How do I make tubular lighting? Specifically something like flourescent 
lighting.

The help says I can use an area light to do it, but it doesn't seem to 
be working.

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Might be worth using radiosity, thus create a cylinder with a texture
containing "ambient 1" and turn on radiosity.



"Buddy13" <bud### [at] themappersguildcom> wrote in message
news:40554adc@news.povray.org...
> How do I make tubular lighting? Specifically something like flourescent
> lighting.
>
> The help says I can use an area light to do it, but it doesn't seem to
> be working.

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Buddy13 wrote:

> How do I make tubular lighting? Specifically something like flourescent 
> lighting.
> 
> The help says I can use an area light to do it, but it doesn't seem to 
> be working.

Can you tell a bit more: how is it not working? The docs say:

"To create a linear light just create an area light with one of the 
array dimensions set to 1.".

That should do the trick.

You also have to allways remember that light sources are only light 
sources, they are not visible objects. The docs say:

"The light_source is not really an object. Light sources have no visible 
shape of their own. They are just points or areas which emit light."

So if you want to actually _see_ the light source, you can use the 
looks_like statement with high ambient value or with double_illuminate 
keyword. Or as Felbrigg said: forget the light_source and just use 
radiosity and a high ambient object. The rendering is probably slower 
with that method and gives worse results unless high quality settings 
are used with radiosity.

Severi S.

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"Buddy13" <bud### [at] themappersguildcom> wrote in message
news:40554adc@news.povray.org...
> How do I make tubular lighting? Specifically something
like flourescent
> lighting.


It may be a bit advanced, but one of Jaime Vives Piqueres'
lighting system macros contains a fluorescent light. The
macros can be found here
http://www.ignorancia.org/t_lightsys.php

Cheers,
Ian

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I just noticed, that the flourescent tubes in this office are dim slightly
as they near the middle.  That'll take some texturing.


"Felbrigg" <som### [at] microsoftcom> wrote in message
news:40558339@news.povray.org...
> Might be worth using radiosity, thus create a cylinder with a texture
> containing "ambient 1" and turn on radiosity.
>
>
>
> "Buddy13" <bud### [at] themappersguildcom> wrote in message
> news:40554adc@news.povray.org...
> > How do I make tubular lighting? Specifically something like flourescent
> > lighting.
> >
> > The help says I can use an area light to do it, but it doesn't seem to
> > be working.
>
>

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Felbrigg wrote:
> I just noticed, that the flourescent tubes in this office are dim slightly
> as they near the middle.  That'll take some texturing.
> 
> 
> "Felbrigg" <som### [at] microsoftcom> wrote in message
> news:40558339@news.povray.org...
> 
>>Might be worth using radiosity, thus create a cylinder with a texture
>>containing "ambient 1" and turn on radiosity.
>>
>>
>>
>>"Buddy13" <bud### [at] themappersguildcom> wrote in message
>>news:40554adc@news.povray.org...
>>
>>>How do I make tubular lighting? Specifically something like flourescent
>>>lighting.
>>>
>>>The help says I can use an area light to do it, but it doesn't seem to
>>>be working.
>>
>>
> 
> 
Thanks guys, I'll be trying all those tips out for the next couple days, 
and seeing what works best.

(I'm actually working on a kind of metal case with glass sliding doors, 
with two flourescent tubes inside at the top -- I'm sure you've seen 
them at schools or something... only most don't have lights...)

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