Spot Light

The Spot Light provides light that radiates in a cone pattern.

It appears in the scene as a yellow wireframe cone.

Unlike the Point light, you can aim the Spot Light by rotating it.

Spot lights are most effective when they are used to light complex planes (floors, walls).

Here is an experiment that demonstrates the effect of a spot light.

  1. From the main menu select Scene->Clear.
  2. Set the Camera to the default Perspective settings by selecting Camera->Perspective from the main menu.
  3. If the Scene Properties windows in not visible, select Window->Scene Properties from the main menu.
  4. Press the New Object button on the Scene Properties window and select floor.
  5. On the Object Properties window select Complex.
  6. Click on the Material tab in the Object Properties window.
  7. Select the preset material Obsidian.
  8. On the Scene Properties window, click the New Light button and select Spot.
  9. Click the Move button on the toolbar.
  10. Move the light to the into the scene by moving the mouse to the up while pressing the left mouse button. Watch the status bar in the lower left corner of the screen, move the light in until the Z value reaches about 0.000.
  11. Click on the Rotate button on the toolbar.
  12. Rotate the light down by moving the mouse to the left while holding the left mouse button. Watch the status bar in the lower left corner of the screen, move the light in until the Y value reaches about -1.000.
  13. Click on the Spot tab in the Object Properties window.
  14. Move the Cutoff slider right to about 50.
  15. Now smooth out the circle by slowly moving the Exponent slider to the right.