lighting all objects except no longer works

klebnor_31c7123443

I find today that using the "all objects except" selector with a bulb no longer works. I have tried in both C 8.0 and 8.5 and get the same effect. If I put a light inside an object and add the object to the exception list, the light is obscured by the object. Additionally, if the bulb is outside the object, and I select "all objects except" and add the object, it is still lit by the light.

Anyone else find this issue? Is there a fix or work around?

Thanks,

Klebnor

evilproducer

In my experience, if you select a group or a part of a rigged figure (such as a DAZ or Poser style figure), that it won't work unless you select the actual geometry you want to exclude.

I don't know if this is the case in your situation or not, but I don't have much to go on. If this isn't the case, then you'll need to provide a bit more details or maybe screen shots, please.

DUDU

Is this from the direct light or from the light reflection on other objects ?

klebnor_31c7123443

evilproducer said:

In my experience, if you select a group or a part of a rigged figure (such as a DAZ or Poser style figure), that it won't work unless you select the actual geometry you want to exclude.

I don't know if this is the case in your situation or not, but I don't have much to go on. If this isn't the case, then you'll need to provide a bit more details or maybe screen shots, please.

I am using a model by RPublishing called lounge bar. There is a light in the center of the ceiling called mid_ceiling_light. I put a bulb light in the center of the light object and click all objects except, selecting this object in the list. The first screen shot shows the room and selected object. The second shot shows the settings for the bulb. The last two are renders, first with the bulb in the middle of the light and the other pulled down below the light. The light does not illuminate through the selected object and, when pulled down, the selected object casts a shadow. In the past, this function has caused the light to pass through the excluded object.

Any thoughts?

DUDU

Your object is not lit, compare the two images, it is the background only which is enlightened.

DUDU

Your object cast a shadow because it is visible.
Uncheck "Generate Shadow" for this object.

evilproducer

Hmmm... I can't see the top of the hierarchy, but I would point out that buildings and rooms can be figures as well. Sometimes POser and DAZ style buildings utilize rigging for doors and other functions. If it's a classic style Poser or DAZ rig, near the top of the hierarchy it will say, Model. If it's a newer triax rig, I believe the model is called, Actor.

Take a look at this screen shot. The house is rigged for door movement and to slide walls out of the way. If I select the light to exclude, WallRight, then nothing happens, as I'm selecting a part of the rig (bone) and not the mesh (model/Actor).

If this is the case in your situation, selecting the model won't have the desired effect because the whole thing will be ignored.

There are a couple ways to get the effect you want.

My preferred method would still use the bulb lights, but instead of excluding the light fixture, I would find the shading domain for the light fixture and shade, and if it appears the shade is translucent, I would add a value to the translucency channel in that light's shading domain. If the light bulb model in the light fixture appears to be clear, you can add that value in the light bulb's shading domain. If it appears to be a soft-white type bulb, then add a translucency to it, instead of transparency.

The holiday bulbs in this image all use a 50% translucency for the bulb's glass. The color is a medium gray. The light source (a Carrara bulb light) drives the color of the light and causes the color in the glass shader to take on the color of the light source.

DUDU

Sorry, it's the translation from french, in English it's "casts shadows", no "generate shadows"...

DUDU

Evil, I think you are right about the translucence...

evilproducer

The other option is to use the Anything Glows light. This will not make the object visibly glow, but it will make the object a light source. This requires the model/actor to be the AG source. This will require a little shader work as well. You will need to find the shading domains for the light bulbs and add a glow in the glow channel for their shaders.

In the General Tab for the AG light, under color, select Object Glow. This will make anywhere there's a glow on the model emit light, and where there's not, it shouldn't.

I'm not a huge fan of AG, because the facets can cause some shadow artifacts. It's also pretty slow to calculate. See first screen shot.

The third method that also takes a long time to render is to do as above and add glow channels, but in the render room, select the Indirect Light option. This will treat an object glow as a light source. Try a 1-10000 slider n the glow channel to have more control over brightness.

I'm still rendering the IL shot, so I'll post that later. ;-)

Edited to add that no, I won't be adding the IL shot, I accidentally closed Carrara in a bone headed move. It takes to long anyway!

Dartanbeck

There are occasions when the only way to exclude something from lighting affects is to include (or exclude) the whole group or figure. Sometimes, in these situations, you may be able to actually pull the piece in question out of the figure or group. Other times not. If you can, that is certainly a way that I've found to be able to do it - drag the item that you wish to exclude out of the group - often a figure group, and then add it as the thing you wish for your lights to ignore.

klebnor_31c7123443

Thanks all, I just used a spot light placed at the bottom of the light fixture. All good info to know for the future.

I appreciate all the responses.

Klebnor

evilproducer

That works to! Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution, and the most overlooked by us old hands. ;-)

Happy rendering!

klebnor_31c7123443

evilproducer said:

That works to! Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution, and the most overlooked by us old hands. ;-)

Happy rendering!

Thnx.

BTW, I really like your Christmas light effect. I have to try my hand at that.

Klebnor

evilproducer

Klebnor said:

evilproducer said:

That works to! Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution, and the most overlooked by us old hands. ;-)

Happy rendering!

Thnx.

BTW, I really like your Christmas light effect. I have to try my hand at that.

Klebnor

Thanks. It's a freebie I made available recently. You can get it at Share CG or the Carrara Cafe Freepository Forum.

http://www.sharecg.com/v/73481/view/5/3D-Model/Carrara-rigged-Holiday-Light-String

The Carrara Cafe version is at the bottom of the post, below the promo images. If you haven't already checked it out, the Carrara Cafe is a great Carrara resource.
http://carraracafe.com/forum-3/?cid=25&show=751