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Just as you can export a Lightscape solution file (*.ls), you can also import them into 3ds max.
The steps to import a Lightscape solution file into 3ds max include:
To access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog:
Choose File > Import, or, in 3DS VIZ R3, choose Insert > Lightscape .LS.
The Select File to Import dialog displays.
In the Files of type combo box, select Lightscape Solution (*.ls).
Using the Look in: combo box, move to the appropriate directory.
Select the desired Lightscape solution file (*.ls).
The Import Lightscape Solution dialog displays.
You can specify a prefix that will be added to each entity imported from the Lightscape solution file (*.ls). This lets you easily identify and group the Lightscape entities in your 3ds max model.
To specify a prefix:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Enter a prefix in the Object Name Prefix field at the top of the dialog.
The importer places this prefix at the beginning of every Lightscape entity name that you import.
You can add the imported Lightscape entities to the 3ds max scene or replace the entire 3ds max scene with the Lightscape entities.
To choose whether the imported model is added to the scene or replaces the scene:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Check the Replace scene contents check box if you want the imported model to replace the scene contents. Uncheck the check box if you want the imported model to be added to the scene.
You can determine what Lightscape entities to import.
To select the Lightscape entities to import:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Go to the Import section of the dialog.
You can click All if you want to import all of the entities or click None to import none of them, or you can turn on specific entities to import from the Lightscape solution file.
Choose from the following:
The Geometry option imports the Lightscape solution mesh surfaces.
The Radiosity option imports the radiosity mapping component of the Lightscape solution. Keep in mind, however, that since radiosity is actually part of the geometry in Lightscape, the only time you can import just the radiosity is if you have already imported the geometry.
This option is useful if you need to change the radiosity solution without changing the geometry. The importer looks for the geometry in 3ds max and simply re-attaches the recomputed solution (colors and sub-mesh).
The Materials option imports the Lightscape material definitions.
The Fog option imports linear fog. If the Lightscape solution file contains both linear and exponential fog, the importer turns the exponential fog into linear.
Note: If the fog is not turned on in Lightscape, then you cannot import it. If you want to import fog, make sure that you turn the fog on in Lightscape.
The View option creates a camera that duplicates the Original view in Lightscape (Perspective view only).
The Lights option imports Lightscape luminaires. (The Sunlight option imports the sun.) The options in the Lights section of the Import Lightscape Solution dialog specify how the importer imports lights.
The Sunlight option creates a directional spotlight that duplicates the color and direction of the sun. The options in the Lights section of the Import Lightscape Solution dialog specify how the importer imports sunlight.
The Background option imports the current background color in Lightscape. The default background color in both Lightscape and 3ds max is black.
The Layers that are off option lets you determine whether or not to import the objects on Lightscape layers that are off.
When off: The importer ignores the objects on Lightscape layers that are off.
When on: The importer imports the objects on Lightscape layers that are off as hidden objects.
Note: Layers that are on are always imported.
The Keep Original Materials option lets you determine whether or not new 3ds max materials are created from imported Lightscape materials, or existing 3ds max materials are used for Lightscape materials. See Keeping your original 3ds max materials.
When off: A new 3ds max material is create for each Lightscape material imported.
When on: Lightscape materials are matched to 3ds max materials already in the scene. If a Lightscape material was created by exporting a 3ds max material from the scene, the importer will use the 3ds max material in the scene for the Lightscape material.
You can determine whether the importer turns on the lights that you import from a Lightscape solution file. In 3ds max, each light instance is converted into a distinct object. In VIZ R3, you can import lights as Lightscape lights to maintain their photometric properties including intensity, distribution, and color.
To determine how lights are imported:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Go to the Lights section in the dialog.
Choose the following options:
All lights come into 3ds max turned on.
All lights come into 3ds max turned off.
This option determines whether a light is on based on the following rules:
If Store Direct Illumination is on in Lightscape, then lights are off in 3ds max.
If Store Direct Illumination is off in Lightscape, then lights are on in 3ds max.
In 3DS VIZ R3 there are two kinds of lights: Standard lights and Lightscape lights. Enable Make Lightscape Lights determines whether lights are converted into Standard or Lightscape lights in VIZ R3. If Make Lightscape Lights is Off, then lights are converted as described in step 5. If Make Lightscape Lights is On, the lights are converted into Lightscape lights with the following parameters:
Color and color filter are the same as the luminaire color and color filter in Lightscape
The light's distribution (isotropic, spot, or web) is the same as the luminaire's distribution in Lightscape.
Point lights are converted to Free Point lights in VIZ. Area and Linear lights are not currently supported in VIZ. The importer converts area and linear lights to Free Point lights. An area or linear light with an diffuse distribution is converted to a Free Point light with a spotlight distribution in VIZ. An area or linear light with a web distribution is converted to a Free Point light with the same web distribution in VIZ.
Shadows are on if Cast Shadows was on in the Luminaire Processing parameters in Lightscape
Shadows are set to Raytrace Shadows, if Raytrace direct illumination was on in the Luminaire Processing parameters in Lightscape.
If Make Lightscape Lights is turned off, the following parameters determine how lights are converted:
Automatic Intensity Calculation
Automatically calculates the intensity of each 3ds max light based on the intensity of each Lightscape light.
Calculates the intensity of the 3ds max light by dividing the intensity of the Lightscape light by a constant value. When this option is selected you may enter the constant value in candles in the edit control to the right of the radio button. This option is useful when importing a solution generated from a scene. If you used the Maximum Light Intensity Scale when you exported the scene, this option will create lights with the same MAX intensity as the original 3ds max model.
Calculates the intensity of each 3ds max light by matching the brightness of the 3ds max light and the brightness of the Lightscape light at a given distance from the light. This option is useful when importing a solution generated from a scene. If you used the Light Intensity at Distance when you exported the scene, this option will create lights with the same MAX intensity as the original 3ds maxmodel.
The Use Attenuation option lets you determine whether the created 3ds max lights will have range attenuation turned on.
When off: 3ds max lights are will not use range attenuation.
When on: 3ds max lights are will use range attenuation.
Note: The range attenuation limits are always calculated.
The Preserve Spotlight Angles option lets you determine how 3ds max hotspot angles are calculated from Lightscape beam angles.
When off: The 3ds max hotspot angle is set so the spotlight distribution is closer to the Lightscape spotlight distribution. Use this option if you want Lightscape and 3ds max rendering to be similar visually.
When on: The 3ds max hotspot angle is set to the Lightscape beam angle. This may be useful if you are using 3ds max for modeling and Lightscape for rendering.
When importing lights from a Lightscape solution file, you can run into the following:
If a light is turned on in 3ds max and the direct illumination was stored in Lightscape, the effect of the light on the Lightscape objects in 3ds max is doubled. Similarly, if the light is off in 3ds max and the direct illumination was not stored in Lightscape, the surface does not have any direct light and is too dark.
There are several things to consider when deciding whether or not to have Lightscape store the direct illumination or have 3ds max calculate the direct illumination:
Does a 3ds max object that is not part of the Lightscape model, need to be illuminated by light?
If the answer is yes, then 3ds maxneeds to do the lighting calculations for those lights.
Are you using a material effect that needs to be illuminated by a light?
The Lightscape radiosity mapping is only applied to the ambient or diffuse map or color in a material.
Material effects that need 3ds max light may include specular mapping, opacity mapping, etc.
You can group the Lightscape entities that you import.
To group the Lightscape entities that you import:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Go to the Entity Grouping section of the dialog.
Select the grouping that you desire.
Choose one of the following:
Each surface (flat area in Lightscape that you can select) is imported as a distinct entity.
What happens to the Lightscape entities when they are imported into 3ds max without any grouping?
Geometry is imported into 3ds max as "Lightscape Mesh1", " Lightscape Mesh2", "Lightscape Mesh3", etc… The importer appends a number to the end of "Lightscape Mesh" to guarantee uniqueness.
Lights are imported into 3ds max as free spotlight definitions, named in a similar manner to the lights in Lightscape, with a unique number appended to the end of the name.
The current view is imported into 3ds max and named Camera, with a unique number appended to the end of the name.
The All option imports a single, combined entity with no separate groups into 3ds max, named Lightscape Mesh1, Lightscape Mesh2, Lightscape Mesh3, etc. The importer appends a number to the end of "Lightscape Mesh" to guarantee uniqueness.
The By Layer option imports Lightscape entities into 3ds max as objects, and those objects are grouped according to layer. All Lightscape surfaces in a given layer are imported as a single entity. The entity is named the same as the layer with a unique number appended to the end of the name.
The By Material option imports all Lightscape geometry, assigned the same material, into a single object named the same as the material (along with the unique number appended to the end of the name).
In Lightscape, you have materials assigned to surfaces. The importer uses the material names in the Material Palette to generate object names while still maintaining the hierarchy.
The By Material within Layer option imports all surfaces, with the same material and in the same layer, and groups them together.
You can control the brightness and contrast of the image displayed on your monitor. You can also specify the type of radiosity mapping required for your scene (daylight, exterior, or daylight exterior).
Note: In 3DS VIZ R3, you can use the Lightscape Lights parameters rollout to adjust the Radiosity Mapping parameters after you have imported the model. In this rollout, Contrast and Brightness correspond to Contrast and Brightness in the Display panel of the Lightscape File Properties. Daylight corresponds to Daylight in the Lightscape Process Parameters. Exterior is the opposite of Daylight through windows and openings only in the Lightscape Process Parameters.
To set the radiosity mapping values:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Go to the Radiosity Mapping section of the dialog.
Enter a value in the Brightness input field.
The Brightness input field controls the brightness of the displayed image on your monitor. This setting does not affect the actual lighting levels in the model. Normal values range between 30 and 60.
By default, the value in this field is the value that displays in the Brightness input field of the Lightscape Document Properties dialog ( Edit>Properties, Display tab).
Enter a value in the Contrast input field.
The Contrast input field controls the contrast between light and dark regions in the model. Normal values range between 30 and 50.
By default, the value in this field is the value that displays in the Contrast input field of the Lightscape Document Properties dialog (File | Properties, Display tab).
Turn on or off the Daylight checkbox.
Turn on this option for models of interiors in which you want natural lighting included in the calculation.
To make sure that Lightscape includes natural lighting in the radiosity simulation:
a. Choose Process > Process Parameters.
b. In the Process Parameters dialog, turn on Daylight (sunlight + skylight) and turn off Daylight through windows and openings only.
Turn on the Exterior checkbox for models that use exterior daylight in their solution.
To make sure that Lightscape creates an exterior daylight simulation:
a. Choose Process > Process Parameters.
b. In the Process Parameters dialog, turn on Daylight (sunlight + skylight) and turn off Daylight through windows and openings only.
Turn on the Create Exposure Control checkbox, if you want to use the Exposure Control in the Render Environment for converting radiosity values for display. Turn the checkbox off, if you want to use the conversion built into the Lightscape Material. The Exposure Control performs the same function as the internal converter, but it is applied to the entire scene, not just the portion with radiosity. If you are working with an existing project from 3ds max 3 you will want to leave this checkbox off, to keep the same rendering that you obtained in 3ds max 3. However for new 3ds max 4 projects, using the Exposure Control will help in matching lighting between the radiosity solution and other objects.
You can import illumination maps and assign them to one of the 3ds max texture map channels. You need to import the model with out the illumination maps, create the illumination maps and then import the illumination maps.
To import illumination maps:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Go to the Illumination Maps section in the dialog.
Check Import Illumination Maps. You probably will want to uncheck all check boxes in the Import group.
Select the action for the importer when illumination maps cannot be assigned using the 3ds max Explicit UVW1 texture coordinates:
Don't assign is not checked and Use second UVW is checked: The illumination map is assigned to the material for the face, and the UVW coordinates for the map are placed in the 3ds max Explicit UVW2 texture coordinates, which the map uses.
Don't assign is not checked and Use second UVW is not checked: The illumination map is assigned to the material for the face, and uses the Explicit UVW1 Coordinates as well as it can.
Don't assign is checked: The illumination maps are not assigned to the material for the face.
To get version information about the Lightscape Solution File Importer:
Access the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Click About.
The About Lightscape LS File Import dialog appears.
This section provides hints and troubleshooting tips on importing Lightscape solution files.
Explanation
Processing direct illumination in Lightscape contributes to the reduction of the final rendering time the scene takes in 3ds max. However, you will not be able to use material effects such as opacity or specular mapping, or cast shadows from animated objects, since the light was already cast in Lightscape.
Solution
Use the luminaire processing functions in Lightscape to:
Store direct and indirect illumination (the default setting) if you don't plan to do opacity or specular mapping or use volumetric lights in 3ds max.
Process only the indirect illumination in the cases where you want to use material mapping such as opacity or specular mapping or cast shadows from animated objects.
Note: You cannot apply an edit mesh modifier to a radiosity mesh. Any geometric changes destroy the radiosity mapping applied to the object.
Explanation
The viewport configuration should have default lighting checked to avoid having the radiosity mesh elements appear black in the scene.
Solution
Make sure that the default viewport lighting is on by performing the following steps in 3ds max:
Explanation
This is caused when you import a double-sided surface from Lightscape. Lightscape explodes a double-sided surface into two back to back surfaces at the same location. Small errors will keep 3ds max from consistently selecting the correct surface, and they appear to intersect one another.
Solution
Do not use double-sided surfaces in Lightscape. You should hide the faces in the mesh that are facing away from you. In Lightscape you can make all surfaces single sided before you initiate your model:
Explanation
This is caused when you import a view that has been scrolled in Lightscape. This positions the focus point of the view away from the center of the window. 3ds max cameras are not able to display a view in this manner.
Solution
Try not to scroll your Lightscape view. In Lightscape you can remove any scroll by:
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