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The Lights Tab is where you choose which light type you want to decorate with. The bulb spacing can be modified to the users preference from the default.
This tab is also where you can choose the mode for adding lights to the design. "Point to Point" strand is the default and is a simply adding a strand with a starting and ending mouse click. Continuous tracing uses an initial starting point and keeps adding lights until the users cancels the strand.
The "Custom Color Pattern" option allows the user to set up to six alternating colors to use while adding C9,C7 or Minis.
3D Light settings are available to control the effect of 3D ambient and spot lights in projects.
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CONTROL
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NAME
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CONTROL DESCRIPTION
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Bulb Style
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Clicking on the Bulb Style button will pop up the selection menu. Choose from C9,C7,Mini,Icicle,Net, Ambient and Spot lights.
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Bulb Spacing
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Bulb spacing lights have initial default values. You can override these values by clicking the up or down arrows to set your desired bulb spacing.
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3D Options
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3D Bulbs provide a more realistic look but should only be used in moderation due to the memory requirements.
3D Bulbs can be used with C9,C7 and Mini lights. To enable 3D bulbs, click on the 3D Bulb box.
<- 3D Bulbs On
3D Bulbs can be set to look flat or angled by clicking the appropriate radio button. This will only affect new lights added to the project and will not change the appearance of bulbs already in your design.
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Design Options
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C9,C7, Mini and Net lights can be added to your design using the following three methods:
1.) Point to Point Strand:
Click on the design canvas where you want to begin the strand. A bulb will appear at that location on the screen.
A red X will appear in the top right portion of the screen indicating that you have started a strand. You can cancel the strand by clicking the
Move the cursor to the desired end point of the strand and click the design surface a second time.
After you click a second time, the will disappear indicating you have finished the strand. The line between the two mouse clicks will be filled with lights automatically based on your current bulb spacing setting.
Repeat this process to add more strands to your design.
2.) Point to Point Tracing:
This option is the same as option one above with the following exception:
| After starting a strand, each subsequent click on the design canvas will continue to add lights from the last mouse click to the current mouse position. This is called tracing and is useful for decorating borders such as a roof line very rapidly.
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To click on the to end a trace strand
3.) Single Bulb Per Click
With this option, each time you click the design canvas a single bulb will be added to the design at the clicked location. This option takes more time but can provide for a more realistic look.
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Custom Color Pattern
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C9,C7 and Mini bulbs can have a custom color pattern assigned. Two to six colors can be used for the pattern.
To use this option, you MUST select the "Custom Pattern" option from the C9, C7 or Mini Bulb Style menu .
At least two colors are required for a pattern. They are automatically added to the pattern indicated by green check marks.
Up to four additional colors can be added by clicking on the white box below the bulb you want to add to the pattern. You must start from the left most bulb not already in the pattern.
To change the color of a bulb, click on the bulb picture and select the color you desire from the menu.
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3D Light Settings
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3D lighting adds the realistic affect of your holiday lights on the surrounding areas of your design.
To add ambient lights, select Ambient Area Lights from the light selection menu.
You can add up to 8 3D lights per project. The 3D light count is displayed in the 3D settings area of the light tab. ->
Note: 3D lights use a lot of memory. It is recommended that you add them at the end of your design. Doing this will help avoid performance problems during the design phase.
Click on your design where you want to add an ambient light. The sample below shows a new white ambient light being added. The daylight level is set to zero in this case. Therefore, the ambient light is the only true light source on the house image.
Changing the 3D Light Color
Since ambient light is intended to enhance the illumination on the project. Changing the color to match the closest lights will polish the effect. Click the color swatch in the ambient light settings section of the light tab. Once you have clicked the color swatch, a color selector will be displayed. Mouse down over the color swatch. Mouse up when you are over the desired color. In this scenario, we have chosen red to match the closest light color.
The ambient light is now red. Using only one ambient light we can have coverage over a large area.
Below is a sample of three ambient lights with different colors. Without the ambient lights off the house would be totally dark.
3D lights can be powered on and off from the rest of the lights in your design using the power button in the 3D Light settings section of the light tab.
<- 3D lighting power is on
<- 3D lighting power is off
LOCATING AMBIENT LIGHTS
Ambient light locations are invisible. If you can't remember where you put them, click on the reveal button and the locations will be shown. When you mouse over an ambient light it will become visible and can be clicked and dragged to your desired location.
3D LIGHT BRIGHTNESS
You can change the brightness of each 3D light to meet your desired effect. The red light below is from a single red ambient light using an extreme brightness level.
SPOT LIGHTS
3D Spot lights act like flood lights which add a wash of directional color.
To add spot lights, select Spot Lights from the light selection menu.
Use the sliders to modify the rotation and spot angle. You can also change the brightness, color and size of spot lights. There is a limit of 8 3D lights per project.
TIP: Use the mouse wheel to rotate the spot light up and down. Hold the shift key down and the mouse wheel rotates the spot light left and right.
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Trim Nets
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Use the Trim Net Lights buttons to set the height of the net.
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