Move lights with camera?

Rhino Rhino for Windows
1

I want to make renderings of my model from different directions, all with decent lighting, though I’m not looking for perfection.

Is it possible to move the camera and lights simultaneously?

The alternative is moving the model. Disadvantages:

  • I would have to move the model back every time I want to make a tweak to it.

  • Maybe there is a danger of introducing numerical errors at vertices by moving the model too much in random directions and back.

2

GROUP the object(s) you wish to stick together, and move them?

If the camera were a selected object, you could group it with the lights.

3

Hi Feklee- the only light that follows the camera is the default one you get if you do not add any lights at all. I imagine it could be scripted, as a separate operation, to transform lights from one named view to another for example, or from a base setup to the current camera.

-Pascal

4

Unfortunately there is no real camera-object in Rhino, thus nothing than can be grouped together with the lights. This has been on the wishlist for a few years.

A possibility would be to make a script that does this, but it would have to be ran each time you would like to update the lights.

Another solution would be to make a displaymode that has custom lights (pointlights) that would follow the camera.

5

Thanks, looks like simply moving the scene is easiest.

6

You can actually turn on a camera widget which then can be grouped, but it isn’t very bullet proof. As soon as you turn off the widget, the grouping is lost.

You have to save at least one view first, then in the NamedViews pallet, select that view and check Show named view widget.

1 Like
7

Thanks Sam, didn’t know that. As you say it is not a robust solution. The camera widget needs an update too, so move works propperly if you snap to the camera or the target. I recall it was very unstable earlier. Mainly suitable for dragging, or being controlled by the gumball.

8

Hi feklee,

Have you tried using Named Positions for the new light locations and then Named Views for the corresponding cameras? Both of these tool sets are available in the Panels drop down menu and I think it might allow you the quick changes you’re looking for without the light and camera grouping.

1 Like
9

Thanks for the suggestion, Brian. This looks like a good solution!

10

What do you mean? So far as I can work out, the camera widget responds to the move command just fine.

11

If I was to add an option that stopped the camera widgets from being turned off by “Escape” - would that work for you?