8

1144 Chapter 15: Lights and Cameras
Becausethespotlightisalwaysaimedatits
target,youcan’trotateitaboutitslocalXorY
axis. However, you can select and move the
target object as well as the light itself. When you
move either the light or the target, the light’s
orientation changes so it always points at the
target.
Note: Thetarget’sdistancefromthelightdoes
notaffecttheattenuationorbrightnessofthe
light.
To select the target:
The target, displayed as a small square, is often
inthesameareaasobjectsthatyouwantto
illuminate. It can be difficult to select it by clicking.
1. Select the spotlight itself.
2. Right-click the light and choose Select Target
from the upper-left (Tools 1) quadrant of t he
quad menu.
Clicking the line that connects the light and its
target selects both objects. However, region
selection doesn’t recognize the lin k line.
Another way to adjust a spotlight is to use a
Light viewport (page 2–1183) .
To change a viewpor t to a Light view:
1.
Right-click a viewp ort label.
The viewport right-click menu is displayed.
2. Choose Views.
Thenameofeachspotlightordirectionallight
is displayed in the Views list.
3. Choosethenameofthelightyouwant.
Theviewportnowshowsthelight’spointof
view. You can use the
LightViewportControls
(page 3–792)
to adjust the light.
The default keyboard shortcut for switching to
aLightviewportis$.
Interfa ce
When you rename a target spotlight, the target is
automatically renamed to match. For example,
renaming
Light01 to Klieg causes Light01.Target to
become
Klieg.Target . The target’s nam e must have
the extension
.Target .Renamingthetargetobject
doesnotrenamethelightobject.
Fr e e Spo t ligh t
Create panel > Lights > Standard > Free Spot button
Create menu > Standa rd Lights > Free Spotlight
Top: Perspective view of a free spotlight
Bottom: Top view of the same light
A spotlight casts a focused beam of light like a
flashlight, a follow spot in a theater, or a headlight.
Unlike a targeted spotlight, a Free Spot has no