====== Light Utilities for V4.0 ======
> **Summary:** //This plug-in adds several light manipulation commands in a new menu to Rhino V4//

=====Background=====

Lights in Rhino do not allow a great deal of control for positioning. These utilities add some commands that you may find useful for this.

There are some for rectangular lights (the plug-in calls them area lights for now) and some for spotlights.

Rectangular lights are the most difficult to use in Rhino so this plug-in lets you make some special ones that have handles and some commands to manipulate the handles. See below.

=====Downloads=====


  * [[http://wiki.mcneel.com/_media/legacy/en/Light_Utilities.zip|Download Rhino Light Utilities]]
Unzip to a convenient location, then drag and drop the Light_Utilities.rhp file onto a Rhino 4.0 window to install it.

===== Commands=====


**AreaLightPlace** 

  * Places a rectangular light with a target point and a source location. Default size is 10 by 10 units but you can enter anything you like (square) and change the size later using //AreaLightResize//.

**AreaLightResize**

  * Select the edge points on a rectangular light created by //AreaLightPlace// to resize the light from the center.

**AreaLightOrient**

  * Select the center point of a light created with //AreaLightPlace// to wobble it around its target point. The light source point is constrained to a sphere.
  * Select an edge point to swivel the light on its axis (center to target point).
  * Select the target point of the light to wobble it around the center of the rectangle.

**AreaLightSlide**

  * Select edge points of a light created with //AreaLightPlace// to slide it in the plane of the light.
  * Select the middle point of the light plane to slide it in and out from the target point on its axis.

<color White> .</color>

The above work only on lights made by the first command, //AreaLightPlace//.

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<color White> .</color>

**SpotlightAngle**

  * Sets the cone angle of one or more spotlights numerically.

**SpotlightPivot**

  * Wobble a spotlight around on its target point without changing the length of the light. The light source location is constrained to a sphere.

**SpotlightSlide**

  * Slide a light in and out along its axis.

**SpotlightTarget**

  * Aligns one or more spotlights to point at a user defined location.

**SpotlightTargetObjects**

  * Aligns one or more spotlights to point at the center of one or more object's bounding box centroid.

=====Comments=====

The AreaLight manipulation tools are very much a prototype and fairly fragile. Please be sure not to delete the points (handles) that are grouped with the lights.

=====Feedback=====

Please email <pascal@mcneel.com> with comments or questions.