3D World

TuTorials

Spot lights

02

Cone AnGle And FAlloFF

Spot lights create a light beam within a specific coned area,

which most 3D software represents in the viewport. This makes

spot lights much easier to place and predict than other light

types. The edge of the cone can be either hard or diffuse at the

artist’s preference, giving a wide range of creative options with

the potential of making a spot light a basic and more predictable

area light if required – especially if the 3D software being used

can control the diameter of the starting light point.

01

Add A Spot liGht

Dependant on the render engine being used, there is a

chance that spot lights can have different properties. Some

recent render engines tend to make spot lights have a more

realistic falloff just like area lights, whereas some legacy render

engines tend not to have falloff options, making that a feature

only of area lights. Shadows can also be switched off and on,

which allows spot lights to be used purely in a decorative

fashion only.

neGAtive Spot liGhtS

As spot lights give control over much more specific areas than

other light types, they can be useful when used as negative

lights. These turn light power into a negative value, which

can be a great tool when a scene has an overall light such as

the sun and the scene only needs to focus on a key element.

Negative spot lights are usually activated by simply turning the

power value of a spot light to a minus number. Therefore all the

other controls of a spot light such as cone angle and diffusion

are available.

03

projeCtionS with Spot liGhtS

Spot lights are by far the easiest way to create an image

or video projection within a scene, as again the light can be

controlled within a specific area. Different 3D engines use

different methods to add an image to a light. It is nearly always

available through a spot light more than any other light type.

Some 3D software allows the shape of a spot light to be like a

pyramid rather than the normal cone, which makes creating a

projector even easier.

04

voluMetriC Spot liGhtS

Volume lighting works great with spot lights. A spot light

is one of the most supported light types for creating volumetric

lighting effects such as god rays or theatre spot lighting. To

make the lighting more realistic, many new render engines have

separate environment controls that can control the noise within

the atmosphere, and allow differential colour between the light

and the volume, which can create some stunning lighting effects

in minutes. •