Architectural_Design_with_SketchUp

Architectural Design with SketchUp
Figure 5.54: Our standard scene illuminated with two different IES lights
Recessed Lights
A common feature of contemporary buildings is recessed lights (sometimes called potlights).
These are often a convenient choice in architecture because they do not project below the ceiling
and they create an attractive-looking light cone. The question for us is how to render them.
Assuming that we might want to accomplish this with a simple spotlight, we could just
model the rim of the recessed light and then add a spotlight in its center. When we do this,
we get a rendered result like the one shown in Figure 5.55. Although the light cone looks
appropriate, the light source itself is not visible and the center of the recessed light is not
illuminated. As discussed, we would likely not see the lamp, even in a photograph, due to
overexposure, but the center of the light can should at least be illuminated and appear white.
180
Figure 5.55: “Flat” recessed light without illuminated light source