How to create this lighting effect?

[Stalkie]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone had a idea about the most render-efficient way of creating this architectural tube lighting effect. There are quite a lot of them in the scene I'm doing - none at close range, and they don't need to cast direct shadows. I'm using 3d max with Vray 1.5 SP2

 

Any ideas gratefully received and experimented with,

 

Thanks

[STRAT]

one method would be to put an illuminated material onto a tube and make the tube invisible from camera.

[Stalkie]

I'm currently using a vray light material, but I'm finding it a bit unpredictable according to different viewpoints (needs completely different settings) and also I like the flexibility & control you get with a light source to include/exclude objects. But it does seem to be pretty efficient render-wise.

[neil poppleton]

Try a coloured attenuated omni normal light. Use scale to distort shape to suit.

[BrianKitts]

Typically with something like this I would place a vraylight material on the face that I want to glow, but then supplement the glow with an actual vray light (invisible) to actually create the illumination that I need.

 

With the release of SP3 and the direct illumination option in the vray light material, this might not be the best method anymore. It will depend on if you need to exclude objects or not. If so then the old method is the way to go.

 

Out of curiousity though, what in your sample scene would need excluded?

Edited April 2, 2009 by BrianKitts

[Stalkie]

I'm using architectural tubes in a conference set visual - the vray light material is bleeding on to the front face of the object behind which it is meant to sit (do I need to improve my IR settings?), also it's bleeding a bit onto the projection screen above. For neatness I would prefer to keep it clean ( although I could composit the screens in afterwards in PS, I try to get it all in one hit as time is of the essence with these visuals as I try to keep the cost as low as I can......)

 

Brian, When you say you would supplement with a vray light what sort of vray light would you use to get the even linear spread?

 

I've just downloaded SP3 onto my other PC but haven't had a chance to explore it yet. Maybe there's something in there that may be a better option.....

 

H

[Stalkie]

The distorted attenuated omni worked a treat so thanks very much for the answer.

[neil poppleton]

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The distorted attenuated omni worked a treat so thanks very much for the answer.

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Your welcome, sometimes the old simple systems work best...

[aristocratic3d]

I believe, Photometric light will be ultimate solution.

Edited June 1, 2010 by aristocratic3d