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stwert · 27-03-2012, 05:57 PM

I would assume so... only one way to know for sure. Make a box with reversed normals, put the cam inside and set the distance parameter slightly smaller and larger than the box, render each and see which is totally black...

PixalZA · 27-03-2012, 07:23 PM

Thanks stwert. Experimented a bit and the results are not quite what I expected.
As you suggested I used a cube, reversed the normals, camera inside, default lighting off, AO shadow color set to black, AO light color set to white.
First image is a 400mm cube with ao_distance of 400. Almost black as expected with values less than 400 brightening up the scene fairly quickly.
Second image is a 400cm cube with ao_distance still at 400.

stwert · 27-03-2012, 08:18 PM

Is your scene in cm?

PixalZA · 28-03-2012, 02:57 AM

Two scenes. Left in mm and right in cm.

PixalZA · 29-03-2012, 02:38 PM

Any idea what could be the cause of this ghost shadow? I first thought it was AO but I explicitly disabled AO in the MR render options as well as on the mia materials but it still remains.

daverave · 29-03-2012, 04:39 PM

Any lights in your scene if there are take them out, could be reflective shadows from the plain?...............dave

PixalZA · 29-03-2012, 05:14 PM

Hi Dave. A long, long time ago when I started this I experimented with different lights. I deleted all of them when I switched to sun and sky. I'll try exporting all the geo and materials into a new scene and set up the lighting from scratch. Maybe there is ghost in the machine somewhere

PixalZA · 30-03-2012, 06:45 PM

This little project has entered its final stages. Completed the texturing of the plane tonight. Now its time to work on the environment. A quick scene thrown together before starting the final environment.

PS. I think I have figured out the ghost shadow. I suspect it was caused by the global illumination created by FG.

bullet1968 · 31-03-2012, 12:45 AM

Wow mate this is looking good!!!!

cheers bullet

daverave · 31-03-2012, 08:00 AM

Looking great Pixal your not far of now, may be a little dirt................dave

PixalZA · 31-03-2012, 09:57 AM

Thanks Gents. The fun of building terrain now start. Cracked tarmac, fences, grass, tree lines, a hangar... A small project on it's own.
I first thought of doing an arial scene but put that aside as I have no pilot. When I have organic modelling under the belt then I'll revisit the arial scene.

PixalZA · 02-04-2012, 06:56 PM

I sometimes hate technology with such a passion. Lost a hard drive. I have backups but it is such a pain in the butt to reload everything.

ctbram · 02-04-2012, 07:05 PM

I feel your pain my friend. I am glad you had backups. I lost almost every model I built between 2007 and 2009 because I had a striped drive fail. Many of those models only live as renders in the archives of this site. Several of those models were major efforts and portfolio quality work and I still get ill thinking of their loss. One thing is for sure I will NEVER stripe another drive! I lost nearly 1TB of data!

PixalZA · 03-04-2012, 09:24 AM

I would cried if that had happened to me.

PixalZA · 19-04-2012, 09:22 PM

Quick update. Started with the environment for the final scene.

27-03-2012, 05:57 PM	#226
stwert MScBMC student Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,791 Thanks: 50 Thanked 210 Times in 204 Posts	I would assume so... only one way to know for sure. Make a box with reversed normals, put the cam inside and set the distance parameter slightly smaller and larger than the box, render each and see which is totally black... __________________ -stwert Website - Blog - Vimeo - Facebook - Twitter "The planning of the picture, therefore, is the all important thing, not the execution." -Max Brödel

27-03-2012, 07:23 PM	#227
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Thanks stwert. Experimented a bit and the results are not quite what I expected. As you suggested I used a cube, reversed the normals, camera inside, default lighting off, AO shadow color set to black, AO light color set to white. First image is a 400mm cube with ao_distance of 400. Almost black as expected with values less than 400 brightening up the scene fairly quickly. Second image is a 400cm cube with ao_distance still at 400. Attached Thumbnails

27-03-2012, 08:18 PM	#228
stwert MScBMC student Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,791 Thanks: 50 Thanked 210 Times in 204 Posts	Is your scene in cm? __________________ -stwert Website - Blog - Vimeo - Facebook - Twitter "The planning of the picture, therefore, is the all important thing, not the execution." -Max Brödel

29-03-2012, 02:38 PM	#230
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Ghost Shadow Any idea what could be the cause of this ghost shadow? I first thought it was AO but I explicitly disabled AO in the MR render options as well as on the mia materials but it still remains. Attached Thumbnails

29-03-2012, 04:39 PM	#231
daverave The thin red line Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: England Posts: 3,973 Thanks: 77 Thanked 318 Times in 307 Posts	Any lights in your scene if there are take them out, could be reflective shadows from the plain?...............dave __________________ Avatar Challenge Winner 2010

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28-03-2012, 02:57 AM	#229
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Two scenes. Left in mm and right in cm.

29-03-2012, 05:14 PM	#232
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Hi Dave. A long, long time ago when I started this I experimented with different lights. I deleted all of them when I switched to sun and sky. I'll try exporting all the geo and materials into a new scene and set up the lighting from scratch. Maybe there is ghost in the machine somewhere

30-03-2012, 06:45 PM	#233
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Beginning of the End This little project has entered its final stages. Completed the texturing of the plane tonight. Now its time to work on the environment. A quick scene thrown together before starting the final environment. PS. I think I have figured out the ghost shadow. I suspect it was caused by the global illumination created by FG. Attached Thumbnails

31-03-2012, 12:45 AM	#234
bullet1968 Lifetime Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 4,050 Thanks: 138 Thanked 135 Times in 132 Posts	Wow mate this is looking good!!!! cheers bullet __________________ bullet1968 "A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

31-03-2012, 08:00 AM	#235
daverave The thin red line Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: England Posts: 3,973 Thanks: 77 Thanked 318 Times in 307 Posts	Looking great Pixal your not far of now, may be a little dirt................dave __________________ Avatar Challenge Winner 2010

31-03-2012, 09:57 AM	#236
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Thanks Gents. The fun of building terrain now start. Cracked tarmac, fences, grass, tree lines, a hangar... A small project on it's own. I first thought of doing an arial scene but put that aside as I have no pilot. When I have organic modelling under the belt then I'll revisit the arial scene.

02-04-2012, 06:56 PM	#237
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	$&!¥#! Hardware I sometimes hate technology with such a passion. Lost a hard drive. I have backups but it is such a pain in the butt to reload everything.

02-04-2012, 07:05 PM	#238
ctbram Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 2,854 Thanks: 39 Thanked 245 Times in 230 Posts	I feel your pain my friend. I am glad you had backups. I lost almost every model I built between 2007 and 2009 because I had a striped drive fail. Many of those models only live as renders in the archives of this site. Several of those models were major efforts and portfolio quality work and I still get ill thinking of their loss. One thing is for sure I will NEVER stripe another drive! I lost nearly 1TB of data! __________________ "If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

03-04-2012, 09:24 AM	#239
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	I would cried if that had happened to me.

19-04-2012, 09:22 PM	#240
PixalZA Lifetime Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Posts: 370 Thanks: 56 Thanked 37 Times in 31 Posts	Quick update. Started with the environment for the final scene. Attached Thumbnails