Yukinori Inagaki - Gaki Light Manager Python Script

Gaki Light Manager is a simple and intuitive UI for Maya. It lists all lights in the scene and the user can

access major attributes from the UI.

Screen shot of Gaki Light Manager

Download gakiLightManager.zip

Installing

First, download gakiLightManager.zip from this website and extract it. Then, place gakiLightManager.py

to wherever you want.Then, type

execfile('{filepath}/gakiLightManager.py')

in a python tab of the script editor and execute it. For example, if you copy the script in

"D:/pyScripts/lighting", your command will be execfile('D:/pyScripts/lighting/gakiLightManager.py')

If you want to store this command into your shelf, select and highlight the command, and drag and drop

the command into the shelf where you want to store it.

How to use

This tab buttons are used to switch the gui for light attributes(Figure1)

and for shadow attributes(Figure2).

Figure1

Figure2

Individual controllers

The left check box is used for multiple controllers. Push the T button to

select transform node of the light. Push the S button to select shape

node of the light. The name field of the light is used to change the

name of the light.

If you change a light name not from this field, it causes a bug. So, after

you change a light name, push the Reload List button to prevent the

bug.

Click the color swatch to change the color of the light. The slider is to

change the brightness of the color. The symbol button brings up a

dialog that allows the user to assign a texture map.

The intensity float field and slider are used for changing the intensity of

the light. Again, the user can connect a texture or other node through

the symbol button.

The diffuse check box is used to toggle Emit Diffuse of the light. For an

ambient light this check box is used to toggle Illuminates by Default.

The specular check box is used to toggle Emit Specular of the light.

Click the color swatch to open color chooser to change the shadow

color of the light. The slider is used to change the brightness of the

shadow color. The symbol button brings up a dialog that allows the

user to assign a texture map to the shadow color.

The shadow type option menu allows the user to change the type of

shadow.

The dmap resolution int slider is used to edit the depth map resolution.

of the shadow.

The dmap filter size int slider is used to change the filter size of the

depth map shadow.

The shadow radius, light angle or light radius float slider is used to edit

the blurriness of the raytrace shadow.

The shadow rays int slider is used to edit the number of shadow rays to

adjust the quality of the raytrace shadow.

The ray depth limit int slider is used to change the ray depth limit of the

raytrace shadow.

Multiple controllers

These controllers allow the user to edit an attribute of multiple lights at the same time. Those controls

affect the light attribute if the very left check box of the light on the list is on. Several selection methods

for the check boxes are provided.(More detail in the next chapter)

Color and Intensity

This hue slider shifts the color hue of the light colors. Select the degree of hue and click Apply button to

change the hue of the light colors.

This saturation slider is used to scale the saturation of the light colors. Set scaling percentage by

moving the silder and click Apply button to execute the modification. The value of -100 means scaling

the current value into 0. The value of 100 means scaling up twice the current value.

This intensity slider is used to scale the intensity of the light colors. Set scaling percentage by moving

the silder and click Apply button to execute the modification. The value of -100 means scaling the

current value into 0. The value of 100 means scaling the current value into the twice.

These two buttons are used to toggle Emit Diffuse and Emit specular of the lights.

Shadow

Using this shadow type option box, the user can change the shadow type. Chose the shadow type and

click Apply button to execute.

These controllers are used to edit the dmap resolution of the lights. Select the resolution from the

option box and click Apply button to set the value to dmap resolution of the lights. The Lower button

lowers the dmap resolution into the closest binary number which is lower than the current number. The

Higher button raises the dmap resolution into the closest binary number which is higher than the current

number.

This dmap filter size slider is used to change dmap filter size of the lights. Adjust the number and click

Apply button to set the value to dmap filter size of the lights.

This slider is used to scale the shadow radius(ambient light), light angle(directional light) or light

radius(point light, spot light and volume light) of the lights. Set scaling percentage by moving the silder

and click Apply button to execute the modification. The value of -100 means scaling the current value

into 0. The value of 100 means scaling the current value into the twice.

The shadow rays int slider is used to adjust the number of shadow rays for the raytrace shadow of the

lights.

This ray depth limit slider is used to ajust the number of ray depth limit of the lights.

Check box selection methods for the multiple controllers

Gaki light manager provides several ways to select the check boxes for multiple controllers. The user can

select a method from the option box.

	The Selection method, provides ways to select the check boxes from the lights selection. Check Selected button checks all check boxes of selected lights. Check Unselected button checks all check boxes of unselected lights. Select Checked T button selects transforms nodes of all lights whose check box is on. Select Checked S button selects shape nodes of all lights whose check box is on.
	The Intensity Threshold method, provides ways to select the check boxes according to the value of intensity. Set the threshold of intensity and click Lower or Higher button. The Lower button checks each check box of light's intensity lower than the threshold. The Higher button checks each check box of light's intenisty higher or equal to the threshold.
	The Color Hue Tolerance method, provides the way to select the check boxes by color hue of the light colors. Set the hue with the float slider, set the tolerance and click Check button to select the check boxes of the lights whose light color hue is in tolerance with the selected color hue.
	The Diffuse/Specular method, provides ways to select the check boxes that evaluates emit specular and the emit diffuse of the lihgts. The On button of Diffuse, checks the check boxes of the lights whose emit diffuse are on. The Off button of Diffuse, checks the check boxes of the lights whose diffuse are off. The On button of Specular, checks the check boxes of the lights whose emit specular are on. The Off button of Specular, checks the check boxes of the lights whose emit specular are off. The None button, checks the check boxes of the light whose emit diffuse and emit specular are both off. The Diffuse and Specular button, checks the check boxes of the lights whose emit diffuse and emit specular are both on.
	The Shadow Type method, provides the ways to select the check boxes by the shadow type of the lights. The None button checks the check boxes of the lights which don't create any shadow. The Depth Map button, checks the check boxes of the lights whose shadow type are depth map shadow. The Ray Trace button, checks the check boxes os the lights whose shadow type are raytrace shadow.
	The reload List button is used to refresh the list of lights when the user create or delete a light. The Clear All button turns all the check boxes off. The Select All button checks the all check boxes of lights.

Download gakiLightManager.zip