In HDR Light Studio 8 Drop 1 - the LightPaint system has had a major overhaul.
Originally 'LightPaint' controlled only the the light position when clicking and dragging on the 3D model.
This page explains the new expanded system and keyboard shortcuts.
What is The LightPaint System?
LightPaint is a system that let's you control the properties for a selected light with mouse interactions in the Render Views and Canvas. The goal of LightPaint is to make it as easy and fast as possible to adjust and develop the lighting for a shot, without needing to leave the view and adjust sliders in another area of the UI.
How LightPaint works...
LightPaint is the default tool in the Render Views and the Canvas - and its button icon is a 'brush'. At the bottom of the view is a drop-down list where you select the LightPaint mode. This is how the mouse input will change the selected light's properties when interacting with the view. The contents of the drop-down list changes depending on the available settings for the selected lights mapping and content type. The default tool mode for the Render Views and Canvas is Move. This ensures that by default the views behave like older versions of HDR Light Studio, whenre this was the only LightPaint mode.
LightPaint Tool Modes
Move (on Render Views)
This is a key feature in HDR Light Studio - allowing you to precisely position you light by clicking and dragging on the 3D mode.
Move will move the light using the LightPaint method selected in the second drop down to the right.
Reflection: Light is moved to reflect in location clicked on the 3D model.
Illumination: Light is moved normal to the surface location clicked on the 3D model. This will illuminate that location.
Rim: The 3D model is ignored and the light is positioned behind the 3D model either on the HDRI map in the background, or in the case of an area light, aligned to point at the camera at the smart dolly distance.
Move (on Canvas)
Light moves directly to the position where clicked on the Canvas.
Move Rel
Dragging in the Render Views and Canvas will adjust the position of the light relative to the amount of mouse movement and direction of dragging. This is ideal for adjusting the light based on its current position.
Smart Dolly
This is only shown for area lights. Dragging the cursor to the left and right, decreases and increases the smart dolly distance.
Rotate
Dragging the cursor to the left and right, decreases and increases the light rotation.
Please Note: Rotate is not applicable to planar lights, like a background light. Planar lights do not have a rotate property. To rotate a HDRI background, use Move Relative, and lock to the horizontal axis holding keyboard qualifier CTRL. This will change the Latitude of the light and provide the effect of rotating the HDRI map.
Scale
Dragging the mouse to the left and right, proportionally decreases and increases the size of the light.
Free Scale
Dragging the cursor left and right changes the width.
Dragging the cursor up and down changes the height.
You can move the cursor in any direction to change the width and height at the same time.
Brightness
Dragging the cursor to the left and right, decreases and increases the light brightness.
Spread
This is only shown for area lights. Dragging the cursor to the left and right, decreases and increases the area light spread.
Motion Blur
Shown only for lights with Motion Blur filter.
Render Views: Click to position the Motion Blur direction using the LightPaint method selected in the drop down on the right.
Canvas: Click to position the Motion Blur direction on the Canvas.
Scrim Light Position
Shown only for lights with Scrim Light as main content.
Render Views: Click to position the Scrim Light effect using the LightPaint method selected in the drop down to the right.
Canvas: Click to position the Scrim Light effect on the Canvas.
Designed for Keyboard Shortcuts
A faster way to change the LightPaint tool mode, in any UI panel, is to use a keyboard shortcut. These shortcuts are common across all UI panels in HDR Light Studio. These keyboard shortcuts are also used on the Scrim Light content.
To change the mode, move the cursor to the view where you want to change the mode, then press the keyboard shortcut key/s and the mode will change in that view only. There is no need to hold down the key/s, the mode changes and stays in the new mode.
Each tool mode can have additional keyboard qualifier keys that you hold down whilst dragging in the view.
These are:
Horizontal Lock: Shift
Vertical Lock: Ctrl
Fine Adjust (reduces sensitivity of adjustment): Alt
A LightPaint mode per UI panel
The LightPaint mode settings are not global. Each panel has its own LightPaint mode. This can be very useful, for example, you could use the Canvas with Scale mode, and a Render View with Move mode.... between the 2 views you can now move and scale lights - just by using the mouse in those views.
So, when using keyboard shortcuts for LightPaint modes, ensure the cursor is within the panel whose mode you want to change.
Cursors and Overlay Text
Each LightPaint mode has a different cursor, making it easy to know which mode you are in. In addition there is a text overlay giving you useful information about the mode, such as optional keyboard qualifiers for that mode.
When you are dragging in the view to adjust a setting, the overlay text will provide useful information about the adjustment being made. For example, when scaling the light, you see the % change you have made compared to the original value. So it's easy to double or half the size of a light, even without seeing the render catch up and update the view. This is ideal for render views that are not updating fast. You can still make the adjustment knowing the amount of change you made.
