What lighting method to use for headlights?

[tmg]

I am trying to get the headlights on the R34 Skyline I am modelling, to work correctly. At the moment I am using Photometric Lights, but some of them are bleeding though the geometry and lighting parts of the scene that I don't want to have lit - How do I essentially "block-out" the light, so it doesn't shine where I don't want it to???

I am wanting to know what method I would be able to use to make the headlights light correctly and also not shine past geometry. No, I will not use anything but Mental Ray, and yes, I have tried searching with no luck...I need a specific answer to this problem and no thread so far has helped.

So if anyone knows can they please help?

I downloaded the scene file off Daves Multimedia Site and copied the method he used to make the glow effect on his headlight tutorial, and it was great...except every single piece of white geometry had the glow effect on it, even when I DIDN'T asign the effect to it, plus it didn't light the scene enough, if at all.


I hope this made sense, it's late as I write this and I am tired after spending yet another day in front of my PC trying to solve this problem.

[et_fone_home]

Im not sure if it works, but have you tried assigning shadows to the light, so it only come out from the area you want? Because thats what i do in Maya.

[tmg]

Gave it a go...solved the problem straight away. I don't know why I though there had to be a more complicated way to do this, but it's worked and I have you to thank, even though I should've thought of this first before asking.

But that's me...:P

So thankyou very much mate

[et_fone_home]

No Problem, Glad i could help!