Tips & Tricks  Maya Intermediate: IES Lights    Date: 17th Sep 2008 

Tip : Converting Normal Maya Lights to IES Lights

One of the most common queries that come to us is of feature from one software to be available in
another software, or at least a work around.

This Tip is based on one such query with regards the IES lights. As we well know that this is easily
achievable in 3DS Max since a long time, as a dropdown menu in the light options. Many do not know
that the same can be done inside Maya as well through Mental Ray.

Create an easy scene.

What I've created here is a cube, a camera and two lights. I delete one face of the cube so that we can see
the inside of the cube. I put in the metallic car shader on the cube for effect. The lights are placed at equal
distance from the sides of the cube, so that the look of the light will not be affect due to it's distance from
the object (cube).

Render has to be done with Mental Ray, the first render is with default Maya lights.

A fully lit up image, with lights and their reflections.

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 Tips & Tricks  Maya Intermediate: IES Lights    Date: 17th Sep 2008 

Now for the IES part.

NOTE: Maya does not have any IES files loaded on installation hence the IES data has to be downloaded
from websites or client specific profiles.

I downloaded a huge load of these profiles from

http://www.erco.com

But for this Tip I used two profiles LTL11041.ies and LTL15772.ies this is only so that the images reflect
the difference in profiles. I also tested (checked) out profile like a Philips as compared to a Sylvania

However the effect of difference between the two is too subtle to show with static images. Hence I used
the other profiles.

Anyways,
To proceed, select the light.

Scroll down to the Mental Ray Section.

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 Tips & Tricks  Maya Intermediate: IES Lights    Date: 17th Sep 2008 

In the Mental Ray>>Custom Shader>>Light Shader

Click on the Material Icon
This will bring up the Mental Ray Materials Window

Select the Mib_light_photometric

This will linkup the photometric values to the light.

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 Tips & Tricks  Maya Intermediate: IES Lights    Date: 17th Sep 2008 

Since we have out Profile ready with us and want to use those values click on the texture icon of the
Light Profile

Here we can assign the IES file in the Light Profile Attributes.

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 Tips & Tricks  Maya Intermediate: IES Lights    Date: 17th Sep 2008 

The above image is to show both the profiles side by side.

Both_LTL11041.jpg
Above image is with both the lights assigned profile of LTL11041.IES

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 Tips & Tricks  Maya Intermediate: IES Lights    Date: 17th Sep 2008 

Both_LTL15772.jpg
Above image is with both the lights assigned profile of LTL15772.IES
For those who want to see the image of the two sets of similar lights

Digitally signed by Prem

Prem
Moraes
DN: cn=Prem Moraes,
o=Autodesk India Ltd.,
ou=M&E, email=prem.

Moraes moraes@autodesk.com,
c=IN
Date: 2008.09.17
14:25:48 +05'30'
The light on the Left is PH75-132T-120-EB-MB w-PHILIPS LAMP.ies
The light on the Right is PH75-132T-120-EB-MB w-SYLVANIA LAMP.ies

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