Overview

Light Wrangler is a Blender addon designed to automatically position an Area Light to illuminate the area your cursor is pointing at.

Installation

1. Download the provided .zip file from the purchase.
2. In Blender, navigate to Edit > Preferences > Addons > Install.
3. Select the downloaded .zip file.
4. Once installed, enable the checkbox next to it to activate the addon.

Settings

You can access the settings of Light Wrangler via Edit > Preferences > Addons > Light Wrangler. The settings include:

• Initial Light Distance: This sets the initial distance of the light from the object. The default value is 1.5, but it can be adjusted from 0.1 to 1000.

• Initial Light Power: This sets the initial power of the light. The default value is 10, but it can be adjusted from 0.1 to 1000.

• Initial Light Size: This sets the initial size of the light. The default value is 1.0, but it can be adjusted from 0.1 to 1000.

  Initial Light Spread: This sets the initial spread of the light. The default value is 145, but it can be adjusted from 1 to 180.

• Use Custom Light Node Setup: This option enables a custom light node setup that adds feathering functionality. This option is enabled by default.

• Detect Ground: When enabled, this option prevents the light from going below the ground level. This option is enabled by default.

• Smart Light Adjustments: When enabled, this option allows automatic calculation of light power based on light size and distance. This option is enabled by default.

Usage

• Adding Light: To add a light, right-click and select "Add Light" or navigate through Menu > Add > Light > Area (Auto). You can also use the F9 hotkey.

• Real-Time Adjustments: You can make real-time adjustments to the light using your mouse wheel. The default controls are: Mouse Wheel for Power, Shift + Mouse Wheel for Size, and Alt + Mouse Wheel for Distance, Ctrl + Mouse Wheel for Spread.

• Toggle Modes: Press the SPACE key to toggle between automatic and manual modes.

• Adjust Existing Lights: To adjust a previously placed light, select the light, right-click, and then choose "Adjust Light".

  Track to Target: Right-click on an Area Light and select "Track to Target" to either create a new empty for tracking or use an existing object as the tracking target.

• Feathering: Enable the feathering option by adjusting the slider in the light panel for a more natural and diffused lighting effect.

  Hide Current Light: Hold the 'H' key to temporarily hide the light. 

  Isolate Current Light: Hold the Shift+'H' key to temporarily hide all lights except the current one.

  Light Temperature: Hit the 'T' key to cycle through different light temperatures. The light will switch from warm to neutral to cool with each press.

Support & Updates

For support and bugs, use the "Documentation" and "Report a Bug" buttons located in the settings menu. Regular updates are released to ensure compatibility with the latest version of Blender and to introduce new features or improvements.

Compatibility

Light Wrangler is compatible with Blender's Cycles and Eevee rendering engines and works best with the most recent versions of Blender. For more details, check the product specifications.

Remember, Light Wrangler is designed to enhance your workflow, so take some time to familiarize yourself with its features to get the most out of it. Happy blending!