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5.6 Lights

$ \bullet$    [pov:3.7]The Light Source
$ \cdot$        [pov:3.7.1]The Pointlight Source
$ \cdot$        [pov:3.7.2]The Spotlight Source
$ \cdot$        [pov:3.7.3]The Cylindrical Light Source
$ \cdot$        [pov:3.7.4]The Area Light Source
$ \cdot$        [pov:3.7.5]The Ambient Light Source
$ \cdot$        [pov:3.7.6]Light Source Specials

$ \cdot$        [pov:6.5.7]Light Sources
$ \cdot$        [pov:6.5.8]Light Groups

$ \cdot$        [pov:10.1.7]Lights

In order to be able to see the objects discussed in the previous chapter we need some light. This is achieved in Pov-Ray by the light_source statement with syntax: 

LIGHT_SOURCE:
  light_source { V_LOCATION, COLOR [LIGHT_SOURCE_ITEMS] }

LIGHT_SOURCE_ITEMS:
  [LIGHT_TYPE] & [AREA_LIGHT_ITEMS] & [LIGHT_MODIFIERS]

LIGHT_TYPE:
  spotlight [SPOTLIGHT_ITEMS] | 
  cylinder  [SPOTLIGHT_ITEMS]

SPOTLIGHT_ITEMS:
  [radius FLOAT] & [falloff FLOAT] & 
  [tightness FLOAT] & [point_at VECTOR]

AREA_LIGHT_ITEMS:
  area_light AXIS1, AXIS2, SIZE1, SIZE2 [AREA_LIGHT_MODIFIERS]

AREA_LIGHT_MODIFIERS:
  [adaptive INT] & [jitter] & [circular] & [orient]

LIGHT_MODIFIERS:
  [LIGHT_PHOTONS] & 
  [looks_like { OBJECT }] & 
  [TRANSFORMATION...] & 
  [fade_distance FLOAT] & [fade_power FLOAT] & 
  [media_attenuation [BOOL]] &
  [media_interaction [BOOL]] & 
  [shadowless] & 
  [projected_through { OBJECT_IDENTIFIER }] & 
  [parallel [point_at VECTOR]]

LIGHT_PHOTONS:
  photons { LIGHT_PHOTON_ITEMS }

LIGHT_PHOTON_ITEMS:
  [refraction BOOL] & [reflection BOOL] & [area_light]

Light source default values:

  LIGHT_TYPE        : pointlight
  falloff           : 70
  media_interaction : on
  media_attenuation : off
  point_at          : <0,0,0>
  radius            : 70
  tightness         : 10


Subsections
next up previous contents index
Next: 5.6.1 Point Lights Up: 5 Objects Previous: 5.5.4 Difference
Andreas Kriegl 2003-07-23