Rendering Tip - Use self glow for backlit objects

[Al Hart]

 

(Self glow applied to television screen)

 

Self Glow illuminates a surface as if it had light shining on it, without actually making it a light.

 

* Balance illumination in scene without adding additional lights.

* More realistic signs, monitors and projection devices.

* Faster rendering times.

 

* Read more

* Read all Rendering Tips from Render Plus

[kippu]

Al maybe you should specifyy these tips for a specific renderer , like i am assuming these are for scanline renderer , which I donot see anyone using nowadays.. but still if anyone is then these are valid tips

[Al Hart]

Al maybe you should specify these tips for a specific renderer , like i am assuming these are for scanline renderer , which I do not see anyone using nowadays.. but still if anyone is then these are valid tips

 

I'm trying to make tips which are renderer independent. This tip would apply to a renderer which allowed you to mark a specific object as rendering as if it were illuminated, without actually placing lights in front of it, placing lights behind it or treating it as a light source. I believe there are several rendering engines which have this concept of "self illumination".

 

Of course, a television set, or a back lit sign, does provide illumination in the real world, but unless you are emphasizing this effect - such as a TV in a dark room - it may be easier to brighten up the TV screen without making it an actual light. (Many of my rendering tips are shortcuts to achieving an effect without replicating things perfectly. For example, (a stupid, extreme example), it your television set is a LED model, then you should place millions of LED lights - eash of a different color - to more perfectly emulate the way the television illunimates the rest of the scene)

 

How do you handle television screens currently?

[kippu]

since i use vray for rendering . i just put a bitmap in the vraylight material as a texture and i have a tv screen

 

edit : now i get it , these tips are for sketchup renderer nxt?

Edited November 21, 2009 by kippu

[Al Hart]

since i use vray for rendering . i just put a bitmap in the vraylight material as a texture and i have a tv screen

 

edit : now i get it , these tips are for sketchup renderer nxt?

 

Does Vray always fully illuminate a bitmap material. What if you have a poster which is also a bitmap, but is illuminated by a spotlight.

 

In this example, the poster on the left is illuminated by a spotlight (and therefore darker in the corners), while the poster on the right is evenly backlit.

 

Edited November 21, 2009 by Al Hart

[AJLynn]

Well, yes, Vray has a light material that works like this and is quite powerful. For example, the glow from that TV can truly light the room. (Sorry, it just came into my head and I couldn't help myself.)

 

Do you maybe have any rendering tips that are more advanced? Or maybe you could post a more specific example using a glow material to make a good render?

[pidge]

WTF, if it was 1982, yeah maybe I could see your point

[Nic H]

If using a tv to illuminate a room, you cant really get away with a light material. vray mesh light is perfect for this though albeit a tad slow.

 

good tips for sketch up i reckon.

 

(also having a tv on in images generally looks awful)