Light Wrangler
Documentation

Installation

1. Download: Acquire the .zip file provided with your purchase. Do not extract the archive.
2. Installation: Open Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install, then navigate to and select the downloaded .zip file.
3. Activation: Find the add-on in the list and check the box next to its name to activate it.

Configuration Settings

Access the settings for Light Wrangler by navigating to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, then locate and select "Light Wrangler".

Initial Light Settings

• Initial Distance: Default distance from surface for new lights.
• Initial Size: Default size for area lights.
• Initial Power: Default power for new lights (except Sun lights).
• Initial Light Temperature: Set the initial color temperature of the light. Set to 0 to disable and use plain RGB emission.

Light Behavior

• Auto-Adjust Light Power: Automatically adjusts light power to maintain consistent illumination when changing size, distance, or angle.
• Light Visibility by Selection: Light visibility to the camera toggles with selection: visible when selected, not visible when unselected. Only works when real-time compositor is off.
• Edit Mode Positioning: Set positioning state when entering adjustment mode.
• Orbit Sensitivity: Sensitivity of orbit mode.

Viewport Settings

• Hide Viewport Overlays: Toggle to enable or disable viewport overlays hiding.

Experimental Features

• Organize Lights (Beta): Automatically place new lights into a specific 'Lights' collection and rename them to reflect their light mode.

Custom Light Assets

• HDRI Folders: Path to the directory where custom HDRIs are stored (up to 3).
• Gobo Folders: Path to the directory where custom Gobos are stored (up to 3).
• IES Folders: Path to the directory where custom IES profiles and previews are stored.
• Custom IES Requirement: Both IES folders must be set for custom IES to work.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Add Light: F9
• Rotate HDRI: Right Mouse
• Adjust Light: Tab

Usage Guide

Adding a Light

• Right-click and navigate to Light Operations > Add Light.
• Use the F9 hotkey.

Real-Time Adjustments

• Power: Adjust with the Mouse Wheel or two-finger scroll on a touchpad.
• Size: Use Shift + Mouse Wheel or Shift + two-finger scroll on a touchpad.
• Proximity: Modify with Alt + Mouse Wheel or Alt + two-finger scroll on a touchpad to adjust the light's closeness to the object.
• Spread: Alter with Ctrl + Mouse Wheel or Ctrl + two-finger scroll on a touchpad.
• False Color Mode: Press F to toggle between the current view transform and False Color mode during light positioning.
• Light Direction Inversion: Press I to invert the light direction relative to the hit point.
• HDRI Rotation: Use Alt + Right Mouse Drag to rotate world HDRIs and dome objects directly in the viewport.

Toggle Light Positioning Modes

• In the active light placement mode, press 1, 2, or 3 to select Reflect, Orbit, or Direct modes, respectively.
• Alternatively, use the Space key to toggle through these modes.

Adjust Existing Lights

• Select the light, right-click and choose Light Operations > Adjust Light.
• Utilize the Tab hotkey or the Pie Menu (Ctrl + Tab).

Track to Target

• Right-click Light Operations and select "Track to Target".
• Choose to create a new empty for tracking or use an existing object. If multiple lights are selected, all will target the chosen point.

Light Visibility Controls

• Hide Current Light: Press H to toggle hiding the current light.
• Isolate Current Light: Press Shift + H to toggle isolating the current light.

Light Temperature

Cycle through light temperatures with the T key, switching the light from warm, to neutral, to cool.

Light Linking Control

• Press L to add the object under the mouse to the current light's linking collection.
• Press L again to exclude it, and press L a third time to remove it from the collection entirely.
• Use Shift + L to manage shadow linking with the same sequence of actions.

Light Customization

Cycles Renderer Exclusive

Located in the light data tab, the light customization panel offers unique options for each light type:

• Area Light: Choose from default, scrim, HDRI, or gobo.
• Spot Light: Options include default and gobo.
• Point Light: Select between default and IES profiles.

Special Customizations

• Procedural Scrim: Transform an area light into a light scrim effect with adjustable feathering and tilt.
• HDRI Textures: Apply HDRI textures like Octabox, Parabolic Reflector, Umbrella, Fresnel, LED panel, etc.
• Gobos: Use gobos for dynamic shadows in your scene, with some options featuring animation.
• IES Profiles for Point Lights: Accurately replicate real-world lighting patterns with IES light profiles.
• Interactive Scrim Lights Preview: A new interactive preview in the customization panel for Scrim lights.
• Custom GOBO Textures: Option to add custom GOBO texture folders.

HDRI Scene Rendering

Located in the World tab, this feature allows you to render a 360° HDRI image of the current scene with a single click.