Planet Filter's Lighting Tab
Lighting Source Preview Window
The "lighting source" window shows the planet with a line projecting from the planet which represents each specific light source. Below the "lighting source" window is a dropdown box with two choices: All Lights or Selected Light.
All Lights - If "All Lights" is selected, then you will see the lighting of the planet from all of the light sources as well as the casting light beam from the light source.
Selected Light - If you choose "Selected Light" and then select one of the "Lights" below that is checked, you will only see the light from the one light source as well as its light beam. It is easier to set up the separate light sources in this mode and then later choose "All Lights" to see what the combined light sources will look like on your planet.
Defining a Light Source
To define a light source, you must first "check" one of the lights in the list: "Light 1" ...thru..."Light 8". Once checked, a "beam" of light will appear directly above the planet representing the direction of the light source. The default values for each specific light are Tilt = 0, Rotate = 0, and the light source color = "White". To adjust the values for this light source, select it so it is highlighted.
Direction - This is the direction of the light source shining onto the planet. There are two settings: Tilt and Rotation. With both of these settings, you can point to any place on the planet.
Tilt - The range of values is 0 to 360 degrees. This value is similar to the Earth's latitude. It determines where the light source is coming from in a circular pattern from the north pole to the south pole and back again. For instance, if only Tilt were changed, it would work similar to the hand on a clock where 90 degrees would be the same position as 3 o'clock, 180 degrees would be at 6 o'clock, 270 degrees would be at 9 o'clock, and finally 360 degrees would be at 12 o'clock (the same as 0 degrees). Once you have set the "Tilt" of the light source on the planet, you can rotate it around the planet using the "Rotation" setting.
Rotation - The range of values is 0 to 360 degrees. This value is similar to the Earth's longitude. An excellent way to see how this works is to set the Tilt at 90 degrees and then change the Rotation value from 0 to 90, 180, 270, and finally 360. At 90 degrees, the light travels along the planet's midsection, first at the far right, then directly in front, next at the far-left, and finally at the rear of the planet before returning to the far right again. As you can see, the Rotation setting allows the light source to rotate around the planet.
Color - Click on the "Color" button to bring up the Color Dialog Box and define the color for the light selected. The light color chosen will be displayed in the box for the selected light. Click here to view the Color Dialog Box.
Global Properties - Ambient Color...
When the Ambient Color Button is selected, the Color Dialog box is displayed. Click here to view the Color Dialog Box. The color selected will appear in the box next to the Ambient Color Button and will affect the entire planet surface. The Ambient Color is similar to an indirect light source that increases the light to the room but you can't tell where the source is. If this is set to black, then no ambient light will be cast and the dark shadows of the planet will be dark and may even blend in with the darkness of a black background. However, if you want to see a slight outline of the planet, turn the ambient light to a dark gray. This will still keep the planet dark but not as dark as the black background of most space backdrops. The Ambient Color can be defined to be any pre-selected or custom color.
Note: With no light source selected and a "black" Global Ambient light source, the planet will be in total darkness and you won't be able to see it. The light source preview window will appear as a white ball and the planet's preview window should be totally dark.
PREVIEW WINDOW: As you change the different parameters, the preview window is updated so you can see the effect that the changes made to the planet. If you choose "OK", this planet* will be placed in your pre-selected area in your image editor. If no pre-selected area was chosen, it will be centered in your entire image area. The planet can also be placed on a transparent layer.
* The planet created is based on random number generators, so the planet placed on your image may not be exactly the same as in the preview window, but it will be very similar.
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