Downlight - no bulb illumination

[gwnelson]

I have been unable to turn the bulb on for these cans. Everything else seems OK and I get jealous when I see other work posted here with working lights. Bummer.

[cliff collins]

Are they legacy families from Revit 2008? Or are they new Revit 2009?

Are they cutting the ceiling? It looks like the ceiling is covering up the opening in the can light?

Is the light source (lamp) in the family in the correct location inside the housing?

Any of these things helping?

cheers....

[twiceroadsfool]

That is strange. Its got something to do with that family, its not behaving the way the regular recessed can light does...

[twiceroadsfool]

EDIT: Its not cutting the ceiling, but i edited it and cut the ceiling and it still doesnt work.

I tried adjusting exposure, and jacking the light intensity. Its CASTING light... Just not SHOWING the light source. Weird...

[sfaust]

One thing I did run accross in looking at this is that soft shadows have to be enabled for the emitter shape to show up in the rendering (wierd, but whatever). However, I tried this and it still isn't working. Still weird...

[muttlieb]

It's already been pointed out, but you do need to add an opening that cuts the ceiling. The reason you're not seeing a light source is because the light source is not reflecting off of the fixture. If you look at the light emit shape, you'll see what I mean. Light sources don't emit a point, or area of light like a light bulb. In other words, you only see the light when it reflects off of something. There are two ways to achieve this. First, you could raise the light source within the family so it reflects off the interior of the fixture. However sometimes this produces undesirable shadows as the fixture interferes with the light pattern. What I usually do is keep the light source at the bottom of the fixture and add a lens with a luminous material. Just make sure the light source is not inside the lens, and remember to assign a non-luminous material to the lens when doing a rendering without artificial lights on.

[gwnelson]

Thanks for the input. I did have a void extrusion there (didn't think to create an opening) but then I deleted it since the light source is actually below the level of the ceiling and I was concerned that the extrusion was voiding out the bulb, too. And the lens, who knew? Out of several downlight fixtures that I tried, none worked so I made this. Thanks again to all.

[twiceroadsfool]

I was comparing it with the OOTB recessed can, which shows the light source emitting... But i hadnt figured out why.

Good to know!

[patricks]

I just hate how the light at the can itself looks so jagged (the bright oval shape you see in a perspective view).