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Lights not working

26 REPLIES 26
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Message 1 of 27
wingsofwar
118795 Views, 26 Replies

Lights not working

hi, i can create lights, but they will not light the scene, they just sit there and i can't figure out why.  I've trawled the internet and come up with nothing.  I have tried exposure and Attenuation and it doesn't work.  Also there is a daylight system.

 

Thanks, Kane

26 REPLIES 26
Message 2 of 27
eric.paris
in reply to: wingsofwar

Zip your scene and attach it here, we will take a look.

Message 3 of 27
CAMedeck
in reply to: wingsofwar

What render engine are you using, and are the lights you're placing compatible?  If you are using mental ray to render and adding Standard lights, they don't always work well together.  V-Ray is a little more forgiving, but not perfect.

 

Are they not showing up in the viewport, or at render time, or both?

Chris Medeck
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Message 4 of 27
wingsofwar
in reply to: wingsofwar

Hi, I have included the zip file, it's a walkthrough practice thing and it's too dark inside so i'm trying to get lights inside.

 

 

Yes, i'm using the mental ray renderer and standard lights.  What can i use instead?  And the lights aren't showing up in the viewport or the render.

 

 

 

p.s. I was messsing around last night with lights and they were working fine on another project (it was just six planes that i put together to make a room).

Message 5 of 27
eric.paris
in reply to: wingsofwar

- Switch your lights ON.... 🙂

- adjust your Exposure and the intensity of the lights

- if you begin with lighting i suggest to begin with standard lights, Photometric lights are little bit more complicated

 

I have attached a simple render, nothing fancy, just to show the result after a fast adjustment of those settings.

Message 6 of 27
wingsofwar
in reply to: wingsofwar

hi eric.paris, YOU ARE A GENUIS!!!!!!!!!  I always had the lights in the building off and i never thought to turn them on, i was just trying to add max lights and they weren't working.  Thank you so much!!!!!!!

 

the attachments are after lights and what i was wrestling with before
!

Message 7 of 27
phluitje
in reply to: wingsofwar

So how do you turn the lights ON? Would be nice if you added that to your "solution".

Message 8 of 27
wingsofwar
in reply to: phluitje

Hey Phluitje,

 

Sorry for the delay 🙂  Just select the light (make sure its the light, and not the target) and go to the Modifiers tab, then go down to General Parameters and select 'On'.  Then scroll down that menu to Intensity/Colour/Attenuation and up your intensity, the higher your exposure is, the more you will have to up your intensity, I like to use the unit 'cd'.  I have attached some pictures, hopefully this helps!

 

Kane

Message 9 of 27
Rafael-r
in reply to: wingsofwar

i have the same problem but your solution didnt fix it unfortunatly 😞

 

I just installed 3ds max. Didnt change a thing. Lights are turned on but there is no light.

Message 10 of 27
dean
in reply to: Rafael-r

This is also happening to me!

Message 11 of 27
dean
in reply to: Rafael-r

yes this is also happening to me! if you figure it out let me know
Message 12 of 27
CAMedeck
in reply to: dean

If you are rendering with mental ray or V-Ray and using any sort of Global Illumination solution, you'll need to make sure Exposure Control is enabled and set correctly.  Your scene also needs to be built to a realistic scale, and using Photometric or V-Ray lights, not Standard.  

Chris Medeck
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Message 13 of 27
kenbooz50
in reply to: wingsofwar

hi there, I need a quick answer plz, I started rendering using vray (3dsmax), and I noticed that when I placed the vray light in my scene,they just sit there and produce no light,kindly plz advice me ..thanks
Message 14 of 27
wingsofwar
in reply to: kenbooz50

Sorry, I don't use vray, but check your exposure, make sure it's not set to something stupid like 30, I typically have one set at about 15, sometimes less. Then select the light and go into the modify panel and look for anything along the lines of turn this light on. If there's nothing like that, go to the brightness section in the modify stack, and keep turning it up until you have light.

I'm sorry if this doesn't work, as I said, I don't use vray.

All the best, Kane
Message 15 of 27
gullahh
in reply to: wingsofwar

Hi,

 

I just downloaded 3ds max 2017 and I tried using the standard and photometric lights as well but nothing works. I know for sure their on. I even downloaded the Vray add on and tried using IES lights but that doesn't work either. The only lights that don't work is the interior but the sun and any exterior lighting work just fine. My main goal is to try to see the interior lighting when I render the outside. I've used 3ds max lights multiple times in the past and I've never came across this problem. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Message 16 of 27
kenbooz50
in reply to: wingsofwar

thanks alot, i found a way around it.
Message 17 of 27
mmarieden
in reply to: gullahh


@gullahh wrote:

Hi,

 

I just downloaded 3ds max 2017 and I tried using the standard and photometric lights as well but nothing works. I know for sure their on. I even downloaded the Vray add on and tried using IES lights but that doesn't work either. The only lights that don't work is the interior but the sun and any exterior lighting work just fine. My main goal is to try to see the interior lighting when I render the outside. I've used 3ds max lights multiple times in the past and I've never came across this problem. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!


This is exactly the same problem I'm having, exactly as you described. 

Message 18 of 27
wingsofwar
in reply to: mmarieden

Hey gullah, try turning up the intensity of the photometric lights to something like 120,000 cd for an exposure of 15, which is the default when you put the daylight system in. If that doesn't work, leave the intensity of the lights high, but set the exposure to 10 and see if your lights are working (Note: at that exposure level your daylight system won't work very well). If they are working go back to exposure 15 and just turn the lights intensity up until it reads.

Sent from my iPad
Message 19 of 27
jatinakhatri
in reply to: CAMedeck

In render setup light is not working, view  port is showing lights perfectly.


@CAMedeck wrote:

What render engine are you using, and are the lights you're placing compatible?  If you are using mental ray to render and adding Standard lights, they don't always work well together.  V-Ray is a little more forgiving, but not perfect.

 

Are they not showing up in the viewport, or at render time, or both?


 

Message 20 of 27
dragonisso
in reply to: wingsofwar

Shift + L      switch on/off light icons

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