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title: "LightMix"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VMAYA/111739348/LightMix"
format: markdown
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This page gives information on the VRayLightMix render element.

> Macro (ui-text-box)
> 
> If changes to the render element are made while the VFB is open, those changes are reflected after the VFB is closed and reopened.


## **Overview**

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<span style="color: #172b4d"> </span>

## **Parameters**

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**Group by** – Specifies how to group the lightning information:

**Instanced lights **– If the scene contains instanced lights, each group has its own separate channel.** All unique lights in the scene are stored in their individual render channels.**  
**Individual lights** – L**ighting information of each light is stored in a separate channel.**  
**Grouped lights** – Lighting information of each group of lights is placed in a separate channel. All lights that are not attached to any group in the scene are stored in their individual render channels.  
**Manual light selects** – Render channels are created based on the existing [Light Select](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111739224) render elements in the scene. Lights that are not specified are collected in a single render channel called Rest.

> Macro (ui-text-box)
> 
> Each grouping mode automatically creates Environment and Self Illumination render elements, and Light Mixing adds them as groups. The information from the light-emitting materials is stored in the Self Illumination channel, while the Environment info is stored in the Environment channel.

**Separate emissive materials** – When enabled, illuminating materials are also included in the VFB LightMix controls, together with scene lights. The materials which V-Ray respects are: [VRayMtl](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111739405) with non-black self-illumination, [VRayLightMtl](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA/pages/111742834), and Maya native Standard Surface material with non-black emission color.

**Save** **"Rest" Channel** – Disabled by default. When enabled, it saves a separate **Rest channel **in the rendered files. The Rest channel includes all the lights that have not gone to any **Light Selects**. For example, if a scene has more than 256 lights that are not grouped in any way, the first 256 lights will have individual Light Selects, and the rest will go to the Rest channel.

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**How to Set up**

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To set the LightMix for use:

1. Add the LightMix Render Element to your scene. **UI:** ||Render Settings|| > **Render Elements** tab > Add** LightMix**
  1. Then, render the scene.
  2. In the new VFB > **Layers**, set the **Source** to **LightMix**.
  3. Now you can tweak your lights!
2. Add the LightMix Render Element directly from the VFB.
  1. In the VFB > **Layers**, set the **Source** to **LightMix**.
  2. Click on **Add LightMix to the scene**.
  3. Start a new render to apply the changes. Now you can tweak your lights!

> Macro (ui-text-box)
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> Before rendering, set your lights to a neutral color (white) and increase their intensity.
> 
> Rendering with lower intensity and then increasing it from the LightMix might produce noise in your render. If this happens, use the "To Scene" option and re-render the scene.

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## **LightMix Mode Parameters**

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## **LightMix Selection**

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Some general groups are automatically created by the Light Mix RE, which allow you to control groups of lights:

**All** – Turns on/off all lights.

**Environment** – Contains the emitting effect of any map placed in Maya's **Environment overrides** (**Render Setup** > **Overrides** tab > **Environment** rollout).

**Self Illumination** – Contains either all parts of the scene that have a self illumination material, or only the parts of the scene that haven't been included in any groups specified by Light Selects. Some parts of the scene might also be present in this category if the individual number of self-emitting materials exceeds the maximum range of 62 for all the Light Selects.

**Rest** – Includes all the individual lights that are not part of any group defined by a Light Select or exceeding the limit of the list (the limit of the list is 62 individual lights or Light Selects).


## **Common Use**

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The LightMix allows you to change the appearance of the image by controlling the lights in the scene, even after rendering is complete.

In the example below, we've created two different light setups using VRayLightMix: daylight and dusk. The <span style="color: #202124">Daylight appearance is achieved by using sunlight and an additional softlight to simulate light coming from the outside. The Dusk appearance is achieved by setting the sun </span><span style="color: #202124">**Multiplier**</span><span style="color: #202124"> to 0, changing the color multiplier of the outside light to blue, increasing the intensity multiplier of all interior lights and tinting them with warmer colors (all ceiling and built-in furniture VRayLights), adjusting the self-illumination multiplier of desk and ceiling lights, shaded with VRayLightMtl.</span>