lighting problem

# 1 22-05-2006 , 11:23 PM

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Join Date: Jul 2005

Location: London

Posts: 520

hey,

I am trying to illuminate type from behind. What I want it to be black type on a black background. To be more precise, the effect I want to achieve is the same you get during an eclipse. The main shape of the moon (in this case my type) moves between sun and camera, what should hapen now is that I get a small glow like white outline around the shape of my type. Unfortunately my plan doesn't work.
I have a spotlight behind the type and light fog switched on. I also tried doing something with optical FX but it just does not look very realistic.
find attached my setup and one of my crapy renders. It is the maya software renderer with raytrace. Shadows are switched to raytrace as well. What I find really odd is the fact that even though the light sits behind the tyoe the shadow is cast behind it as well...
anyway as you can see I have no idea despite trying lots of stuff
any help would be so great

thanks

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Last edited by farbtopf; 22-05-2006 at 11:25 PM.

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# 2 22-05-2006 , 11:24 PM

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and here's my setup

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# 3 23-05-2006 , 10:05 AM

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Join Date: Nov 2002

Location: Philippines

Posts: 136

farbtopf, just wanted to say that I've encountered this little limitation too. I think MAYA add's FX as a post-process, maybe that's why. It's annoying since something like that is so easy with MAX and other 3D applications. Someone told me once to use Mentla Ray but that didn't seem to help.

I'd suggest you try getting the effect in compositing. Maybe render the text and BG separately and add a flare or some rays in your favorite compositing package.

Or maybe have two sets of text, one black and the other slightly bigger and glowing?

Good luck. And if you find a solution within MAYA using the lights, please let me know, that's been bugging me for the longest time too user added image

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# 4 23-05-2006 , 04:55 PM

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Join Date: Jul 2005

Location: London

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Thanks for your reply Calvin. If i'd live on the philipines it would probably make up for the light fx not working user added image

... just kidding.

I'm reading some tutorials about lighting and fog at the moment. One seems to give a sollution, seems complicated though. I'll send you the link if it turns out to solve my problem in the end.

To everyone else if you have any ideas, please don't stop posting just because I said that i'm working on it, it might well not work, ....again. user added image

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# 5 24-05-2006 , 11:39 AM

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Location: Philippines

Posts: 136

Not too sure what you're getting at there, farbtopf. But if you'd give me a 3D Job in London I'd move there user added image

Thanks, and even if it doesn't solve your problem, send me the link please user added image

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# 6 25-05-2006 , 03:29 PM

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Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Philippines

Posts: 94

if you want a better slution i advice that avoid doing everything in maya, there is something that we call compositing, try to render your texts with alpha, go to your compositing software if you have one ( i prefer combustion in this kind of compositing), then composite it. user added image

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