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Layout room lighting?
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My layout room is the bonus room in our house, which is located basically in the attic space above the garage. It's a finished room, complete with 8 electrical outlets, heating/ac and a 3 light ceiling fan. Problem is, the 'walls' actually are part of the ceiling, as they slant inward with the roofline. This creates a rather annoying visual problem on the layout, because the 3 light fixture casts horrible shadows when you're standing at the edge of the layout. <br />First question, what types of lights do you use to illuminate your layout? Since layouts can be located from basements and attics to finished rooms and purpose built structures, I know there's a ton of different lighting choices. What works and what's completely unrealistic as far as 'natural' light? <br /> <br />I'm thinking about using track lighting mounted near the top of the ceiling/walls to illuminate the layout and keep the main room light fixture turned off during operating sessions. How many lights should be used per linear foot of layout? In other words, 1 light every two feet, 1 light every four feet, etc. My layout is 20x18. The lights will be approximately 3-4 feet away from the surface of the layout with about a 30-45 degree angle toward the layout (for sake of argument, 0 degrees would be pointing straight down). <br /> <br />Next question is more for the 'electricians' on the forum. I want to install dimmer switches for each length of lighting track (two spans down each side of the room). I want to have the dimmer switches mounted to the facia of the layout. Since I have 8 outlets in the room, I've been thinking about powering the lights from one outlet on each side of the room. My plan is, use barrel nuts on the lower outlet wires to seal them off and prevent any shorts, then attach and run new wire from the upper outlet wires to the dimmer switch, and from the switch back up through the wall/ceiling to the track lights. I would replace the outlet cover with a blank cover to seal everything up. I'd like to do the installation myself, and avoid having to hire an electrician for the install. <br /> <br />Any other tips or suggestions? These angled 'ceiling walls' force the viewers perspective onto the layout which is a plus, but overall they are a real PITA trying to work with for the backdrops and lighting. <br /> <br />Thanks a bunch!
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