Instancing a Light

[SHoutzager]

Hey how can you instance a light in 3.6 so you can control several lights as one? Did not see it in the updated documents.

[Peter.Chaushev]

Hello, Steven,

You can select a light and use commands such as Array, or simply hold Alt and drag the light to make another instance out of it.
It is demonstrated in our V-Ray 3.6 for Rhino feature video at around 1m25s - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAYeZEDrOTk&t=1
Once selected, the Properties' Light tab in Rhino contains 2 new buttons - "Select Instances" and "Make Unique". The Light properties are now also synched with the Asset Editor's Light list.

Mesh Lights can be instanced by placing them in a block and instancing it instead.

Kind regards,
Peter

[michail_ch]

In a related question, can we still adjust many lights simultaneously if we have placed them in a rhino group? (3.4 functionality) or we have to always make instances now? Thanks.

[SHoutzager]

Wow that instancing works well. I can also break a light free of a group.

[konstantin_chaos]

In a related question, can we still adjust many lights simultaneously if we have placed them in a rhino group? (3.4 functionality) or we have to always make instances now? Thanks.

Hi michail_ch,

The 3.4 (group) behavior is controlled by Rhino and will still work.
You don't even have to group lights.
You can just select multiple objects/lights in Rhino and change a property.
If the property is shared Rhino will apply the change to all objects in the selection that have it.

In any case, I would recommend instancing the lights that you'll always want to tweak together.
It's just a very clean solution.

Regards,
Konstantin

[konstantin_chaos]

Wow that instancing works well. I can also break a light free of a group.

Yes, you can click on the Make Unique button in the light properties panel which breaks the instance connection.
If you want to copy a light without making it an instance in the first place you can use:
Ctrl+C > Ctrl+V (the Copy to Clipboard function)

Regards,
Konnstantin