# Carbon Settings

## Modifying Settings

The Carbon Settings Panels allows you to OVERRIDE and individual default setting

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Note:** To modify a specific setting from its project default, you must check the box located on the left side of that particular parameter.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://3897713096-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUCTjJUdhlJTLGAbJwsYT%2Fuploads%2FWSlfxJEDg5InLGqqP3Ut%2Fcdn-assets.carbon.showkbcarbon-plugininterfacecarbon-menucarbon-settings-updated2024.png?alt=media&#x26;token=3a6ea658-bfc4-44b6-937f-d2bab8571984" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Performance/Quality

#### **Light**

Allows control of a light's footprint parameters.

| **Footprint Resolution**            | Adjusts the overall resolution of the footprint. Will affect gobo sharpness and update speed.   |
| ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Enable Multi Instance Footprint** | Enables the casting of light from multi-instance fixtures. **Can cause a big performance hit.** |

***

#### **Shadow**

Control the quality of a light's shadow.

**Enable All Shadows**

| **Enable All Shadows** | Enable or disable shadows globally on all fixtures |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |

#### **Shadow Resolution**

**Note:** Overriding the global Shadow Resolution does not work with ray-traced shadows.

| **Single Instance Shadow Resolution** | Overrides the shadow resolution of all single instance fixtures |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Multi Instance Shadow Resolution**  | Overrides the shadow resolution of all multi instance fixtures  |

***

#### **Beams**

Modify beam appearance.

| **Beam Density**       | Adjusts the amount of fog and smoke effects visible in beams       |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Hotspot Mitigation** | Controls the balance between visual smoothness and light intensity |

***

#### **Beam Quality**

| **Single Instance Lights**            | Adjusts the perceived quality of the ray march for single instance fixtures with no complex gobos   |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Single Instance Lights Resolution** | Changes the overall resolution of the beam for single instance fixtures (Low, Medium, High)         |
| **Aerial Gobos**                      | Adjusts the perceived quality of the ray march for single instance fixtures that have complex gobos |
| **Aerial Gobos Resolution**           | Changes the overall resolution of the beam for complex gobo fixtures (Low, Medium, High)            |
| **Multi Instance Lights**             | Adjusts the perceived quality of the ray march for fixtures with multiple instances                 |
| **Multi Instance Lights Resolution**  | Changes the overall resolution of the beam for multi instance fixtures (Low, Medium, High)          |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Changing the beam resolution requires a restart of play mode
{% endhint %}

***

#### **Zoom Attenuation**

| **Single Instance Zoom Attenuation** | Adjusts the maximum light beam length as zoom angle increases for single instance fixtures |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Multi Instance Zoom Attenuation**  | Adjusts the maximum light beam length as zoom angle increases for multi instance fixtures  |

***

#### **Smoke Texture**

Enables a complex smoke effect in light beams that creates a cloudy, hazy look.

| **Smoke Scale**      | Adjusts the size of the smoke effect across the beams                                                           |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Smoke Uniformity** | Adjusts the uniformity/transparency of the smoke effect (The lower the value, the more 'hazy' the beam appears) |
| **Smoke Speed**      | Controls the speed of the smoke effect on all three axis                                                        |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro Tip:** Although the Smoke Uniformity Slider goes between 0-1, you can input a negative value. (do not exceed -1) For a very hazy beam look, try setting the uniformity to -0.1 or -0.2!
{% endhint %}

***

### **Simulation Settings**

Miscellaneous Settings related to simulation calculation

| **Motor Simulation**  | Enables speed calculation of Pan tilt, which can add delay during focusing. You may wish to disable for faster response while focusing lights |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Optimize Pan/Tilt** | Uses a special vertex shader on geometry which may speed up processing time for transforming static meshes on fixtures                        |

### **Camera**

Quick macro button that adds a PostProcessVolume into the scene with our recommended calibrated exposure levels.

<figure><img src="https://3897713096-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUCTjJUdhlJTLGAbJwsYT%2Fuploads%2F73Sak1AzLDwIqv5Ir833%2Fcdn-assets.carbon.showkbcarbon-plugininterfacecarbon-menuExposure-Settings.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=e695982d-349d-4222-8e27-1df808899625" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

*Our recommended exposure settings when using Carbon fixtures*

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