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Using the D|S Glow shader - a question or two

SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
edited December 1969 in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

I'm (finally!) beginning to figure out interesting uses for the Glow shader accessible in the D|S Shader Builder. There's a few things I can't quite figure out, though. Applying the glow to a sphere, and putting that around a light, I've found the glow is very opaque; I can't see through it to the light object inside. None of the surfaces parameters do anything about this. Adjusting the diffuse colour doesn't do what I want. Turning down the Opacity does nothing. Adjusting the Attenuation seems to work like the Glossiness on a default surface; looks good, but not always what I want.

Is there any way to make this glow translucent, or at least a bit more see-through? Am I missing something, or is that just not adjustable?

FWIW, this is the test render I've been playing with tonight, applying Linear Point lights surrounded by a Glow-surfaced sphere on each of the lamps. I think it looks pretty good, but I'd like the option of those translucent glows. Ideas, anyone?

Gazebo-01.jpg
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Comments

  • Derek CarlinDerek Carlin Posts: 38
    edited December 1969

    if I understand what you're after, it would be the "attenuation" attribute of the shader (under "light" section)? increase it and it makes the edges of the object fade faster. If you set it to something like 0.1, it would be an almost solid looking object. If you increase it to, for example 10, it should have a bright center (where your lightbulb/flame would be) and tenuous at the edges... this means you would see more of the "source" of your glow.

    attaching a couple of examples ... glow sphere around the candle flame, a point light just above the flame. The glow-sphere's shadow setting is off, and it's opacity set to 10%. in one image I have attenuation set to 1 ... you see an almost solid sphere. In the other it's set to 10, and you see we have just a bright centre with soft edges to the "glow".

    glowShader-attenuation-10.png
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    glowShader-attenuation-1.png
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  • PendraiaPendraia Posts: 3,598
    edited December 1969

    That looks amazing...any tutorials on how to use shader builder yet?

  • prixatprixat Posts: 1,588
    edited December 1969

    There was a question asked about 'Glow' in the middle of one Szark's Uber threads.

    I posted a mini-tutorial there:
    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/14536/P420/#633185

    (the question and examples were in the preceding couple of pages)

  • PendraiaPendraia Posts: 3,598
    edited December 1969

    prixat said:
    There was a question asked about 'Glow' in the middle of one Szark's Uber threads.

    I posted a mini-tutorial there:
    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/14536/P420/#633185

    (the question and examples were in the preceding couple of pages)

    Thanks!
  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited February 2015

    Looks like Attenuation is the right dial to fiddle with, then.

    I think I'm getting better at this; here's another test render I just churned out in a surprisingly short time, placing lights around the interior of the Guild Hall, plus a faint AoA ambient right in the middle of the room. The lamp glass has ambient turned up, and the lamp bulb has it turned way up.

    GuildHall-01.jpg
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    Post edited by SpottedKitty on
  • Derek CarlinDerek Carlin Posts: 38
    edited December 1969

    this tutorial looks reasonable as well (for the 5 minutes I spent looking at it).

    http://www.sharecg.com/v/66014/browse/3/PDF-Tutorial/DAZ-4.5-Shader-Builder-Tutorial---MK-Gooch-Shader

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