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Exposure Gizmos

The Exposure gizmos give you quick, in-viewport control over brightness and metering without opening the Exposure effect panel. Use them for fast look-dev and framing decisions.

Where to Find It

  • In the 3D Viewport, open the Toolbar with T.
  • Choose Scene Builder or Effects in the TrueSKY tool group.
  • The Exposure gizmos appear near the right side of the viewport.

Info

The gizmos only show when the Exposure effect is enabled in the Effects panel.

Gizmo Overview

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Exposure Toggle

  • Click the Exposure icon to enable or disable the effect.
  • When disabled, the slider and auto indicators are hidden.

Exposure Type Toggle

  • Switch between Manual and Auto exposure modes.
  • The active mode icon stays visible; click it to swap modes.

Exposure Slider

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  • Drag the vertical slider to adjust:
  • Exposure in Manual mode.
  • Exposure Offset in Auto mode.

Tip

Dragging shows a live numeric value. Press Esc or RMB to cancel.

Auto Exposure Mode Selector

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When Auto is active, a small mode icon appears above the slider. Click it to open the mode row:

Icon:

Averages the entire frame for exposure.

Icon:

Prioritizes the center of the frame.

Icon:

Uses a small, movable sampling area.

Icon:

Balances multiple areas of the frame.

Sampling Indicator

In Center Weighted or Spot Metering, a square outline shows the sampling area:

  • Center Weighted: the square stays centered on the frame.
  • Spot Metering: drag inside the square to move it.
  • Drag an edge to resize the sampling area.

Note

In camera view the indicator aligns to the camera frame. In other views it fills the viewport area.

Compositor Mode Toggle

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Near the Exposure controls is a small toggle for viewport compositing:

  • Disabled: compositor off in the viewport.
  • Camera: compositor on only in camera view.
  • Always: compositor on in all views.

This does not affect final renders; it only controls viewport preview behavior.

Tips for HDR Scenes

TrueSKY scenes typically use AgX with a negative exposure baseline (for example, -4.0). If your viewport looks too dark or bright, nudge the exposure slider first before adjusting lighting values.

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