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[Jose]

Hi. I've started a 3D model for the Amy2005 contest and I think I've got a cool design, problem is this is the 1st time I mess with 3D stuff and I only got Imagine2.0 here. BTW I found Imagine for the Amiga is still being developed!! www.imaginefa.com
Anyway, I found my way around the detail editor but I'm having a bit of a problem getting the lights and camera perspective straight in renders. All my renders seem to be completely dark in surroundings and light is only reflected in the part of the object facing the screen. ... Maybe these are limitations on the 2.0 version ? ....I bet not...

[Reynolds]

Hi,

The options about the lightsources is quite useful in Imagine 2.0. There are a lot of possible options, sadly I can't remember clearly how 'n' where.
For example IIRC the Action Editor can gives a window where you can choose the needed lighsource, but also can use the StageEditor, if I'm right. Sorry, have to check.

Regards,

Reynolds

[Kinster]

Are your objects reflective? Reflective objects will appear dark if you have nothing for them to reflect.

Can you show a screen shot and a render to give a better idea of what the problem may be.

Are the lights points or spots? Spots will need to bet targeted to your focus objects.

[Jose]

Hi. I'm at some formation now and won't have much time. No problem puting up a picture here, what site on the net would you recommend to host the picture ?

Maybe someone could just tell me where the light options are I'm using the detail editor to edit the object and the stage editor to edit the scene but couldn't find any attributes menu for lights or anything like that (on the stage editor). I added the lights with the add lightsource (or something) option on the stage editor... The box appears as shinny silver in the render not that bad... :-)

[Jose]

@Kinster

"Are your objects reflective? Reflective objects will appear dark if you have nothing for them to reflect."

Can't remember (I'm not at home now...), but I think so. I managed to add a light source in the stage editor but need to edit it's properties size etc... Placement seemed to be easy.

"Are the lights points or spots? Spots will need to bet targeted to your focus objects."

Don't know. I just used the stage editor's "add light source" menu option last night...


Maybe just a tutorial on using lights in Imagine would serve my needs. There must be some around...

[Jose]

Here's a cool text on various lighting stuff in Imagine..
http://www.is.kiruna.se/~cjo/faq11/2_47.html :-)

[JaXanim]

@Jose

It's years since I used Imagine, but here's what the v3 manual says about lighting.

'When the stage Editor is first entered, the world is dark. Even after objects have been added to the scene, the world is black. Before you can render a scene using Quick Render or the Project Editor's rendering options, at least one light source must be added to the scene.

Lights are added using the Add submenu of the Objects menu (Add Light Source). Imagine places the Light in the centre of the world. When first added, it appears on screen as a circle with a centre point. You must move it into the required position with the mouse.

The diffuse, or ambient light level can be adjusted through the Ambient Light Control. (This should be set at say 20% as a starter - my comment). You can specify whether a light emits from a point source (i.e. spherically) or in parallel rays, such as a spot light. (sec) Light size and intensity are adjustable. Lights can be coloured and their effects can be made to reduce with distance.

Lights can have a round or rectangular shape and may cast shadows or not (toggle switched). The light's axes give control over direction and width of the rays. You can control lights individually as well as having global control over them all.

Some of the lighting characteristics are set in the Stage Editor and some in the Action Editor.'
_______________

This is very much how LightWave operates. The Ambient Light can be thought of as 'daylight' intensity. It provides you with a variable lighting for areas in shadow cast by the positionable lights

So basically, you need to raise the Ambient Light level to see anything at all. That done, everything will appear pretty dull and flat. To get proper lighting and 3D effects, you must add at least one positionable light and preferably more. Three is typical (Front - somewhere near the Camera, Side - upper left or upper right of Camera and Rim lighting - that's behind a subject to give outline definition).

So that's why you can't see anything. You have to turn on the lights!

Cheers,

JaX

[Kinster]

[/quote]

Can't remember (I'm not at home now...), but I think so. I managed to add a light source in the stage editor but need to edit it's properties size etc... Placement seemed to be easy.

Right. As far as I can recal (I've not used imagine for a long, long time. Years even.) you can't edit a light or objects attributes in the stage editor with Imagine 2.0. You can in v4. You can also edit object attributes in the stage with v4 (or is it 5??) You need to do it via the lights timeline in the action editor.

The default "add light" should IIRC add a white point light with a value 100 (I think you can go above 100 if you wish a very strong light!).

You should try and get a newer version - v5 is old, v2.0 is feckin' ancient

Regards,

Andy K


*edit* www.imagine3d.org is worth a visit.

[Jose]

Right... Thanks all for replies and link. I'll try it again tonight...