downloed ies file...now what?

[mikeh]

I haven't done an interior in ages (years) and now i have to do one. I downloaded the ies file for one of the lights from the manuf site (they have no prebuilt lights there to download) and am wondering how i go about making a flourescent light fixture from what i have downloaded. (yes the ies file is for their flourescent light). I have the paid for Vray...got it a few months back ...maybe 6 months.
Thanks.
mh

[Morbid Angel]

well for ies you will need a photometric light, and you should be able to load the ies into lights profile...or some operation of that sort. After that the light should emit based on the ies info.

[mikeh]

...or some operation of that sort.


I guess its the "operation" that i am looking for help on. there is no way to load the file into one of the ies lights in max. ...that i can see.
mh

[percydaman]

like morbid said, stick an ies light into your scene, set distribution mode to web, that will give you an option to load an ies file.

[mikeh]

done...and thanks...but now how do i know what type of light a flourescent is...linear, point or area...or does it not make a difference since i have the ies file loaded into the light and that will over ride the settings?
mh

[Morbid Angel]

imo it will override the settings of luminance. What you can control is intensity, color, and if your light is area then the shadows will correspond.
if you think in reallife, every light is area even the smallest ones.

[mikeh]

got it and thanks again...area seems to visually look right.
mh