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Yeah that is a bug which is fixed but the update is not out yet. The light's main Shader Hitmode switch is not properly setting all surfaces to shader mode as it should.
One is the fix Muon Quark outlined. It sounds strange but adding a solid white image in the opacity slot of a shader causes DS to set that surface to shader hitmode.
The other solution is to flag the face (or any other surfaces that receive shadows from a transmapped surface) and set it to shader hitmode in the Lighting Control settings.
Again, this shouldn't be an issue once the update is out. There was just one bad line of code between where the base hitmode is set and the hitmode code for the lighting control/flagging. This is why Flagging it as shader hitmode works but the main hitmode setting doesn't always work right.
Sorry about the bug :(
Did this update ever come out? I don't think I've seen it in the DIM. I'd really like to get a fix for the shader hit mode problem.
The update is in quality assurance getting the installers built.
It's not QA taking forever or anything... It took me a long time to get it to them. I and others had been thoroughly testing it since there were a lot of internal code changes. Nothing is different on the user end (other than bug fixes and cleanup) but some code and a script were added to allow Shader Mixer made surface shaders to respond to flagging. I'll try to get more information out when it is live.
Hi,
does it mean that this spotlight has a scalable range like the standard linear point light? That is what I need if it is so.
The spot light has squared, linear, infinite and custom falloff modes. The custom falloff is similar, but not quite the same level of control as the Linear Point light's falloff. The DS Linear Point light has Start and End falloff settings whereas the advanced spotlight only has an end setting. In this mode falloff always starts at the light's source.
If you need a spot that has both falloff start and end, just like the DS Linear Point light, then have a look at Omnifreaker's UberSpotlight.
http://www.daz3d.com/uberspot-light-shader-for-daz-studio
Thanks for the note about the update progress.
On another AoA topic: I can't get the AoA Volume Camera to work with point lights or linear point lights. The documentation says it should work. I set the linear point light falloff start to 0 as the documentation hints suggested. I have geometry in the scene. Is there a bug or am I doing something wrong? It works with other lights I've tried.
That is strange! They should be working. What version of DS are you running? I just did a test render in 4.6.0.18 using the volume camera and both types of point lights and they show up. Point lights are fairly dim by default so the effect may not be so noticeable right off the bat unless you the origin of a regular point light is in the camera view, in which case it should be very obvious.
Great news on the lights! Can't wait for the update and the new light.
Thanks.
That is strange! They should be working. What version of DS are you running? I just did a test render in 4.6.0.18 using the volume camera and both types of point lights and they show up. Point lights are fairly dim by default so the effect may not be so noticeable right off the bat unless you the origin of a regular point light is in the camera view, in which case it should be very obvious.
I received your PM and responded with email, but I forgot to tell you that I am using DAZ Studio 4.6.1.39 64 bit on Windows 7 64 bit. I don't want to imply that there is something wrong with the volume camera. I may just have incorrect expectations of what I should see, or I may not have tweaked the settings appropriately, or maybe its a DAZ Studio issue. Thanks for your help to figure it out.
The spot light has squared, linear, infinite and custom falloff modes. The custom falloff is similar, but not quite the same level of control as the Linear Point light's falloff. The DS Linear Point light has Start and End falloff settings whereas the advanced spotlight only has an end setting. In this mode falloff always starts at the light's source.
If you need a spot that has both falloff start and end, just like the DS Linear Point light, then have a look at Omnifreaker's UberSpotlight.
http://www.daz3d.com/uberspot-light-shader-for-daz-studio
well, that is enough, one question, I allways see some grey images renders in the promos. during building/creating a scene it is like allways a colored image, mean not grey shaded, right?
Hi Cosmo. Sorry but I am not understanding your question. Can you post a link to a grey promo image that is causing confusion?
Hi Everyone,
The update for the ambient light is live. There have been a number of small fixes. As far as I can tell, scenes and presets created with the pre-update ambient light should still work fine.
Here is a summery of the update:
Hitmode - Shader
This address an issue where not all surfaces would properly use shader hitmode when the lights base AO Hitmode setting was set to shader. This would cause transmapped surfaces to sometimes cast unusually dark shadows. It was most often noticeable in strange shadows around the eyelashes.
Parameter Limits
All AO sample rate settings now allow for a low of 0 instead 1. This makes it possible to turn off AO, yet have the light still illuminate. This can be used to have shadows turned off for select surfaces when used in conjunction with flagging or for disabling AO during the subsurface pass.
Option for flagging custom surface shaders made in Shader Mixer
An additional script is included (AoA_AddShaderMixerAttributes.dsa) which can be loaded into Shader Mixer as a rendertime script. When this is connected to a Shader Mixer made surface shader it will enable light flagging for any surfaces using that shader. I will be uploading a freebie example shader to my website (or submit a freebie with a tutorial to the DAZ store) so Shader Mixer shader developers can see how to use this feature. I will soon send an update to the Advanced Spotlight which will allow it to also read this script.
Hidden/unused shadow settings and copy/paste
Some changes were made to several files to lock the hidden "Shadow Type (WARNING DO NOT USE)" parameter of the light. This parameter is added automatically by DS but serves no purpose on an ambient light. If changed from the default "None" it causes the light to stop illuminating. The best solution available was to hide and lock it. With it now locked it should help prevent the light from going out when copy and paste is used from a standard DS light which had shadows turned on.
Misc cleanup
The "Flag Surfaces With" drop-down no longer displays several erroneous, non-functioning options which were mistakenly included with the last update.
I've also cleaned up the code a bit removing things such as the hidden Renderizer code which has never been used by the light but was added automatically by DS when the UI script was created. In the initial release I left it in there just in case DAZ had a future feature which would need it. I checked with DAZ and they responded saying that removing it would not cause any negative issues.
My thanks to all of you for your support, and to Xenic at DAZ for working late to get the update live.
Hi Cosmo. Sorry but I am not understanding your question. Can you post a link to a grey promo image that is causing confusion?
Hi and sorry for the late reply, I am a bit...not healthy...got a cough and a rip contusion...a kind of hell. Well, sorry, not meant a promo image but some images here from the thread, can be that this grey shaded images are just to show something. If I create a scene and have texture shaded turned on will I see the normal textures?
Thank you
Hi and sorry for the late reply, I am a bit...not healthy...got a cough and a rip contusion...a kind of hell. Well, sorry, not meant a promo image but some images here from the thread, can be that this grey shaded images are just to show something. If I create a scene and have texture shaded turned on will I see the normal textures?
Sorry to hear that Cosmo. I hope you get to feeling better soon.
Yes, the viewport still shows colored and textured when using the lights. When the ambient light is loaded into the scene it has a similar look in the preview window as the default headlamp. The advanced spotlight preview looks almost the same in the scene as a standard DS light.
Hi and sorry for the late reply, I am a bit...not healthy...got a cough and a rip contusion...a kind of hell. Well, sorry, not meant a promo image but some images here from the thread, can be that this grey shaded images are just to show something. If I create a scene and have texture shaded turned on will I see the normal textures?
Sorry to hear that Cosmo. I hope you get to feeling better soon.
Yes, the viewport still shows colored and textured when using the lights. When the ambient light is loaded into the scene it has a similar look in the preview window as the default headlamp. The advanced spotlight preview looks almost the same in the scene as a standard DS light.
just bought the spot light product and so far I am happy with it. I needed a spotlight with a range I can coose (the simple thing on that light next to all other enovations) but that alone, the adjustable range, worth it :) and soon I will have a first image (one advanced spot with 4 standard linears) and I will upload it here
here it is...just a first test, 4 standard linear point lights for the ceiling lights and one advanced spot for the standlight with 10meter range
okay, have done some tests using the adv spots as point lights...and I am convinced, much faster than the linear point light during rendering, also good is the range value as meters, that is something I can imagine :) also the possibilities for shadow, color, strength and softness I have tested so far gives more space :) good stuff so far :)
okay, you got me :) also bought the ambient light and just do some testrenders and I am convinced, totally until know, for my needs I am totally happy with the advanced spot and ambient light so far :) both are what I needed so much.
test render with one distant light and raytraced shadow, softness 20, bias 0.1, one advanced ambient light with just diffuse and 100Meter range, one advanced spot as pointlight with 90% intensity, grey shadow, strenght 80, softness 20, bias 0.1,range 4 meters (for the front of dixie)
rendertime 10 minutes
...here is one I submitted to the gallery (see link)
http://www.daz3d.com/gallery/#images/16134/
One Advanced Ambient light 80%, full ambient (0.00 radius) Colour: Light Yellow-Orange, (255,229,183), blue (8,51,103) as the AO colour, AO bias 0.05, One Distant Light 60% intensity, Colour Light Yellow-Orange, Raytraced Shadow, Bias: 0.1, Softness: 1.0.
Also used Jepe's SpecialZ for the "God Rays" and a plane primitive with reduced opacity in front of the camera to create a slight haze effect.
Looking great Cosmo and Kyoto!
I'm glad to hear the lights are working out well for you.
They do :) The ambient light is great. The UberEnvironmentLight causes some not so good results on Dixies skin and renders did last much longer than with the Advanced Ambient light. I am very surprised about the short rendertimes even I use the all light I use (advanced spot or others) with raytraced and shadow bias at 0.01. Made a render with 3 Advanced spots and shadow bias at 0.01 and the Advanced ambient light with ao bias at 0.01 and 100 Meter range and the render took not more than 15 minutes, much faster than in earlier times and the result is as good as before or maybe a bit better. Because of the bad results and long rendertimes the UberEnvironmentLight had I have used six distant lights for the ambient light now I can use the advanvced ambient light :)
AAL and Volume Cam
2distant lights-one with raytraced shadows
it`s a steelroom (room by davo at renderotica) with 4 advanced spotlights for ceiling lamps and one advanced ambient light, rendertime 30 minutes.
Just a quick thank you for these lights & the updates, I loving the results I've been getting since I bought the bundle on release, not to mention the the speed of the renders.
Now using these as my main lighting for just about everything, just posted my latest in my gallery here:- http://www.daz3d.com/gallery/#images/16964/
The other two images I have posted also use these lights, if you want to check out my gallery here:- http://www.daz3d.com/gallery/#users/330/
This uses a Single Advanced Spotlight & three Advanced Ambient Lights, one for global illumination (Radius set to Zero), one a local lighting to illuminate the main character & Mech, the last is set as a global specular only light.
I use these for all my renders now. They are fantastic. I also tell everyone I talk to that hasn't, they should invest. :)
This has one ambient about 15% and one Spot using Liner Falloff - Illuminated to 100%
Both are using Alt rates for the hair. The original 2000 x 2000 took about 20 min to render on my machine.
very nice image :)
very nice image :)
Thank you.
Thank you.
well 20 min and that with the fur and the huge scale...would last more than an hour on my machine I guess, just have a lap top :) not a bad one but three years old :(
here is my latest, the motion effect is postwork and a first try, do not know if there is a motion camera for DS. Would be great to have.
One distant and one advanced ambient light used for this.