through the 'glass darkly'.
 

I have looked for SO long to find out how to do a 'Window' where the light comes through and shines onto the floor.
I came in really early this morning and thought I had found what I was looking for : AND for "free" too.
Kurt Boutilier had a 'give away' turotial about Maya Lighting ( Basics ) so I downloaded a Free copy. And at the end of the 4th Video, he was going to DO exactly what I was looking for.
So: I patiently followed the steps EXACTLY according to his video's Demonstrated 'steps' : But I ran into problems almost immediately.
He used a transparency ... but didn't explain where or how he GOT it. Then he used a Directional Light which worked a charm at showing through the 'Window". My light ( same light ... same settings ) didn't make an IOTA of difference. Am I in the wrong Version of Maya ( I asm using Version 7.0 ) But NOTHING seems able to coax the lights to show up.
Can anyone explain this ?? Please.??

Transparancy on the material for the window?

Thats in the material attribute editor, theres a slider neer the colour attribute that alters the transprancy.

Hi, Gster. Thanks for your quick answer. That's ONE section explained. Now I just have to 'work out' how to make the damned lights turn on... and ( hopefully ) whine through the 'Window'. Even though Kurt says that having the "Transparency" on the plane's geometry would allow the room to 'flood' with light from the 'Directional Light' outside ... my area remains in pitch blackness. At the end of that 'step' Kurt gets his first shadows on the floor at the click of a button as soon as he turns "Maya Software" lighting on and sets Shadows and with 'Ray Trace attributes' to 'On'. But no matter WHAT I do ... I still have an entirely lightless environment. Do you have the 'missing' Step for this one up your sleeve anywhereGster.?
It has been driving me insane for MONTHS when I have been trying to get lights to show up on my own waiting for a Tutorial to 'point me along the way'.
Thanks for your Help with the Transpariency, though. That's ONE step closer, I guess.

Well i dont know what you did but here is what are the steps of creating basic light.

http://www.highend3d.com/maya/tutori...hting/general/

Gnomon Online

Digital Tutors

These are good sources of knowing how to get it run.

Alternatively you can use the F1 manual in Maya

Aiko : Thanks for directions. I'll have to wait until I get home from work to go and check out the Resources. The actual "point" that really concerns me though, might be a bit more difficult to 'pin down'. I want to have a 'pane' of glass ( Window ) and have the light shining through the window so that it shines onto the floor.
But lights in Maya just don't show up, let alone shine through the window. It makes it a bit tough to work when you can't see your pixel in front of your face ... so to speak.
Thanks again, though. I'll go through what's on the 'Link' when I get home tonight. Much appreciated.

This problems just sounds weird. You should be able to see whats generally going on with your lights by hitting 7. And this may be a little silly to ask but, did you actually render the scene or are you looking for shadows to show up in the scene view?

You think it 'sounds strange' ?? Try it from MY end. * Grin *
I was watching in the view panels .. and not believing my eyes, I did renders to double chewck. The lights just do NOT 'come on' ... no matter WHAT I do. Not in the Panels nor in the renders of the Scene. I was 'over the moon' with appreciation when I saw the Tutorial showing EXACTLY what I have wanted to DO. But it is slowly letting me back down to earth ( although there's LESS of a Jolt now that I know that others ( apart from ME ) can't figure it out either. ) But I cxannot get the lights to WORK. I hasve been trying to "teach myself Maya, and I have completed a few Video Tutorials without ( serious ) propblem. But : THIS thing just has me 'Stymmied'. But luckily I am a 'stubbourn mongrel. I don't "give up" easy. ( Not that Sensible, I guess.)

well i could go step by step with you on this, but thats going to take to long.

So just delete the lights, and recreate it.

Light should always go past a transparant object.

Give us a screenshot to, as at the moment i dont know if you mean you want to see rays of light, or just that the light is seen on the other side.

AikoWorld it's actually "progressing" believe it or not.
I finally got the Directional Light to turn on earlier. I did as you've just suggested. Deleted ALL of the lights and 'rebuilt' everything. But all that got me was even more frustrated. So I did it all AGAIN. Eventually, I tried using Other lights in the scene. That seemed to "wake" Maya up. The 'directional light remained 'Off' but a Spot came on and it could be seen outside of the Room area with no 'glass' in the window. As soon as I put the glass back in the window, it all went to hell in a handbasket again.
But as I told you ... if nothing ELSE I am a 'stubborn' mongrel.
After a few more times, I FINALLY got the Directional light to shine through the "Glass" 'Plane'. I have to rebuild a "Decent Scene" as ( so far ) I have just been using very simple 'sets' purely in my attempts to get things moving. But there IS light at the end of the tunnel now at least ( No "Pun" intended.)
It HAS to have been some sort of "Functional" MalFunction with my lights through Maya itself.
Things that wouldn't even SHOW A SIGN of Life before appear to be working just "fine" AGAIN now.
I'll keep my "absolute" jubilation until I have a "Scene" ( along with reflections and shadows ) all 'working' the way I expected them to from the beginning. But I see it getting there sooner rather than so very much LATER, now.
Thanks to all of you "for being there" for me. I appreciate your help and your patience very much.

It might be an idea to work through some more basic tutorials (from here and other sites, and all those built into maya). If you weren't aware where to find transparency for example, then there's going to be a lot of stumbling blocks trying to achieve something specific in a project.

Just a bit of advice from someone who has learnt (and still learning) some things the hard way in maya.

in the attributes of your window you can alternatively change the settings of the object by switching on dont cast shadows, and let lights past. etcc.

I agree with gubar, its very important to know all the basics, use lots of different tutorials.

I concur with the "get into the Tutorials" thought. I have been doing them. But time is limited. I do what I can as fast as I can... but Life interferes some times and I have to do other things.
I have already been through the 3D_Buzz "Fundamentals DVDs" and quite a number of others from Simply Maya, here.
But it was more the "terminology' with the Transparency that left me unsure, more than the actual way of Creating what was Required.
I think that the whole thing was started by a "physical problem" of some sort and it was just causing the Lighting Set-up to "Not Function" within Maya itself. One moment NOTHING would allow the lights to turn on : and the next they were all "back" as good as gold. Go figure. But thank you all for your comments and your assistance. It has been very much appreciated.
Problem "SOLVED" ... For now Anyway. Thank you all.