[messire]

HI all,
been trying to find out how to use the multilight feature using the plug in ( am not using the studio at all...)
Is it any way now, or do we need to wait for the new plug in Juan promised a few days ago...?
thnx
Nils

[pelias]

Just wait for the new version of the plugin - multilight works there on both platforms (Win and OSX).

Pavol

[messire]

if pavol is working on it, then we can expect to be happy thnx!
A tutorial would also be greatly apreciated to understand what to modify in our habits in SU and use the multilight!
( using plug in)

thnx!

[marked001]

if you export and then stop it...you are able to turn on the multilight feature..and then restart the rendering...

[messire]

but how do u manage the lights in SU...? group them? make one component of each set of light? use different layers for them? How does the plug in work with the multilight? What does MR use as one light set with the plug in?
thnx!

[Sheik]

One emitter material creates one emitter object. In multilight rendering you can use the emixer to adjust each lighting object, during and after rendering. The power you have set is 100%, and you can change that from 0-1000%.
Sheik

[Richard]

Just a point to add if you paint all your lights the with the same emitter they will all be under one light. so if you want the option to adjust different lights in the room each will need a separate MXM. you can just clone the first and drag that on to the alternate then adjust level in multi light window while or after rnedering.

[messire]

sheik and richard... you mean if i use XXX.mxm 3 times on three different objects in my SU , it will be considered as 1 emitter? even if they are different light size etc...
If i follow rich's explaination: all i have to do is rename XXX.mxm to XXX1.mxm, XXX2.mxm etc... to keep the same settings but have 3 different emixer possibilities... is that correct.?

I would have loved a possibility to group lights in SU, the grouping deciding which would be lighted together or not... am i dreaming?

thnx for info!
Nils

[Sheik]

sheik and richard... you mean if i use XXX.mxm 3 times on three different objects in my SU , it will be considered as 1 emitter? even if they are different light size etc...
If i follow rich's explaination: all i have to do is rename XXX.mxm to XXX1.mxm, XXX2.mxm etc... to keep the same settings but have 3 different emixer possibilities... is that correct.?

I would have loved a possibility to group lights in SU, the grouping deciding which would be lighted together or not... am i dreaming?

thnx for info!
Nils

That is right. Note that this means the power of the emitter material is divided between all those emitting faces. If you make a copy of the emitter geometry you will have to double the power from the material.
I also think there should be another way to separate the emitters, by grouping would be a nice solution.
Sheik

[Richard]

sheik and richard... you mean if i use XXX.mxm 3 times on three different objects in my SU , it will be considered as 1 emitter? even if they are different light size etc...
If i follow rich's explaination: all i have to do is rename XXX.mxm to XXX1.mxm, XXX2.mxm etc... to keep the same settings but have 3 different emixer possibilities... is that correct.?

I would have loved a possibility to group lights in SU, the grouping deciding which would be lighted together or not... am i dreaming?

thnx for info!
Nils

That is the way to do it, and if you create an SU material named xxx1, xxx2 etc the lights painted with this material will be grouped being under the same emitter / emixer setting. As each emitter mxm is given an emixer adjuster not the emitter instance.

To explain by an example:

OPEN PLAN LIVING AREA

3 DOWN LIGHTS - KITCHEN

4 DOWN LIGHTS - DINING

6 DOWN LIGHTS - LIVING

1. In SKETCHUP create materials KITCHEN LIGHTS, DINING LIGHTS, LIVING LIGHTS,

2. Paint these materials to the surface of the respective light surfaces,

3. In MAXWELL MATERIAL EDITOR create your emitter save and name it KITCHEN LIGHTS, save another renamed copy DINING / LIVING LIGHTS,

When exported and multi light enabled these lights will produce three emitter adjusters, one will adjust the surfaces painted with the emitter KITCHEN LIGHTS, one for DINING etc, achieving exactly what you were after. Unfortunately they wont be labled in the emixer window which is fine for three but in one I just trialled I had 25 working out which is which can be a slow experience made worse by the fact you cant remame them either.

Hope this helps you out mate!

[messire]

many thnx! will try asap!
its a bummer to have to create so many .mxm for the same light quality thu!
Hope they solve this issue, as well as renaming and giving us some freedom in the near future!
hang five dude!

[Richard]

Mate I'm still not sure where you see the issue with the creations of several mxm's, if you need some way to differentiate the lights or to group them I cant really see how the duplication of an MXM to accomplish this is any less simple then creating groups and assigning a different light power.

If you are wanting to make all your lights the same quality just paint them all with one MXM, though you wont then be able to adjust any groups individually. If you want to be able to adjust the groups independantly then paint each group a separate mxm!

I can't see this really needs fixing, you adjust the power of the light via the MXM so I cant see why this isn't the best method for grouping them "By their selected power output"!

[Jake256]

Richard,

Are you getting the appropriate power out of your lights or do you need to crank them up to the power of the sun for them to work. On my mac I still have to turn them way up for them to be visible. I tried messing with scale, but that didn't seem to change things.

The multi light function seems to work fine and lots of adjustments can be made there, but the initial mxm needs to be outrageously over powered.

Also, when I use multi-light with a output larger than 2000 px Maxwell will crash everytime. Ever seen that issue?

Jake

[Richard]

Jake

Mate I'm getting crashing soon as I try and up the resolution full stop, ML or not!

Regarding lights the ones in my scene on the @last forum, which are spread over 150 faces about 6 per forward facing room are set at 50000 watts (just about sun light, ha!)

[messire]

Just wait for the new version of the plugin - multilight works there on both platforms (Win and OSX).

Pavol

hi pavol,

any news for when the new plug in is going to be released...
by the way small feedback: when render is going, and after using the multilight ( pause once then it works) > when i hit the "glare" check box, MR quits without any warning...

nils