Tips

Tricks

Maya

Intermediate:

IES

Lights

Date:

Sep

2008

P a g e

Tip : Converting Normal Maya Lights to IES Lights

One of the most common queries that come to us is of feature from one software to be available inanother software, or at least a work around.This Tip is based on one such query with regards the IES lights. As we well know that this is easilyachievable in 3DS Max since a long time, as a dropdown menu in the light options. Many do not knowthat the same can be done inside Maya as well through Mental Ray.Create an easy scene.What I've created here is a cube, a camera and two lights. I delete one face of the cube so that we can seethe inside of the cube. I put in the metallic car shader on the cube for effect. The lights are placed at equaldistance from the sides of the cube, so that the look of the light will not be affect due to it's distance fromthe object (cube).Render has to be done with Mental Ray, the first render is with default Maya lights.A fully lit up image, with lights and their reflections.

Tips

Tricks

Maya

Intermediate:

IES

Lights

Date:

Sep

2008

P a g e

Now for the IES part.NOTE: Maya does not have any IES files loaded on installation hence the IES data has to be downloadedfrom websites or client specific profiles.I downloaded a huge load of these profiles fromhttp://www.erco.com But for this Tip I used two profiles LTL11041.ies and LTL15772.ies this is only so that the images reflectthe difference in profiles. I also tested (checked) out profile like a Philips as compared to a SylvaniaHowever the effect of difference between the two is too subtle to show with static images. Hence I usedthe other profiles.Anyways,To proceed, select the light.Scroll down to the Mental Ray Section.

Tips

Tricks

Maya

Intermediate:

IES

Lights

Date:

Sep

2008

P a g e

In the Mental Ray>>Custom Shader>>Light ShaderClick on the Material IconThis will bring up the Mental Ray Materials WindowSelect the Mib_light_photometricThis will linkup the photometric values to the light.