I know when I apply a texture and then change my mind, I can reapply another one and it over-writes it. But does the same thing apply to lighting presets? I can't for the life of me figure out how to do my own lighting in Poser 5, so I depend on ones that I've found free around the net. However, not all are nice so I have to try a few of them before I find one that is "sort of" ok. What I'm wondering is when I do this am I getting a build up of lighting, or is the most current one over-writing the previous lighting applications? If they don't over-write other lights, how do I delete the ones I've applied that I no longer want?

When you add a new set, the previous light set is turned off but is not deleted. Do a search for "ockham" here in free stuff and find his "delete lights" python script (I can't work without it).

You can delete lights very easily. Look at your light panel [usually top left]. You'll see a number of small icons underneath it, these are Light properties, colour, and "delete". Select the light you want to delete then click on the icon that looks like a "bin". You'll get a please confirm delete type message, click ok and it's gone. I had problems with lights when I started and like yourself used preset ones from various sources, they're not ideal though and you can't always get the effect you really want. Now i do all my own and generally what I do is; look at your scene and see how you want to light it then add say a sinlge light and play with it's position, height, type, colour etc. and then add more to get further effects until you're happy with the effect you want. Hope this helps!

Attached Link: http://ockhamsbungalow.com/Python/

I found ockham's free area, but I don't see anything called "Delete Lights". I see "Delete Magnets", but nothing like that for the lights.

I couldn't get a direct link to his free page, but I am resourceful and found the host site link to the files on the site.

Message edited on: 03/13/2005 04:55

The only problem with deleting lights using Poser's light panel is you have to delete each light one at a time. Got a global light set with 25 lights, and that's 25 clicks and deletes. With a python script it's just one click.

Yes I know what you mean SWAMP, it can be a pain. Generally I don't use that many lights in my work so I usually don't need a "python script". I thought it may be easier for Acadia to do it that way to begin with as he may or may not know how to use a script [no offense intended].

"Now i do all my own and generally what I do is; look at your scene and see how you want to light it then add say a sinlge light and play with it's position, height, type, colour etc. and then add more to get further effects until you're happy with the effect you want.
Hope this helps!"

I have no idea how to add lights. I've messed with that little globe and dot thingy and all I end up with is most of my window is pitch black and I don't know how to get it back to normal again so I end up deleting it all and starting from scratch each time. After several dozen failures, I gave up and just use prefabbed lights now. You're right, they they aren't ideal, but it's the only way I seem to be able to apply any type of lighting to the image at all without having 1/2 or 3/4 of the window pitch black.

I look at the globe after applying a prefabbed light and have no idea how they got all those black dots on the globe.

Message edited on: 03/13/2005 05:03

"I thought it may be easier for Acadia to do it that way to begin with as he may or may not know how to use a script [no offense intended]." I'm a girl :) And you're right, I have no idea how to use a script. The most scripting I can do is HTML...and at that it's only being able to read and understand it and tweak here and there. If that delete lights thing isn't just about pressing a button, then I won't bother looking for it. All I know how to do in poser is press buttons and turn dials :)

Acadia, if you want I'll do a quick "tute" for you about how to add a light and how to delete a light. Send me an IM with your E-mail address and i'll try and do it today. It's relatively quick to do and once you know how, you'll be doing it no problem.

Attached Link: http://ockhamsbungalow.com/Python/LightChangers.zip

@ thefixer,No offense taken at all. Sorry I didn't find just the plain "delete lights" script, but here is the Download link for his "light changer" script. It includes the delete light script, From the read me.... Package of four simple scripts. Set all lights to spot, set all to infinite, set all to local, and delete all.(Local is halfway between spot/inf, not avail. from usual commands.) Everybody has their own way of working with lights in Poser. What I prefer is a complex global light set. I use another of ockham's scripts ("light panel") to turn off all their shadows, turn the intensity way down, and adjust the color (bluish for outdoor...red/yellowish for indoor). Then I will add one to three spots with shadows on.

Acadia, No you don't have to do any scripting yourself, it's already done for you. Just open the Python Script panel, click on an empty button and then browse to where you have the script...then just play it back.

LOL, I think by the time I'm ready to move up to Poser 6, they will be releasing Poser 7, hehe There is still about 90% of Poser 5 that I have no idea about. Another question while I have you both here... Sometimes I accidently end up moving my character off the window... or almost all the way off the window. I haven't figured out how that happens. Anyway, How do I get it back to being centered like it was? I've tried using the 3 tools above the window, but sometimes even when the figure looks centered, it renders funny with the feet or head cut off when it wouldn't have otherwise. Also, sometimes when I'm changing a pose from sitting or laying to standing, the body seems to dissect the "floor" or what I take to be the floor (area with a white line around it). I haven't figure out how to get the figure back above that. Tips?

You need to select the "character" or person and make sure "body" is selected then use the "xyz" dials to position it. You could also go to Edit, Restore, Figure, it depends what you want to do.

First question...Edit>Restore>Figure. Second question...."Ctrl D" (that's the shortcut for "drop to floor"...or in your case drop back up to floor).

Sorry...cross post.

Hi Acadia,

Here are 4 tuts about Poser's lights that you might find helpful.

"+ DG#008 Poser's Lights"
"+ DG#025 Spotlights"
"+ DG#059 Poser's Lighting"
"+ DG#060 Fine Tune Spotlights"

cheers,
dr geep
;=]

Oh! Thank you! I saved the pages and will try those and thefixer's tips on adding my own lights. Hopefully I'll be able to get the hang of them :)

;=]

Everything said above about scripts and Dr. Geeps tutorials are excellent, but I would suggest you not proceed to more advanced things until the very very fundamental skill of simply learning the light controls is accomplished. Astonishingly no one said the most important and fundamental solution for this.... Page 158 and following of the Poser5 manual. ::::: Opera :::::

"Page 158 and following of the Poser5 manual."

I read the manual. It's not newbie friendly, and it's a lesson in frustration and higher math. Plus it leaps all over the place and throws you into probably the hardest thing to do, the hair room to make hair, in the very first lesson. My eyes crossed when they started to talk about sine and cosine... I mean sheeesh...all I'm interested in is working the program, not building one, hehe

I'll check out the manual again and see if it makes anymore sense now that I've had some actual hands on experience doing stuff.

Message edited on: 03/13/2005 16:48

well, I did not say read the manual and memorize it. I agree it is not a newbie tutorial manual; it should be thought of as a reference manual, which means that when one is learning a new skill such as lighting, to find the section on lights and you can save yourself a lot of frustration. Everything you need to know about adding a light, deleting a light, changing the color and intensity are given, clearly, on two or three pages. No math! Good luck. ::::: Opera :::::