Created recessed downlights

[ivanjay]

I am modeling an interior shot in which we are replacing all of the finishes and fabrication within a cafeteria. I need to model recessed downlights. I am planning on making the recessed fixture but do not want to have to subtract from the ceiling to put the lights in case they end up changing this down the road. if they did that I would have to fill in 30 holes afterwords.

 

Is there a way to create a link between the light fixture and ceiling similar to a door/wall so it automatically creates the opening?

[erickdt]

It wouldn't be linked but you could make a cieling tile texture that was transparent where the lights were. They all appear to be in the same place and even if they weren't you could move your holes with the UVW map gizmo.

 

Just an idea...

 

E

[Cyberstyle]

I rarely worry about cutting the light fixture into the ceiling.

The fixture(s) I modelled up are designed to sit flush on the surface,

appear and render the same as if I did model the entire fixture and cut them in,

and can be moved, changed or deleted without any modifications to the ceiling.

or/

 

Use the Pro Boolean modifier and cut in your openings with some cylinders(or a copy/instance of the fixtures geometry).

If you do that you can always extract a copy of the ceiling without the holes or extract or move or delete the cylinders etc...

or/

 

Before you go cutting any holes in, make a clone of the ceiling then hide it from both the viewport and rendering. If you need the uncut ceiling back it's already there.

 

You have many choices. There is no need to have to fill in 30 holes in the ceiling without it taking 10 seconds to do.

[-MerlyN-]

just keep a hidden copy of the uncut ceiling.

[azeta3d]

When u place recessed lights on a ceiling the only thing i do is to create a cilinder (about 1cm, that would be the visible part of the light), convert it to edit poly, do an 1 cm inster on the bottom face and the extrude that fae about 7mm. Then just apply a material (aluminium, chrome, what ever) to the outer ring and a vraylightmtl to the extruded face. If you dont need to do a close up to the lights they will llok just as they are in the picture. No need of boolean or any othe command affecting the ceiling. Hope it helps you! cheers!

[ivanjay]

Thanks all, great suggestions. I think that this all helps!