Transparency Problem, Reflection Override Doesnt Fix

[michaelgoldman]

Dear All,

 

I have been searching for hours for an answer to this problem and have not been able to find a solution. Maybe it is a bug and cannot be changed, I'm not sure.

 

I recently started working with VRay for 3ds Max at my new job. They use an older copy of VRay, sorry I cannot remember which version at the moment, and 3ds Max 2012.

 

I need to render a simple object on a plane with a background image. The object is reflective and the plane is a matte object. I have tried many different workarounds but the background image ALWAYS reflects in the object with screen mapping making it look transparent.

 

I have tried placing the bitmap in the 3ds Max Environment slot, in the Vray environment override, turning the Vray Reflection override on (with both the default black color and with a bitmap mapped to spherical environment), and adding a spherical environment reflection map to the object itself in the material editor.

 

BUT, no matter what I do nothing changes. I downloaded a trial copy of the newest version of Vray at home where I use 3ds Max 2014 and this is not an issue for me. I can override the reflection and make the object not look transparent.

 

So....is this just a bug that cannot be fixed or am I still doing something wrong? I have read countless threads about this issue, but have not been able to find a solution for my work computer. Please help.

 

Thanks

[vincentg87]

Try this. drag the background image into an empty slot in the material editor as instance. Then check if the mapping is set to screen? if yes, try setting it to something else and see if it helps? Alternative could you post your file?

[michaelgoldman]

Hi Vincent,

 

Thank you for your reply, sorry for my late response. To make matters more complicated, there are times at work when I don't run into this problem. Sometimes I can check the Vray Reflection Override box (using the default black swatch) and my objects do not look transparent.

 

I will upload a render of a scene that I am not able to fix. I tried to upload the scene with it but I get an error message saying invalid file type. Can I not upload a max scene file?

 

Thanks again,

Michael

[Corey Beaulieu]

Background images that are set to screen, which they need to be in order to preserve their own aspect ratio always apply a reflection as if you placed the image on top of your scene in post and painted it onto the scene.

 

If you want your reflection to work properly, you have to apply it as a texture to a plane. You can size that plane based on the images aspect ration and then scale it into place. This will give you the reflection that you are looking for.

[michaelgoldman]

That's definitely a workaround to the issue, but I was trying to figure out why sometimes a reflection override map (either placed on the material or in the Vray environment tab in the render settings) sometimes works and sometimes doesnt.

 

I messed with a lot of the render, light and camera settings in this scene and I'm worried that I checked something that is causing this problem because it doesn't happen if I setup a new scene with the same objects and image. Just want to know if it's something I did so I don't do it again.....or maybe it's a bug.

[michaelgoldman]

I don't have access to my work computer now but when I do I will post screen shots of my render settings.