I have a sign on a model, in real life it could be lit from within, with fluorescent lamps. Lit from outside with fluorescent lamps shining on it.
Here is what I tried so far, an 8' fluorescent ies from below, and above. I get bright spots that look like point lights 8 ft apart, not right.
I tired a emitter material on the surface of the sign, long render time. I tried a lampshade material (which I really do not know how to use) long render time no light. Subsurface scattering (wax) no light output. I really need a fast simple solution. Along the same lines perhaps some pointers on using long lamps and ies. The 2x4 troffers I used inside this same model look great, using the twilight light components.
I will keep trying things on my own but some ideas would be of great help.
Need to light a sign
Re: Need to light a sign
Please show us some visuals of what you did... or better, share the model. Also, a visual of what the result are you expecting can help.
ARTIST AND DESIGNER DEREI.UK
Re: Need to light a sign
First version with IES file from an 8' fluor fixture. Perhaps is it the position on the ies light, that is giving me trouble.
- Attachments
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- signwall.skp
- (264.2 KiB) Downloaded 565 times
Re: Need to light a sign
This is what I did using a fluorescent tube.
Try to think as in real life. If you want to use spot lights (or IES), consider to put it at the end of a metallic arm which will keep the light at a distance from wall and oriented trough the wall. It can be positioned above or under the sign. Because putting a light so close to the wall will cast burning lights to the wall and will lit the sign only from below. So it's no way to have the light reflected from the face of the sign.
Also, consider a ambient light... even in the darkest night, there is a small ambient lighting (stars, moon, city lights)...
Try to think as in real life. If you want to use spot lights (or IES), consider to put it at the end of a metallic arm which will keep the light at a distance from wall and oriented trough the wall. It can be positioned above or under the sign. Because putting a light so close to the wall will cast burning lights to the wall and will lit the sign only from below. So it's no way to have the light reflected from the face of the sign.
Also, consider a ambient light... even in the darkest night, there is a small ambient lighting (stars, moon, city lights)...
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- no ambient light
- 2012-02-24_191517.png (316.1 KiB) Viewed 11727 times
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- with small ambient light
- 2012-02-24_192102.png (523.12 KiB) Viewed 11730 times
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- signwall.skp
- the scene, changed
- (269.65 KiB) Downloaded 567 times
ARTIST AND DESIGNER DEREI.UK
Re: Need to light a sign
Fastest rendering with Easy 1-7 (even works with 8) is to paint the front face of the letters with a unique material/color and set that material to be an emitter, but change the emitter type from "Normal" to be "Fake".
In real life, that sign would not be sufficiently lit with a fluorescent light under it as built in the example model supplied above. Normally several spot lights are hung out from the wall to shine back onto the face of the letters. In that case, start with a spot light provided in the free Twilight Ligh Components and adjust as needed. turning on Physical Sky and setting it to intensity of .25 is a good quick evening sky setting.
In real life, that sign would not be sufficiently lit with a fluorescent light under it as built in the example model supplied above. Normally several spot lights are hung out from the wall to shine back onto the face of the letters. In that case, start with a spot light provided in the free Twilight Ligh Components and adjust as needed. turning on Physical Sky and setting it to intensity of .25 is a good quick evening sky setting.
Re: Need to light a sign
I ended up using two IES based facade floods on the sign area, and added two more of the same on each outside edge of the building for a better balanced look. Not perfect but it looks OK. I will try your approach as well.
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Re: Need to light a sign
if the sign is 3D, lighting it from underneath will produce unwanted shadows
here is a quicky using fake emitters on the signage, and another invisible fake emitter sitting in front of the sign
here is a quicky using fake emitters on the signage, and another invisible fake emitter sitting in front of the sign
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- TW Screenshot.JPG (76.62 KiB) Viewed 11705 times
Re: Need to light a sign
Fake emitters are only fake if rendered with Easy 1-7
They actually emit light in Easy 9 or 10 (MLT or MLT/BiPT in Kerkythea)
This is not a problem of any kind, but it should just be understood that if a fake emitter is applied to something with a lot of triangles (like these text signs) then in Easy9 or 10, they become 100s of lights, and may effect render times accordingly.
They actually emit light in Easy 9 or 10 (MLT or MLT/BiPT in Kerkythea)
This is not a problem of any kind, but it should just be understood that if a fake emitter is applied to something with a lot of triangles (like these text signs) then in Easy9 or 10, they become 100s of lights, and may effect render times accordingly.
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