API: Adding Spot Light

I added a spotlight throught API and it shows up in the tree the settings
are all what I set it is on but yet it doesn't show. If I add one without
API it does show, and when I render the API added one it shows as expected.
Am I missing something.

Corey Scheich

' C:\DOCUME~1\cscheich\LOCALS~1\Temp\swx2844\Macro1.swb - macro recorded on
05/18/04 by cscheich
'
****************************************************************************
**
Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim Part As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim boolstatus As Boolean
Dim longstatus As Long, longwarnings As Long
Dim FeatureData As Object
Dim Feature As Object
Dim Component As Object
Dim LightID As Long
Dim LightProps As Variant
Dim LightProps2 As Variant
Dim NewName As String
Sub main()

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc

LightProps = Part.LightSourcePropertyValues(2)
Part.AddLightSource "CS#1", 2, "Copy of Spot1"

'I tried with and without the next line
NewName = Part.AddLightToScene("Copy of Spot1")

Part.LockLightToModel (Part.GetLightSourceCount), True
Part.LightSourcePropertyValues(Part.GetLightSourceCount) = LightProps

LightProps2 = Part.LightSourcePropertyValues(Part.GetLightSourceCount)


Part.GraphicsRedraw
End Sub

 

I tried the code and got the same thing. I even tried manually adjusting
the settings to match the manually added one. I also tried saving the file
and then reopening it.

 

You know what Evan I think it is working but it only seems to show if you
move it to a location above a round part for some reason a direct on
spotlight doesn't seem to illuminate a flat surface. Except when rendered.
It also seemed to show up better when moved so the cone hits a perpendicular
wall. Should I consider this a bug or what?

Corey

 

Your target and position are exactly the same. This is causing the light
not to work.

If you edit the light's properties and modify it's position, you can see it.

Mike Wilson

 

Mike,

You are correct, but after moving the position of it 300 in the Y it still
didn't shed any light on the flat surface of the model. I believe that
under the light there should be a brighter circle. This shows up only when
rendered. Though if I bounced it off of a perpendicular surface it added a
bit of light to everything, rendered or not. Infact none of my spot lights
seem to be adding light to any flat surface that they shine directly down
on. Yet they show on rounded surfaces and perpendicular surfaces just as I
would expect them to.

Corey

 

After some more testing it seems that if the flat surface with a spot
shining directly on it has any boundry outside the spot light that no light
is shed on it yet if the surface is completely contained within the spot it
is correctly lit. I reported it to my VAR.

Corey

 

I also noticed that your "Cone Angle" was set to "0" and that "Lock to
Model" was disabled. Is there a reason why you don't want your light
locked to the model?

Once you set those, the light works fine.

Mike Wilson

 

What the code does is it creates a new spot light and coppies the
preferences from "Spot1" Which happened to be the third light in the model
here is the line that gets the settings from the third light in the model

LightProps = Part.LightSourcePropertyValues(2)

anyway those are set and the light isn't showing properly. I am going to
send you an mpeg to show you what I am talking about.

Corey

Anyway I later added the lock to model and moved the location.

 

I see! I was able to reproduce the problem without the macro.
I never noticed that before.

Mike Wilson

 

I don't know what priority they will put on it but it has been submitted to
the propper authorities. It would be nice to know where your spot is going
to show up without rendering.

Corey