in vue I? I don't just mean making the material glow, I mean can a sphere for example become a ceiling light without putting a light inside it. I have an office with lots of lights on the ceilings and I would like to make them light up by just adjusting the material for all in one hit??? Love esther

Not yet - that's something at the top of my wishlist :) You can simulate that however by using radiosity and pointing one or multiple lights at an object and using the bounced lights. There is a discussion on how to do that under the 'lights' section of the Backroom.

Pity - oh well. I think it will be easier for me just to put a vue light into the object. However there are many ceiling objects so it will be hard to place all the lights nicely. Love esther

agiel, for once I disagree with you. There was a topic a while back where someone did this. Back when vue5 was first released. I can't remember who it was or how it was done, but it is possible. I also did some tests with this and it is possible. I made a neon sign that lit the image. Please correct me if I have the wrong end of the stick but I am sure it is possible.

here you go, I found the topic: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?Form.ShowMessage=2009089 Hope that is what you meant. Obviously if you only wanted the lights and not the whole ceiling then a mixed material would be needed etc, but I think it could be possible.

Rich - this is the link I mentionned from the Backroom :) This is only a simulation, as it is using the bouncing lights from radiosity. Vue does not have (yet ? :)) something equivalent to Anything Glows in Carrara, where any surface or object can be transformed into a primary light source.

oops ok, I'll get me coat..... sorry.

just dropping in to say that what you are referring to is usually called "area lights" (or "surface lights") and yes I would love to see that in Vue 6 :-) Although as you said it is now possible to fake it with radiosity But for things like neon lights or tv/cinema screens, area lights would be the easiest way to go.

BTW don't think it's an easy thing to implement. According to experts, it is actually more complicated than radiosity.

Wouldn't it be easier to make your light... add the light to it, group it, then duplicate it? If I'm missing something, just ignore me. On first coffee.

No because I've already got the scene - a large office by iw42d which has ceiling "lights" as a white material. I would liek to make that material emit light to light the scene rather than place a vue light on each light. Love esther

The first commercial 3D animation system i used in 1986 had that feature already. To select surfaces and use them as lights. Was a neat feature, i would love to see that in Vue too.

Actually the problem is now moot (is that the term) as the office comes into vue without a ceiling. this happened in vue pro as well but after I split the object I got the ceiling to appear somehow. I can't seem to do it this time. If I split the object vue I crashes. Anyone else have the modern office by IW43d? There's definitely something weird about this model, as lovely as it is. Love esther