dlectric Material

[oldhippie_tom]

Good evening,

I just got the DT Realflow 4, and it makes me want to do a glass of wine being poured. I have never done any type of glass, so this is new for me. I am using a dlectric Material on the wine glasses and I see the shadow for the glasses does not appear to show in the back (showing through the glass). Can anyone guide me to a way that it may be visible?

Thanks!!!

[DjVoyager]

Hi Tom.

That sounds like a pretty cool project/animation, and good choice going with dielectric. Those glasses look awesome :bang
So you would have to increase the refractions for both the material for the glass(if you're using dielectric only then leave this option), and crank it up in the render globals. Make both Reflections and Refractions to 10. Max trace depth to 20 and Shadow trace depth to 2. See how that turns out.

Keep us posted of your progress!

[oldhippie_tom]

Ok, well I believe they are at 5 and 6 right now (Reflection and Refractions) so I will increase them and check on the trace depth also.

Thank you for liking the glasses. I am happy myself, as this is the first time with glass and to have it look like that. Well got to be the diectric, as I know it ain't me. ;-) Dlectric mterial does seem to make very nice glass!!!!

Thanks DJ!!!!!

[McGergs]

I also recomend using the dielectric photon.

What version of Maya are you using?

If you are using Maya 8 you can drag that right onto the objects.

If you are using 7.0 or lower you will have to drag it into the shading group of another shader (Blin for example) the same way you did the dielectric material. Just put it in the Blinn's shading group. See attachment.

Then turn on caustics in Render globals.

Then create a spotlight. set the intensity to 0. Scroll down and check the caustics emit photons.

Now you should get a light bounce splash out of the glass too.

[oldhippie_tom]

Well McGregs, thanks!!! I had planned on starting on the Global Illumination and final Render and wondered about the photons. I am using Maya 7, I have 8, but old habits die hard. I was getting to the caustics, as I mentioned, and will keep learning about glass.

Funny how one thing leads to another, huh? Watched the first tutorial on Realflow and got a thought and now I am off. Got to love it!!!!!

Thanks again!

[oldhippie_tom]

DJ, you were right, I believe about the setting of the Shadow Trace Depth, I set it up and I see the shadows through the glass. It was that, or I had wondered if the light could see through the blinn I had used with the dielectric material. I set the blinn to transparent and other setting as if it were glass.

Well, one of the two did the right thing.

And McGregs, I am using some caustic also, but the dielectric seem to do such a fine job!!!

[DjVoyager]

Cool! For a more dramatic result, plug a Dielectric Material Photon on the Blinn's MR Photon Shader. Now, you might have to play with the render global and spotlight's photon/caustic values, but it's worth it for a special scene :)

[oldhippie_tom]

Thank you once again!! Plant a seed and let it grow, huh? HaHaHa!! Yes, I will try it and probably pick at it way to much. But it will show me what the settings do.

The scene may seem kind of plain (just wine and cheese), but I have never worked with rendering anymore than to just render something. Again, it is all such fun!!!!

And then the animation. Must be Christmas!!!!

[oldhippie_tom]

Just to show you how the shadows came through. I toned down on the highlights and seems to have helped. I will learn about shadow, but not right now. I will worry about understanding that when I get there and it is complete.

[oldhippie_tom]

Well, been having way too much fun with this. And the seed you planted DJ, about playing with the Render Globals and Caustics. But I thin for right now the glasses are fine till I finsih the rest.

Seems I may have messes up the spline alittle when I did the revolve, as I get quite a distortion in the middle of both glasses. I am not discouraged and will make another glass, and pay more attention this time.

This really has given me a chance to learn about rendering. Think I will keep after it and see what more I can learn.

[DjVoyager]

That looks good...although I'd like to suggest couple of things for the composition. The above one looks a lot better, mostly because the sleek surface of the wood and the shape of the glasses really seem to go together, compare to rough ground and bump walls of the second composition. I'd also like to state that the above composition look very much completed, even though you weren't happy with the cast shadows, but to the sight...:) Well, those were just my suggestions.