in a scene. With the

precise control that a spot light

offers both in edge diffusion, light

falloff and start and end diameter

can make them a very versatile

volumetric object.

A key benefit of spot lights

is that they are predictable, as

practically every 3D application

has them and they can be easily

converted from application to

application with minimal fuss.

While it may be long in the

tooth, the spot light should not be

ignored as a creative tool. Here

we explore how to best use them

in your own projects.

Master spot LIghts

Spot lights are a multi-use tool for creating lighting effects

3D essentials