Twilight Render User Forum

Hi All,
Edit by Admin: (for another quick light render time visual comparison, see this Color of Lights / Light Render Speed Comparison.
Some of you might already have seen the tip I gave in Fred's Kitchen "Contest" thread regarding how to make spotlight components and how much it will impact on the render time...

I made some tests, which you can easily reproduce yourself...

In the first image, I've placed a point-light inside the can and an IES just below...
This is by far the fastest render time... (14 minutes using preset #5...) Then I placed a square shaped mesh and applied an Emitter material...
As you can see the render time is almost twice the time... (26 minutes using preset #5...) I then made a circular shape and applied an Emitter material, similar to the square, but already 22 minutes in the render, it had only rendered 30%...
So I just gave up and terminated that one... (30% done after 22 minutes using preset #5...) So placing a point-light inside the spotlight-can will make it render A LOT faster... And IMO it also looks the best...

You can try yourself by downloading the "skippi'es" >>here<<...

what about a fake emitter? I'd try it but i'm at work, no Twilight here. Yet.

Thank goodness for the forum

Painting the inside of the can light with a "Fake Emit" type material, and using a single spot below it is definitely faster... 3x faster than the small point in the can and spot below... however, as soon as you try to render the 'fake' emit in a progressive method, it becomes an actually emitting material... so just be aware of that.

from personal past experience: <<edit - see image in post below for more accurate light render time comparison chart>>
If a point light renders in 10s, a spot renders in 5s.
If a spot renders in 5, and you load an IES file into it, it will be more like 15s
If you use a small emissive triangle instead of an IES or spot, it will render about 15-17s
If you use a rectangle instead of the triangle it will render in 20-30s
If you use the IES Mesh Light Emitter (what?! that even exists in Twilight?!) umm... yes. It will render in about 20s or more (wild guess, I haven't tested that.)

The TWL light components will be out very soon... and there are 3 example cans set to emit light equivalent to different wattages... they have a point and spot as Frederik is showing.

Thanks Frederik and Fletch,
i spent some time with playing with lights today.

Also i think you should put these tricks and tips (not just this one) in the "very handy "Reference" section" of the Manual because here they might not get enough attention if the topics sink....

Thanks, Pg09...

Pg09 wrote:...they might not get enough attention if the topics sink....

We can always make this thread a "Sticky" so that it won't "sink"...
(the problem with "stickies" are that you can end up with a too long list...)

Just a "bump" for this thread... edited first topic to add this link:
Color of Lights / Light Render Speed Comparison

I really enjoyed watching the lights, so nice...