I’m struggling to figure out how to create a light source that resembles the light fixture attached. The Light fixture has a light lens that has a illuminance value to make it appear on. But I would like to be able to use or generate a light source that actually cast shadows. The Spotlight could work if you were able to create a length to it, light you can with the point light. The problem with the point light is that it emits light 360 and I need the light source to act like a directional light aiming downward. If you can exclude objects from lights sources that would solve many issues. Has anyone come up with a solution for these types of lights? Thanks for viewing!
You could build some invisible shadow casting geometry, and use a pointlight. That’s how I’d manage this problem, at least.
Never thought of that. I will certainly give that a try. Thanks, Crow87!
Use a spotlight and then adjust the Length value–spot lights and point lights have a radius and a length setting which can make them into area lights.
Also, if necessary, you can use a mesh with an emissive material as a light–make sure to check the box on the object using that material to cast light with emissive, though it’s slow to render and only affects static objects and you might need to experiment with the intensity in your material.
The problem with adding length to a spotlight, is that it adds the length along the light vector, not perpendicular to it. So wouldn’t be useful in this case (unless there’s a secret way to tell the light which direction the lengthen in)
It might be pointed the wrong direction for spot lights, but for point lights that doesn’t matter
Darthviper, Thanks for the idea. I’ve used the technique where you lengthen the point light in another project and it worked only because the I had the actual light hidden behind floating ceiling panels creating a type of cove ceiling scenario.
It would be nice if Unreal would create other shapes into the lighting options like you see in other rendering packages, like Circular, rectangular, and so on. That would help. That way they could emit light in shapes that would would see in a fluorescent type of lighting situation.
I thought about the other option but I feel like increasing the emissive material would cause other artifacts and issues to the overall lighting situtuation. Something maybe to explore.
Do you have the best way of creating this type of geometry, that would be invisible but has the ability to cast shadows? Thanks!
I’d just model some simple planes/extrusions from the bottom of your light source, like so:
You’ll want to assign a masked material to your shadow geometry with the following setup (also make sure you tick ‘Two Sided’ in your material properties:
What it does is tells lightmass that the geometry is opaque, so that it casts a shadow, but invisible to the camera.