Managing lights and cameras with the Visualization palette

The Visualization palette provides fast and easy access to all lights and cameras in a Vectorworks file, including animation path objects. Lights and cameras can be selected, edited, duplicated, created, and deleted. The palette also controls lighting overrides for selected sheet layer viewports, without modifying the lighting on the design layer or in another viewport.

● Editing any light or lights in the file, even lights that are inside a container object or on a different layer

● Managing light and camera objects, including creating, editing, deleting, duplicating, and sorting

● Quickly activating/deactivating a camera or changing the view of a non-active camera

● Turning heliodon objects on or off to conduct sun studies (Vectorworks Design Series required)

The Visualization palette opens. The Visualization palette can remain open while you work in the drawing.

2. The Visualization palette contains two tabs: the Lights tab accesses lights, and the Cameras tab accesses cameras. The lights and cameras can be sorted by clicking in the header of any column.

The Lights tab functions in two different modes depending on whether you are on a design layer or sheet layer.

● On a design layer, the palette lists either all the lights in the file, or just the lights that affect the current view.

● On a sheet layer, the palette lists either all the lights in the file, or just the lights of selected viewports; edits to the selected viewports affect the viewport lighting, creating an override, but this does not affect the associated design layer lighting.

Depending on what action is being performed, different options are available in both the Visualization palette and the Visualization palette menu. To open the Visualization palette menu, click the small triangle at the top right of the palette, or right-click in the palette to open a context menu.

Parameter	Description
Lights tab	The Lights tab accesses the parameters of sheet layer viewports or all lights in the file
Current Scene	Displays only the lights which affect the current view (lights from the current layer and in visible classes)
Selected Viewport(s)	Displays only the lights which affect the currently selected sheet layer viewports; in this mode, lights can be edited to override the lighting of the selected viewports only. (Other Visualization palette light management commands are not available.) Select Revert Override to return the viewport to its original lighting.
All	Lists all the lights in the file
On	Click to toggle the light on or off; a check mark indicates that the light is on
(Cast Shadows)	Click to toggle the ability of the lights to cast shadows on or off; a red “x” indicates that shadows are off
(Override State)	For lights in selected viewports, indicates whether the light has an override. ● Uses design layer definition: the light parameters are the same in both the design layer and the viewports. ● Uses viewport override definition: the light parameters have been edited for the selected viewports, creating a viewport lighting override.
Name	Displays the name of the light (as shown on the Data tab of the Object Info palette)
Type	Indicates the type of light: ● Directional ● Point ● Spot ● Custom ● Area ● Line
(Light Parent)	Indicates whether the light is within a container object; if blank, the light is not part of another object. ● Group: indicates that the light is contained within a group. ● Symbol: indicates that the light is contained within a symbol; each instance is listed in the palette. Edits made directly from the Visualization palette, such as turning lights on and off, affect all symbol instances. (Selecting Visualization > Edit, however, edits the symbol instance properties.) ● Plug-in Object: indicates that the light is contained in a plug-in object, such as a lighting device (Vectorworks Spotlight required) ● Layer Link: indicates that the light is contained within a layer link
Class/Layer	Displays the light’s class and layer
Menu commands	The Visualization palette menu commands manage and select light objects
New	Opens the Create Light dialog box, to create a directional, point, spot, or custom light on the current design layer; see Adding light sources
Edit	Opens the Properties dialog box, to edit the parameters of the currently selected light; when more than one light is selected, only common properties can be edited
Revert Override	Restores the original light parameters for the viewports, when the lights in selected sheet layer viewports have been edited
Duplicate	Copies the currently selected light(s), placing the copy or copies on the same layer and in the same class as the original(s). Lights in symbols or plug-in objects cannot be duplicated.
Delete	Deletes the currently selected light. Lights in symbols or plug-in objects cannot be deleted.
Select On Document	Selects the current light, and automatically centers the view on the light, or its container (alternatively, double-click a light in the Visualization palette, if the light is in the active class or layer.) The light properties can then be edited in the Object Info palette or by clicking Visualization > Edit. The selection and editing of multiple lights at once is supported. If the light is not in the active class or layer, use the Force Select command instead. The Vectorworks Display preference must be set to show lights.
Force Select	If the light is in a different class or layer, activates the layer or class, and automatically centers the view on the light, or its container group or symbol. The light properties can then be edited in the Object Info palette or by clicking Visualization > Edit. Multiple lights cannot be selected by this method.
Cameras tab	The Cameras tab lists the camera objects and animation paths in the drawing for selection, activation, and editing
(Activated Camera)	Click in the column to Activate/Deactivate a camera. The camera can also be activated from the Visualization palette context menu, by double-clicking the camera in the Visualization palette, double-clicking the camera object in the drawing space with the Selection tool, and from the Object Info palette.
Name	Displays the name of the camera (as shown on the Data tab of the Object Info palette)
Class/Layer	Displays the camera’s class and layer
Menu commands	The Visualization palette menu commands manage and select camera objects
New (Renderworks camera only)	Activates the Renderworks Camera tool; click to place a camera object
Edit (camera only)	Opens the Properties dialog box, to edit the parameters of the currently selected camera
Duplicate	Copies the currently selected camera(s), placing the copy or copies on the same layer and in the same class as the original(s)
Delete	Deletes the currently selected camera
Activate Camera (appears when no camera/animation is activated)	For camera objects: Changes the document view to the camera view and displays the active camera viewfinder indicator, links the camera to the current document view so that viewing tools (such as the Flyover and Walkthrough tools) affect the camera, and enables the Renderworks camera effects when rendering in Final Quality Renderworks or Custom Renderworks render modes. For animation paths: Selects the animation path and displays the active camera view. The camera can also be activated by clicking in the Activated Camera column, double-clicking the camera in the Visualization palette, double-clicking the camera object in the drawing space with the Selection tool, and from the Object Info palette.
Deactivate Camera (appears when a camera/animation is activated)	For cameras: Unlinks the camera from the current view so that viewing tools do not affect the camera view, removes the active camera viewfinder indicator, and disables the Renderworks camera effects when rendering in Final Quality Renderworks or Custom Renderworks render modes. The camera can also be deactivated by changing the view so the camera is no longer active (for example by switching to Top/Plan view or changing layer visibilities so that the camera’s layer is no longer active), or by clicking in the Activated Camera column, double-clicking the camera in the Visualization palette, or from the Object Info palette. For animation paths: Unlinks the camera from the current view so that viewing tools do not affect the camera view and removes the active camera viewfinder indicator. Any navigation actions other than editing the keyframes or the settings in the Object Info palette automatically deactivate the live camera view. The same custom 3D view displays, but the link to the animation path object is no longer active.
Match Current View (Renderworks camera only)	With a deactivated Renderworks camera selected, click to reposition the camera so that its view is the current 3D view. Alternatively, click Match Current View from the Object Info palette. The camera’s location and orientation change to match the current view, but other camera parameters remain unchanged.
Select On Document	Selects the current camera, and automatically centers the view on the camera. The camera properties can then be edited in the Object Info palette or by clicking Visualization > Edit. The selection and editing of multiple cameras at once is supported.