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Point, Cone, Softbox, IES, and Projector lights are emitter-based light sources, and are called Emitter Light Types in the following discussion. These types are primarily intended for artificial lighting in interior lighting instruments and exterior night shots. See Emitter Types.
While, the built-in light types are very convenient, they may not be appropriate for some situations. If many emitters with complex geometry or many emitters with the same parameters are needed, use Emitter Materials.
Physical Sky, Sky Dome, and IBL (Image Based Lighting) lights provide global environmental illumination throughout the scene, and are called Environment Light Types. These types are used for daytime exteriors and interiors with significant light penetration. IBL is also commonly used for photo-studio type interiors. See Environment Light.
To create a new light, click on the ‘plus’ icon in the Lights palette. To change it to one of the Maxwell light types, double-click on the name of the light, then adjust the ‘type’ parameter in the resulting dialog. Click on the Maxwell item in the list on the right to edit the Maxwell-specific parameters of the light.
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