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Confused: Surface to light source

kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914
edited December 1969 in New Users

So, it started off with a "neon" light on a building that I wanted to glow in a render like a neon light, and now I'm trying to make glowing plants.
So far I've had to use a point light to roughly get the effect I want, but it's not quite it.
I've googled and read pages and they say:

The UberAreaLight is used like a surface shader preset rather than a light. This may seem odd at first, but the UberAreaLight turns any surface into a light and does not create a traditional light in the scene.

In order to apply the UberAreaLight, the steps are the same as applying a Shader Preset:
1. Select the Node in the Scene outline.
2. Select the Material in the Surfaces window.
3. Double-click the UberAreaLight preset.


If I have no items selected, I can find the uber light in the list, but if I have something selected it doesn't show up. Also, searching in the content library doesn't bring up any results, so how am I supposed to do this?

Comments

  • ben98120000ben98120000 Posts: 469
    edited December 1969

    Try searching for "uber" in content library. Or under ds formats - light presets - omnifreaker

  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,412
    edited December 1969

    let me look. the path is there somewhere in the content library.

    As for the settings, there saying the light settings are in the surface tab, not the lighting tab.

    I assume your using Daz Studio? It's what I have.

  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,412
    edited August 2014

    Here is the path.

    1) The object must be selected in the Scene tab.
    2) The object surface must be highlighted in the surface tab.
    3) Then go to the content library, and load the "!UberAreaLightBase.duf"

    I think that is the correct duf in that path. I defer to Szark on this matter.

    His thread, that may have more help.
    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/14536/

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  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,412
    edited August 2014

    Yep, that is the correct one. Just double click it.

    The light settings will be in the surface tab, under the plant's stuff.
    (Edit)
    Starting from the slider labeled "Intensity", aka the brightness of the light.

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  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914
    edited December 1969

    I've tried searching uber, !uber, light, and many other variations but it's not showing up in content library search.

    @zarcondeegrissom
    correct, it's supposed to be a surface material. I could have sworn it was in my materials tab, but now I'm only seeing it in my smart content only if I have nothing in the scene selected. As soon as I select anything in the scene it hides from the smart content :(

  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,412
    edited August 2014

    it is not going to be in the not-so "Smart tab" at times, lol. The smart content will only show stuff explicitly tagged for the thing selected in the scene tab. Don't get me wrong, I love using the smart tab to get stuff loaded into a scene, however it has it's shortcomings.

    This is a "Content Library" tab procedure. I'm doing ALL of this from the "Actors, Wardrobe & Props" thing, not the "Lights & Cameras".
    (EDIT)
    "O" I forgot the "Edit" not the "Presets" in the surface tab thing. I need to redo that pic, lol.

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  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,412
    edited August 2014

    Slight edit to that. hold the control key while double-clicking the Uber Base duf thing.

    Change selected to all in the window.
    (Edit)
    Well that didn't change the odd light behavior. I have no doubt the light is applied to the "Stick ball plant" (Alien Planet 2005), tho when I move the plant, the shadows don't follow.

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  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914
    edited August 2014

    I made my reply before seeing your steps lol I guess it didn't refresh before I started replying.
    Anyway Through some fumbling around, I did manage to find the light area base. Thank you so much for your help. I would have never been able to figure that mess out on my own :)

    *edit*
    The reason for the fumbling around to try and find it was because I had recently gone through and reinstalled all my Daz stuff to new locations as the default location on C: was getting rather full so I moved it all to a different hard drive.

    Post edited by kaotkbliss on
  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    My advice is ALWAYS look in the Content Library no Smart Content and Uber lights will be under Light Presets in the DAZ Studio Format section. If you need help with Area lighting just shout and I will try to help when and where I can. Just remember the object is the light source and the settings will be in the Surfaces Pane. Also applying Area lighting will create an additional object in your scene called Headlamp Blocker this has nothing to do with emitting light at all. It is just there to tell 3Delight there is a light source in the scene and therefore turns off the Headlamp (Preview Light) at render time.

  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914
    edited December 1969

    Usually I'll take a quick look to see if something's in the smart content first, if not then I'll search the content library. And if I know for sure I have something but still have not found it, then I'll manually browse the content library. Some things just won't show up in the content library (I have folders with textures in them but the content library shows the folder as empty) So when I couldn't find it by browsing or searching the content library, I thought it may have been one of those items that just doesn't show up.

    Since I had just recently moved everything around, that made it harder to find as I've not gotten used to the new directories yet.

    All is good now though :) playing with some smoke shaders now :D

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    kaotkbliss said:
    (I have folders with textures in them but the content library shows the folder as empty)

    The Content Library tab will only show D|S files in the D|S Formats section, and only show Poser files in the Poser Formats section. Getting it the wrong way round causes "empty" folders, this might be what you're seeing.

    Or not seeing...

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