---
title: "The Light Selection Tool of Maxon Redshift for Architects"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/rva/en-us/Content/html/Tool_Light.html"
section_path: "The Tool Palette > Light Tool"
description: "Using the Light Tool in Redshift for Architects, you can choose between different types of light sources and directly place them by clicking into the viewport on the surfaces of other objects."
---

# The Light Tool

This tool allows you to select your own light sources and place them in the scene.\
These Redshift lights exist only in Redshift and do not appear, nor affect the actual CAD project.

You can choose from a *Point* light, a *Spot* light, a *Area* light, and a *Photometric* (IES) light source, which can be customized with specific lighting characteristics using imported IES files.\
To learn about the settings of each light type, have a look at the description of the [**Lights List**](https://help.maxon.net/rva/en-us/Content/html/Lights_List.html.md).

**Quick Navigation**

- The different Light Types

---

## The different Light Types

![Examples of the different types of Maxon Redshift light sources placed in an architectual scene.](https://help.maxon.net/rva/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Tool_Light_01.png)

Figure 1From left to right: Point light sources, a Spot light source, Area light sources, and a Photometric light source.

After selecting the *Light Tool*, a small gallery opens with icon-based representations of the available light types. Here are the options:

- *Point* Light: A point light source emits light uniformly in all directions, similar to a candle flame or, to some extent, a traditional incandescent light bulb. Due to its radiation characteristics, the rotation of this light source is irrelevant.
- *Spot* Light: This simulates the light distribution of a light source inside a housing or with a reflector. The light can thus be directed precisely, allowing only specific areas of the surrounding environment to be illuminated. The softness and beam angle of the spot can be freely selected.
- *Area* Light: This light type closely resembles real-world light sources because the light is not emitted from a single point, as with *Point* or *Spot* light sources, but rather from an area that can be scaled to any size. Since this light source can also be visible in the scene as a bright object, it is also well-suited for simulating neon tubes or monitors, for example. You can choose between rectangular, disc-shaped, cylindrical, and spherical area lights. The appearance of the light source and its light emission behavior differ accordingly. While rectangular and disc-shaped light sources emit light only in the Y-direction, cylindrical and spherical light sources emit light in all directions.
- *Photometric* Light: This light source is closely related to the *Point* light source, but can be individually configured using an imported IES file, allowing its light distribution to closely match that of real-world light sources. IES files are often provided by lighting manufacturers and reflect the light intensities in various directions. This makes it possible to simulate the characteristic properties of, for example, facade lighting or a specific ceiling floodlight.

### Interactive Manipulation

![Display of Spot and Area lighs in Maxon Redshift for Architects, showing their interactive handles, allowing to orient and scale them in the viewport.](https://help.maxon.net/rva/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Light_Handles.png)

Figure 2Handles of a Spot and of differently shaped Area lights.

After selecting the desired light source type by clicking on its preview image, click in the viewport at the location where you want to place the light source. The light source will automatically snap to the surface you clicked on and align its Y-axis perpendicular to it. For *Spot* and 2D *Area* light sources, the Y-axis of the light source also corresponds to the main direction of light emission. For *Photometric* light sources, the direction of light emission is indicated by a wireframe overlay after an IES file is loaded (see right side of Figure 1). In general, you can use the [Move](https://help.maxon.net/rva/en-us/Content/html/Tool_Move.html.md) and [Rotate](https://help.maxon.net/rva/en-us/Content/html/Tool_Rotate.html.md) tools to fine-tune the light’s position and orientation.

When selected, *Spot* and *Area* light sources also display handles in the viewport that allow you to interactively control their orientation and scaling (see Figure 2). You can use either the *Move* or *Rotate* tool for this:

1At the bottom of the indicated *Spot* light cone, there are four handles arranged in a circular path that can be dragged directly with the mouse to adjust the *Spot*'s beam angle.

2Extending along the Y-axis of the *Spot* is a fifth control handle that can be used to adjust the *Spot*'s direction. This only changes the rotation of the light source, not its light characteristics.

3The handles of an *Area* light source change depending on the selected **Area Shape** (see Light Source Settings). For rectangular and circular shapes, you can configure the proportions and area size of the light source shape by dragging these handles.

4Handles are also available for cylindrical and spherical *Area* lights to adjust the radii of these basic shapes. For cylindrical *Area* lights, there are also handles at the ends of the cylinder to adjust its height.

Please not that the icons of the lights are only visible in the viewport while the *Lights* tab of the *Scene* panel is open.