Here's a link: SLIK
Now, while this seems cool, it feels a bit overkill. Here's what I like:
- ies profiles for each light. That is cool, and useful.
- high detail for the illuminant surface
- a model library of lights for when you need them.
Now I'll discuss what I think is wrong. The obvious being... that's a lot of heavy geometry for a scene where I'd prefer my heavy geo be in my product. This seems like a way to slow down fluid production. Friendly controls are ok, but really, how hard is it to adjust the intensity of a light in the lights attributes? Do I really need on-screen controls for this cluttering up my workspace?
Yes, I get that the end product could be a simple hdri... but why? Why substitute the control of individual lights for an hdri when you don't have to?
Here's a suggestion for an alternative. I wish someone would produce this so I could buy it, since I don't have time to make it all myself (hint hint, wink wink). Simply photograph lighting equipment in HDR. Then you have an accurate image (with all the detail and folds, and tape marks, and whatever floatsYerBoat). Place those images onto your area lights in MR/Vray and have fun. Light (geometrically speaking), easily adjustable, no need for models beyond cards and lights. For direct lights, ies files would be great.
SLIK seems fun, but it wouldn't really help production fluidity for me, and I do a lot of product imaging. It would be cool if you need to render the guts of a photo studio tho;)
