Headlights and cherrytops...

[tomsdesk]

...I'm about half happy with these headlights but am sure hoping someone can help me make them better: these are 65/30 spots, 200w(is this a wattage number?), positioned a couple inches in front to the grille.

Also want to make the light bar throw some light on the roof without slowing the render time down to a virtual halt (I tried real emitters but the render time went to overnight on easy02). I've tried several other configurations using various materials with point lights inside but didn't get anything even close...so help please and thank you: these are fake emitters (set to 1000w before selecting fake).

[Fletch]

Tom, the cop car model is umm...
Well, you will have to do a bit more modeling on the lights if you want them realistic... there are a lot of things you can do with it actually... but there's no simple "miracle cure"

When using light emitters, use progressive render methods 9 or 10.

For the headlights use an IES for a spot light, you will like them instantly... but the render time for an IES is about 2x the render time of a normal spot.

[tomsdesk]

...Well, you will have to do a bit more modeling on the lights if you want them realistic... there are a lot of things you can do with it actually...

Like what, thanks...can you give me some hints? Everything I've tried failed completely.

[Ecuadorian]

To begin with, if you want realism, you need to find better looking cars.

[tomsdesk]

So you're both saying: in order to learn how to do a colored light I need to find some high poly cars to practice with? (Or you saying I just won't get any help till then? :`)

[Ecuadorian]

Sorry, Tom, I forgot to answer your main question. My advice is: Try with preset 09. When I was preparing the Neon chair image, I struggled with fake emitters and such but ultimately found that with Preset 09 (Interior progressive) I got amazing results in comparable times. So every time you need emitters, choose 09. You don't need to change the type of emitter material, as they all will become "real" ones in Preset 09.

[Chris]

Hi Tom,

This kind of material is tough to do so it renders "quickly". If you want it to glow, the easiest way is to make it an emitter, but as you found out, that can really slow things down with how many you have in your scene.

One alternative is to make the material SubSurface Scattering -> Gum and reduce the Alpha to about 10. Then put an omni light inside. But honestly I don't know if that will run any faster than emitters...

This is definitely the kind of scene where unbiased renders will excel. They aren't limited by the number of emitting polygons, so you can go with emitter materials.

[Chris]

First image is SSS -> Gum, with Alpha at 5, Scatter Density at 0. Omni Light inside, strength = 1. Took 10 seconds
Second is emitter, 500 W/m^2. Took 13 seconds.

Both on Low, single core.

So the SSS may be a bit faster for you...

[Fletch]

A fake red emitter with a red omni inside may render even faster
*edit - yes, Chris - the Fake Emitter needs to have the "cast shadows" box unchecked, as demonstrated in the attached file

here's the set up.

CherryTopFakeEmit.skp

(15.22 KiB) Downloaded 490 times

[Chris]

With shadows turned off.