Autodesk LIGHTSCAPE, Manual

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Introduction
An introduction to Lightscape
and lighting technology.
Lightscape™ is an advanced visualization system for generating accurate
lighting simulations of three-dimensional models.
Summary
In this chapter, you learn about:
•
Lightscape™
• Computer graphics rendering
• Photometry
• Lightscape documentation
About Lightscape
Lightscape™ is an advanced lighting and visualiza-
tion application used to create accurate images of
how a 3D model of a space, or object, would appear
if physically built. Lightscape uses both radiosity
and ray tracing technology as well as a physically
based interface for defining lights and materials.
Lightscape has many unique advantages over other
rendering technologies, including:
• Realism
• Lighting
•
Interactivity
• Progressive refinement.
Realism
Because Lightscape accurately calculates how light
propagates within an environment, you can obtain
subtle but significant lighting effects and produce
images of natural realism not attainable with other
rendering techniques. These effects include indirect
illumination, soft shadowing, and color bleeding
between surfaces.
Physically Based Lighting
Because the technology in Lightscape works with
actual photometric (light energy) values, you can
intuitively set up lights as they would be in the real
world. You can create lighting fixtures with any
distribution and color characteristics or import