Virtual Light Lab: Help...

Table of Contents

  1. To change the display settings of your computer...
  2. To move a light...
  3. To add a light...
  4. To color a light...
  5. To add a pattern (gobo) to a light...
  6. To clear a pattern from a light...
  7. To change the intensity of a lamp...
  8. To create a group of lights...
  9. To show the light beams...
  10. To get information on a light (beam angle, height, plan distance, front angle, elevation angle)...
  11. To change the backdrop to ...
  12. To change the subject to...
  13. To change the color of the subject...
  14. To magnify the look...
  15. To mask the lights and mounting positions...
  16. To save Virtual Light Lab files...
  17. To save a look to a document file...

To change the display settings...

  1. Go to the Desktop
  2. Click the right mouse button
  3. Click on Properties | Settings
  4. Change the Color Palette to 65536 colors
  5. Test the changed settings, if the changed settings work,
  6. Click on OK

To move a light...

  1. Click on the light
  2. Drag it to the new position

To add a light...

  1. Drag a lamp from instrument storage to one of the 49 positions on the light grid,
  2. Or...
    Hold the Control Key and double click on the grid position where you would like to hang a lamp

To color a light...

  1. Drag a color from the gel storage area to the light,
    Or...
    1. Click on the light
    2. Enter the color code (letter + number) at the Keyboard
    3. Press Enter
    Or...
    1. Click on the light
    2. Double click on the color in the gel box

To add a pattern (or gobo) to a light...

  1. Drag a gobo from the gobo storage area to the light

To clear a pattern from a light...

  1. Drag the pattern from the light to the gobo storage area

To change the intensity of a lamp,...

  1. Click on the light
  2. Use the Intensity (left) Scroll Bar to brighten, or dim the lamp,
    Or...
    Enter the intensity (1 to F) at the Keyboard. (7 = 70%)

To create a group of lights...

  1. Hold the Shift Key and click on each lamps you want to include in the group
  2. Once a group has been created, the color and intensity of all instruments within that group can be controlled as a unit.
    For example: Create a group, enter R34 ( plus Enter) at the Keyboard, and all lamps in the group will be gelled in Roscolux 34: Flesh Pink

To show the light beams...

  1. On the Menu Bar click on Lights | Beams:
    Keyboard: Alt+L, B
    Or...
    Enter Ctrl + B
  2. To Clear: On the Menu Bar click on Lights | Beams

To get information on a light...

beam angle, height, plan distance, front angle, elevation angle...
  1. Click on the light
  2. On the Menu Bar click on Lights | Get Info;
    Keyboard: Alt+L, I
    Or...
    Enter Ctrl + I
  3. To clear Info, click anywhere on the screen.

To change the backdrop to....

  1. White Cyc: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | White Cyc;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, W
  2. Blue Skydrop: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Blue Cyc;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, B
  3. Colors Drop: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Colors Drop;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, C
  4. Custrom Drop: Load an image into the Clip Borad, Then
    On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Custom Drop;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, U

To change the subject to...

  1. Figure: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Figure;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, F
  2. Face: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Face;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, A
  3. Sphere: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Sphere;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, S
  4. Shapes: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Shapes;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, H
  5. Clear Stage: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Clear Stage;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, L

To change the color of the subject...

  1. Click on the Brush Icon, or On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Paint;
    Keyboard: Alt+S, P
  2. Create, or select a color
  3. Click on OK

To magnify the look...

  1. On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Magnify:
    Keyboard: Alt+S, M
    Or...
    Enter Ctrl + M
  2. To return to normal size: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Magnify

To mask the lights and mounting positions...

  1. On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Masking:
    Keyboard: Alt+S, K
  2. To clear the masking: On the Menu Bar click on Stage | Masking:
    Keyboard: Alt+S, K

To save Virtual Light Lab files...

  1. To save a look to VLL's memory...
    1. On the Menu Bar click on Looks | Record
      Keyboard: Alt+K, R
    2. Click on Record 1 to save the look as Display 1.
      You can record up to nine different looks.

  2. To recall the first look...
    1. On the Menu Bar click on Look | Display 1
      Keyboard: Alt+K, 1

  3. To save the created looks and the lighting layout for future use...
    1. On the Menu Bar click on File | Save As
      Keyboard: Alt+F, A
    2. Enter a new file name (Newfile.vll) in the Save As dialogue box.
    3. Click on Save
      Keyboard: S.

To save a look to a document file...

  1. Load WordPad (or other the word processor program)
  2. Load Virtual Light Lab
  3. Create the look
  4. Click on the camera icon
  5. Maxamize the word processor program by clicking on its icon on the TaskBar
  6. Paste (Edit | Paste or Ctrl + V) the look into the document
  7. Save the document

E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at wildl@northern.edu.
Created: September 1999
Last updated: November 17, 2004
Copyright © 1999-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University , Aberdeen, SD