Tapping into the Headlamp's Auto-Brightness

Frinkky

Sometimes, an effect is needed similar to a camera flash. In the early days, I'd just use the camera headlamp. Unfortunately it doesn't have settings to alter the light color/temperature nor geometry shape or size (it does seem to generate a slightly soft shadow so I believe it isn't a point light). What it does have going for it is that it adapts its brightness so as not to over-expose an image when the camera is closer to the subject. At least it seems to...

These days I'll use a mesh or spotlight to mimic the camera flash - but of course it doesn't adapt to proximity so it requires manual adjustment. I'm just wondering, out loud, if it'd be possible to replicate adaptive brightness on a regular light?

Whilst I can work with javascript I wouldn't know where to find out about what parameters/values are exposed in Daz scripting nor what functions are available. I'm presuming the headlamp must have a script somewhere so even if it can't be transferred directly to a proper light, it might be possible to get a value from that script and use that as a multiplier for regular light's brightness/lumen output (eg. parent the light to the camera or similar). Perhaps? Maybe?

I'm just wondering if anyone has done anything like this or if any of the resident Daz scripting wizards might be able to offer any advice on the best place to start?

Any thoughts or suggestions most welcome!

Sevrin

Why not parent a spot to a camera?  Then you can make it do whatever you want.

Richard Haseltine

It should be scriptable - DzCamera has a method to get the headlight http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/object_index/camera_dz and you could then adjust it as desired. You can get the current camera from the 3D View, from the Active Viewport, from the Viewport Manager, from the MainWindow object.

3Diva

Sevrin said:

Why not parent a spot to a camera?  Then you can make it do whatever you want.

I think they're looking to see if there is a way to make a light automatically proximity adaptive (dim when it's closer to the figure and brighten when it's farther from the figure).

Frinkky

Richard Haseltine said:

It should be scriptable - DzCamera has a method to get the headlight http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/object_index/camera_dz and you could then adjust it as desired. You can get the current camera from the 3D View, from the Active Viewport, from the Viewport Manager, from the MainWindow object.

This looks like a good place to start - thanks Richard.

3Diva said:

Sevrin said:

Why not parent a spot to a camera?  Then you can make it do whatever you want.

I think they're looking to see if there is a way to make a light automatically proximity adaptive (dim when it's closer to the figure and brighten when it's farther from the figure).

You got it!

3Diva

Frinkky said:

Richard Haseltine said:

It should be scriptable - DzCamera has a method to get the headlight http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/object_index/camera_dz and you could then adjust it as desired. You can get the current camera from the 3D View, from the Active Viewport, from the Viewport Manager, from the MainWindow object.

This looks like a good place to start - thanks Richard.

3Diva said:

Sevrin said:

Why not parent a spot to a camera?  Then you can make it do whatever you want.

I think they're looking to see if there is a way to make a light automatically proximity adaptive (dim when it's closer to the figure and brighten when it's farther from the figure).

You got it!

If you figure it out, please let us know. That would be a really cool feature to have. :)