When a scene is set up with, say 5-6 lights pionted a a character (using "point at"), and I want to replace that character with another , the "point at" lights no longer know where to point as the original character is no longer there. Is there a way to lock lights into position and direction pointed. It takes a long tome to figure out whech ones are pointing where and re-point them. Or is there a quick way to know what character a light is pointed at. Does the hierachy list show this?

I think I saw something about this in another thread. It involved using a primitive box and pointing the light at it, and shrinking the box down to the smallest size you can. There might have been more to it than that, but that's all I remember.

... or just make the box invisible.

I now remember this too. However, if I move my character within the scene this will not cause the lights to follow. Unless I parent the invisible prop to the figure. What will happen with the prop when the figure is replaced? I'll play around a bit and see what happens. Thanks guys.

You will have to re-parent the box to the new figure. ;=]

This could probably be solved via a Python script. Set up a box prop, inside the mesh of the figure, that the user via a select box determines, then parent the lights to it, then make the box invisible, and parent the the figure and box. Via the script, if you changed the figure, you could then run the script again, and it would then set the new parent.

This is purely theorectical, but I don't think it would be too much work. EDIT: Okay, I am trying to work on this now. It may take a little time, so bear with me. I'll let you know when it's done.

Message edited on: 04/02/2006 11:25

Before running the script, create a prop, such as a box prop. This will be the actor you will parent your lights to.

The first drop down box will allow you to choose the figure you want the lights to follow. The second drop down will allow you to choose an actor in the scene to parent the lights to (the box primitive above.)

The script will then run. You will see a Python output box. It will take about half a minute to run. When it is done running, you will see a message telling you how long the script took to run, and the word Done. You can then close that Python window.

The lights will then follow the figure around the scene. The prop you used to parent the lights to will have disappeared. Do not delete the object, as that will break the parenting. Also, do not parent the lights to any of the figure's actors. It's a long list of actors that pops up, but if you set the prop to use to one of the figure's body parts, that part will disappear.

Let me know if there are any problems with the script. Hope this helps!

Holy pythons destro75. I can't believe you went to this trouble. Thank you so much. Hope it works in P5.

Pfeh, twere no trouble t'all ;-) Seriously though, it should work in P5. Please let me know if you run into any problems.