# VectorWorks 12 Spotlight



## LX-88 (Dec 7, 2005)

I saw mention to turning light on and off as well as easier focusing (or something close to that). Does that mean that when I do a plot in Spotlight, I dont need to DO THE PLOT AGAIN in renderworks to render it?

Or if i missing a key feature or easy way of going from plot to rendering in VectorWorks 11.5 let me know.

Thanks for your help.


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## change1211 (Dec 13, 2005)

I've worked with Vectorworks before I don't think that you would need to re-do it. Is there no way to render it in Spotlight?


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## squigish (Mar 31, 2007)

LX-88 said:


> I saw mention to turning light on and off as well as easier focusing (or something close to that). Does that mean that when I do a plot in Spotlight, I dont need to DO THE PLOT AGAIN in renderworks to render it?



I've worked with both VW11.5 and VW 12. Rendering in VW12 is very easy, it consists of creating your plot in spotlight, assigning it a focus point, and telling spotlight to "turn it on" this then automatically creates a vectorlight in the same position, focused on the same point, with the same beam and field angles as in VW12. I haven't played extensively with rendering in vw11.5, really only one project before I got 12, but the only way I found to do rendering there was essentially to redo the whole plot in renderworks, creating my own vectorlights, assinging them beam and field angles, and figuring out an azimuth/altitude orientation.

There are a couple of other improvements in 12, such as a different way of dealing with multiple 3d layers, which I haven't completely figured out yet ("align layer views" has been replaced with "link layers", which functions differently), and a more intuitive user interface, especially with the mouse wheel. 

On a slightly different note, who else hates the dongle with a fiery passion?


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## Footer (Mar 31, 2007)

squigish said:


> On a slightly different note, who else hates the dongle with a fiery passion?



Talk to Wyg users, at least you are not paying 4 grand for your dongle, and if you lose it, your up **** creek.


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## icewolf08 (Mar 31, 2007)

VW 12 Spotlight should come with Renderworks. Basically Renderworks just hangs out in the background and when you want something rendered it does it's job. You shouldn't need to re draw anything.

EDIT: And with VW you shouldn't need a dongle unless you are using the Educational or "B" version of the software.


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## squigish (Mar 31, 2007)

icewolf08 said:


> VW 12 Spotlight should come with Renderworks. Basically Renderworks just hangs out in the background and when you want something rendered it does it's job. You shouldn't need to re draw anything.
> EDIT: And with VW you shouldn't need a dongle unless you are using the Educational or "B" version of the software.


I'm a student, so I have the educational version.

I think what LX-88 was talking about was the need to create separate vectorlights in VW11.5 in order for the rendered set to be properly lit, which VW12 still does, just silently.


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