Xplo Eristotle <inq### [at] unforgettablecom> wrote:
:> : Your conclusion is pretty premature there, Warp. I don't see anything in
:> : this scene that would depend on photons, specular reflections, "simple"
:> : caustics, harsh direct illumination, or scattering media, the first four
:> : of which would probably not sit well with multiple area lights and the
:> : last one which might also be slower rather than faster.

: My point is that (a) you *need* light sources for those effects, and (b)
: they're NOT going to look the same if you have area lights scattered
: everywhere, and therefore (c) your solution is a highly limited one, not
: suitable for most scenes.

  Besides being odd that you want to use high-diffuse objects as radiosity
light sources and separate regular light sources, there still isn't any
problem.

  Photons? Don't add a photons-block in the area light.
  Scattering media? Turn media_interaction off for the area light.
  Simple caustics? What's the point in using a light source which doesn't
cause caustics? If you _really_ want "fake" caustics and radiosity (from
different light sources), then don't use this trick. But I'm sure that this
case is quite rare (I would not talk about "most" scenes).
  What is "harsh direct illumination"? Does direct illumination look a lot
different in my second and third example images? A bit perhaps, but not much.
I wouldn't call it "useless".

:> so I don't
:> understand why would you use any of those in a scene without light sources.

: Okay, now you're just being stupid.

  I still think that using bright objects and regular light sources in
different places is odd. Usually you attach a light source to the bright
object if you want any light source.

: Um, not from what I understand. Radiosity can be set to affect media -
: yes? - which means that a bright object should glow in a scattering
: media, which it would not do in any other sort of media, nor in fog.

  Have you tested how differently an area light source affects a scattering
media compared to a bright object without a light source?

:> : I also don't see
:> : this being of much use in confined spaces, such as autowitch's
:> : recently-posted Egyptian chamber.
:> 
:>   If you remember, Kari Kivisalo made his cornell box test using an area
:> light source. I don't remember the rendering time, but IIRC it was some
:> hours.

: Kari used ONE light, positioned in the one place where light would
: logically enter the room: the lit panel in the ceiling. That's not even
: remotely the same thing as your horde of "trick" fill lights.

  You talked avout "confined spaces, such as <example image>". If I remember
correctly, that image had one light source?
  Usually confined spaces have specific small light sources.

-- 
main(i,_){for(_?--i,main(i+2,"FhhQHFIJD|FQTITFN]zRFHhhTBFHhhTBFysdB"[i]
):_;i&&_>1;printf("%s",_-70?_&1?"[]":" ":(_=0,"\n")),_/=2);} /*- Warp -*/

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