> My plan had a "part two" to it (which I also didn't manage to do 
> properly) - I wanted to render the light and fixture, without any other 
> scene elements, to a full spherical camera, and use that as the 
> transparency map for the light in a real scene (possibly with the fixture
>  modified with no_shadow). If you get what I mean...
> 
> It's still on my list of things to experiment with, but perhaps as you 
> are having far more success than I ever did, it might be something you 
> would find interesting?

   Well... the experiment worked great and fast, but has a BIG limitation:
you cannot use area lights with it, because the "fake photons" effect
disappears (logically) due to the soft shadows... &%#$!!! :(

   Any ideas? ... I cannot think of anything that will overcome this problem.

--
Jaime

Post a reply to this message

Jaime Vives Piqueres <jai### [at] ignoranciaorg> wrote:
> Hi again:
>
>      After Edouard mentioned IES light data files, I tried an experiment I
> envisioned sometime ago: creating a realistic spot fixture and let it
> reflect and refract some photons. The tests with just one spot seemed to
> work nicely, but when I integrated it on the hotel scene with the same
> photon spacing, the results don't look so great...

Oops.  Is that fourteen backwards?  Otherwise very nice.

 - Ricky

Post a reply to this message

Jaime Vives Piqueres <jai### [at] ignoranciaorg> wrote:

> > My plan had a "part two" to it (which I also didn't manage to do
> > properly) - I wanted to render the light and fixture, without any other
> > scene elements, to a full spherical camera, and use that as the
> > transparency map for the light in a real scene (possibly with the fixture
> >  modified with no_shadow). If you get what I mean...
> >
> > It's still on my list of things to experiment with, but perhaps as you
> > are having far more success than I ever did, it might be something you
> > would find interesting?
>
>    Well... the experiment worked great and fast, but has a BIG limitation:
> you cannot use area lights with it, because the "fake photons" effect
> disappears (logically) due to the soft shadows... &%#$!!! :(
>
>    Any ideas? ... I cannot think of anything that will overcome this problem.

Ahh, I see the flaw. The "shadow map" from the light and fitting is an
approximation, but from your experiment it sounds like it's not a close enough
one to actual photons...

Hmm, perhaps a no_area_light object modifier added to the SDL? That would
probably be useful in general to be honest.

I can't think of a multiple light solution that would work, and even if there
was one it wouldn't be a general solution to a scene.

Sorry my idea wasn't a winner in the end!

> Jaime

Cheers,
Edouard.

Post a reply to this message

> Ahh, I see the flaw. The "shadow map" from the light and fitting is an 
> approximation, but from your experiment it sounds like it's not a close 
> enough one to actual photons...

   No, in fact it is very close to the photons effect, in some aspects better
looking, although not correct, of course. See attached pics...

> Hmm, perhaps a no_area_light object modifier added to the SDL? That would
>  probably be useful in general to be honest.

   Yes, I think that would be the only solution: the sphere with the
"photon map" could be flagged as "no_area_light". But I cannot think of any
other situation where it will be useful such a modifier...

> I can't think of a multiple light solution that would work, and even if 
> there was one it wouldn't be a general solution to a scene.

   Well, lets wait... we all know POV-Ray unexplored possibilities are
endless, and perhaps there is already a clever way to do it, waiting for
someone to discover it.

> Sorry my idea wasn't a winner in the end!

   It was a very good idea, and just in case, I will archive it under my
/stalled folder...


--
Jaime

Post a reply to this message

Attachments:
Download 'fakespot_map.jpg' (22 KB) Download 'fakespot_test.jpg' (22 KB)

Preview of image 'fakespot_map.jpg'

Preview of image 'fakespot_test.jpg'

> Oops.  Is that fourteen backwards?  Otherwise very nice.

   Oops, indeed... Thanks!

--
Jaime

Post a reply to this message

Jaime Vives Piqueres <jai### [at] ignoranciaorg> wrote:
> I was practicing with Chief Architect, and did this hotel corridor... it was
> so boring that I decided to have some fun adding some story to it.

Am I right that the bit about the mirrored 14 involves the janitor?

--
jussi

Post a reply to this message