Introduction
Usage
Videos
History
Requirements
Installation
Ordering

VirtualRoom is LightWave Layout node for visualizing virtual interiors which can be seen through windows.

It should be especially interesting tool for archviz artists who are interested in city visualizations, and realistic visualizations of buildings.

Key features:

  • randomize interior images.
  • randomize draperies images.
  • randomize coverage of interiors with lights turned on and off.
  • randomize coverage of draperies.
  • independent tinting, brightness and gamma for interiors and draperies, with lights turned on and off.
  • optional distortions of interiors to simulate not perfectly flat windows.
  • the all options in GUI can be overridden from Node Editor.
  • compatible image format with old vRoom plugin.
  • compatible with LW 2020, 2019, LW 2018, LW 2015.3 and LW v11.0.3

On the left you can see plugin panel.

Random Seed parameter for internal randomization routine.

Coord System it can be World or Object. When it's Object you can rotate your building. But if you would like to override Ray Origin and Ray Direction, it's easier to work in World coordinate system.

Offset X, Y, Z controls how much room cell should be offset.

Room Width, Height, Depth controls dimensions of room cell.

Wall X, Y, Z controls wall dimensions. Added together with Room Width, Height, Depth are entire cell size.

Bump Height if you're using Bump nodal input, this will let you to set amplitude of bump.

If you will plug something (e.g. procedural texture) to Bump nodal input, you will receive effect of inperfection of window (slightly bended look what is behind window (internal room). It's important feature to add more realism (windows are rarely perfectly flat).

Ray Offset can be used to slightly move from Ray Origin (which is spot on window), along Ray Direction (New_Ray_Origin = Ray_Origin + Ray_Direction * Ray_Offset).

Tolerance internal parameter used for detecting intersection.

Lights Coverage controls huch much percent of windows will have rooms with lights turned on. 0% the all turned off. 100% the all turned on.

If you want to animate effect of turning lights on, override Lights Coverage nodal input, and plug to it e.g. Const > Scalar with envelope.

If you need more control over lights of rooms, you can override Lights nodal input, and use there intermediate values between 0.0 and 1.0 (partially lights turned on).

Interior Image Prefix images used by VirtualRoom plugin are identifed by the common prefix in their name. Default Interior Image Prefix is "interior".

If nothing is plugged to Interior Index nodal input, plugin will randomize interior image based on room index.

If something is plugged to Interior Index nodal input, plugin will use supplied image index instead (you can override internal randomization routine by your own). Multiply value between 0.0 and 1.0, by quantity of images (you can read it from Interior Images read-only control) or use Math > Scalar > Mod (modulo).

Interior Images read-only field where you can see how many images have been found by prefix.

Light Color, Brightness, Gamma triplet of controls which tell plugin how to modify interior image color when room has lights turned on.

Dark Color, Brightness, Gamma triplet of controls which tell plugin how to modify interior image color when room has lights turned off.

You can use gray, white or black, or colors to slightly tint, to simulate effect that windows are colorful.

Draperies Coverage controls huch much percent of windows will have rooms with draperies. 0% without draperies. 100% the all with draperies.

Draperies Image Prefix images used by VirtualRoom plugin are identifed by the common prefix in their name. Default Draperies Image Prefix is "draperies".
Draperies images should have alpha channel, therefor recommended file formats are PNG or TGA.

If nothing is plugged to Draperies Index nodal input, plugin will randomize draperies image based on room index.

If something is plugged to Draperies Index nodal input, plugin will use supplied image index instead (you can override internal randomization routine by your own). Multiply value between 0.0 and 1.0, by quantity of images (you can read it from Draperies Images read-only control) or use Math > Scalar > Mod (modulo).

Draperies Images read-only field where you can see how many images have been found by prefix.

Draperies Color, Brightness, Gamma triplet of controls which tell plugin how to modify draperies image color when room has lights turned on.

Dark Draperies Color, Brightness, Gamma triplet of controls which tell plugin how to modify draperies image color when room has lights turned off.

You can use gray, white or black, or colors to slightly tint, to simulate effect that draperies are colorful.

On the left you can see nodal inputs and nodal outputs.

Inputs are overriding internal plugin settings.

Additional inputs:
Color, Brightness and Gamma this triplet will override the all settings Light and Dark Color, Brightness and Gamma and Lights and Lights Coverage

Bump it's very interesting option for making realistic looking buildings. Plug to it e.g. Turbulence procedural texture to slightly distort interior image to simulate not perfectly flat windows.

Ray Origin and Ray Direction you can override them to have custom transformation.
Nodal outputs:
Interior Index returns internal randomization routine index to image.

Draperies Index returns internal randomization routine index to image.

Color the main output. Plug it to e.g. Standard Material Diffuse Color in LW 2018 and set Luminosity 100%, Diffuse 0%.

World Spot position of spot that has been hit in virtual room.

Ray Length distance between Ray Origin and World Spot.

Depth normalized distance between Ray Origin and World Spot (Ray Length divided by maximum distance you can have, therefor in range 0.0 to 1.0).

Inv Depth inverse of depth (1.0-depth).

Depth and/or Inv Depth can be used for darking/brightening inside of room.

It's advised to download videos to disk using Save File As... and watch in off-line movie player.

Changes made in the 2019 (28-Jan-2019)

  • Fixed to work with LightWave 2019.

Changes made in the 1.0 (25-Mar-2018)

  • The first official Windows and Macintosh release.

Minimum Windows Requirements

  • LightWave v11.0.3
  • Pentium or better
  • Windows 32 bit

Recommended Windows Requirements

  • LightWave 2020.0.2
  • Core i7
  • Windows 64 bit

Minimum Macintosh Requirements

  • LightWave v11.0.3
  • MacOS X

Recommended Macintosh Requirements

  • LightWave 2018.0.2
  • Core i7
  • MacOS X 64 bit

Installing the product

In order to install the program, please extract the archive to some location on your hard disk.

On Windows ®, the archive is in the ZIP format. You will need 3rd party software such as WinZIP, which you can download from http://www.winzip.com (it's not included in the package), or other compatible software to decompress the archive.

Windows XP ® has built-in ZIP support (simply right click on the archive�s icon, and choose �Extract all files...�).

On Macintosh ®, the archive is in the SIT format. You will need 3rd party software such as StuffIt, which you can download from http://www.stuffit.com (it's not included in the package), or compatible software to decompress the archive.

The LightWave ® plugin does not require files to be in specific locations, which is a very nice feature. But for easier file management it is recommended that the plugin files (i.e. those with .p extension) be copied to your LightWave ® plugins folder (f.e. LightWave\Plugins\).

Installing LightWave ® Layout Plugins

Run the LightWave ® Layout executable. Select pop-down menu Layout > Utilities ® Add Plugins..., then find the folder containing the new plugin files and select them. You should see a message from LightWave telling you that the plugins have been added successfully. The changes will be saved to your configuration file when you quit the program.

Click on the image to see it at full resolution.

Uninstalling the product

Uninstalling LightWave ® Layout Plugins

Run the LightWave ® Layout executable. Select pop-down menu Layout > Utilities > Edit Plugins..., then select the plugin files and press the Delete button. The changes will be saved to your configuration file when you quit the program. Now you can safely remove the files from your hard disk.

Click on the image to see it at full resolution.

Price

The price for a single license (product installed on the one machine) is 75 USD (United States Dollars).

On-line ordering

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  • Easy. You just need to type your personal and credit card details into the order form, and you will receive your goods within max. 48 hours.
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