Projector-Light Image Render

[Anonymous]

Rendered projected image onto a screen/surface - resulting image has dark corners. Would expect crisp edges.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Stephen Scott

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Hello @Anonymous,

Thank you, this does help quite a bit.  I think the best option here if the light has to be located in the current spot is to use overshoot and set each light to only include the screen which it is meant to hit.  I have attached the scene with this setup using a texture that comes with Max and the screen set to 'include' on the light.  Would this work for your purposes?

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Well I like the 'include' idea and can use it when there are isolated screens.

Problem here is that there are 45 projector/light setups in this huge city-block plaza building projection experience.

Using a combination of the script setting for no-falloff and the 'include' feature should get me through.

Thanks again,

Stephen

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

Let me see if I can whip a script up that will turn on overshoot for all your lights and set the falloff to what you want.  You can select all your projector lights and put this in the listener and it'll turn on overshoot for all of them.  Then you just have to deal with the includes.  Sadly we still need to put the 2 numbers in, but only the falloff will end up being used.  Make sure to keep the 2 number difference for the hotspot.  Hopefully this reduces the time needed a bit.  You can change those numbers for any light and do them one at a time if you want.  

for x in objects do
  (
     $.overShoot = True
     $.hotspot = 45
     $.falloff = 47
  )

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

For now I'll stick with what you've given me so far.

I think the "0 -falloff" script exercise will work.

Mostly we will project on the sides of buildings (not dedicated screens (also there will be image blending/overlap)) so I can't exclude much of what will get the overshoot illumination.

If I come up with any specific new questions I'll send 'em.

Thanks for all of your help.

Stephen Scott

Electrosonic

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Sounds good, thanks for the file to view, helps a lot!  

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hello Alfred,

Given the earlier discussion and the script you sent (which works well).

I now need to do this 40 times to projection map an entire building!

Wondering if you can pass on a request to development team to make this functionality available for all Projector Map lights? For example: A toggle / switch within the Modify>Spotlight Parameters or Advanced Effects where "Hotspot=Falloff" for Individual or All lights?

One can dream?

Thanks,

Stephen Scott

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Hello @Anonymous good to see you again!

There are two ways to do that.  I can enter an improvement into the tracking system but since it's not a defect it may not get the right attention.  I'll do it if you want though.  The absolute best way to do this is to put in a Feature Request and then gather support and votes for it.  If you make one there, I'll vote on it if you post the link here.  

However, this is such a simple script that I'd bet a small UI could be made rather easily. Though it wouldn't be integrated, it would be easier to use and you'd get it much faster. One spinner would have a range of .5 to 179.5 with a default setting of 43, and one would have the default at 45.  Each spinner sets a variable to be run by a button that executes the function.  The visual maxscript might even make this easier.

Even if you've never made a script before, I think this would be a good starting project.  Or, you could post in the Programming forum and I'm sure someone could write a script for that function easily.  You just really need to set the variables and execute the function.  Or if you want you could create a new thread and we walk through it together on how to turn this into an actual button that floats.   I'm not a great scripter but I think this is doable.  

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your quick response.

Your ideas are well worth a try though I will need to enlist help since I am a designer and not a programmer.

One glaring issue is that projection systems in most instances require a hard edge to an image. So, there is a "defect" in the 3ds max projection function since it does not do that by default.

Thus I ask if you can escalate the request yourself in addition to any actions I might be able to take?

Thanks,

Stephen Scott

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Sure @Anonymous, I can do that.  I will take care of it right now.  I do suggest the Feature Request as well.

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Here's the feature request.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-ideas/set-spotlight-projector-light-falloff-to-quot-0-quot/id...

Thanks.