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I want to have 3 lamps in a group that are supposed to rotate around in a circle. However, I want the light rays to remain shining onto a fixed spot as it rotates. Fixed rotation

Do I constrain it to an empty or what is the best way to go about this? Will it still work if the lights follow a path?

Thanks for your help.

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    $\begingroup$ give the lamps an empty as parent at the pivot location, radius of rotation as offset to lamps, and rotate the empty would be my suggestion. This will make them orbit the empty like a moon. A track to constraint on the lamps will keep them focused on the "spot". Will elaborate with an ans time permitting ... happy if someone beats me to it. $\endgroup$
    – batFINGER
    Oct 29, 2016 at 9:32

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Make the light follow the path with a Follow Path constraint, Target should be the curve that you want to use as path.

Then add a Track to constraint. Set the Target to the empty (or object you want the light to point to) with the following settings:

To = -Z

Up = Y

enter image description here

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This answer won't work for the lamps following a path, but will work for them rotating in a circle.

  1. Put the 3d cursor where you want the lamps to be shining

  2. Set all the lamps origins to the 3d cursor by selecting them all and ctrl+alt+shift+c origin to 3d cursor

  3. Rotate the rays of the lamps towards the 3d cursor

  4. Set a key frame for the all the lamps at frame one.

  5. Set the current frame to end

  6. Rotate the lamps along the z axis as many times as you want them to in the animation.

  7. Add a key frame

  8. PROFIT

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