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Objects not cast a shadow option?
New member so first post -- hi to all!
I'm using Sweethome 3D to create settings in which a friend's artwork, such as wall-hangings and pictures, can be displayed in an attractive rendered context, and it is proving perfect for this purpose.
I like to make an exterior view seen through windows by using a flat 'billboard' with an attractive scene textured onto it. This is effective and saves building 3D objects outside the house, but can block sunlight if too close or at a bad angle. Is there a way, or could there be a way, of setting an option such that the billboard object does not block light? This would then allow sunlight to shine into the room unobstructed. If there is such an option I haven't been able to find it.
UK
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Re: Objects not cast a shadow option?
Mediafire doesn't allow direct links on the free account so I've stored these on my own website.
The first image shows an interior (low-grade) render where you can see the view through the window of some palm trees. The second pic shows how this is arranged, with a textured flat 'billboard' plane (lighting is used on this plane to brighten the view from inside the room).
The problem I brought up in the first post is that the textured plane is seen as an opaque object by the renderer, and therefore will block sunlight out unless carefully positioned (sun is coming from south-west in the render), and I wondered if there might be a way to have an option in the software to stop such an object from blocking light, while still leaving it appearing opaque (It doesn't want to be transparent!).
Netherlands
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Re: Objects not cast a shadow option?
Mick,
There may be a solution, but it's not the easiest one.
When you define a plane in the OBJ "language" used to describe objects in SH3D, that plane is transparent from one side, and opaque from the other side. As far as I know, even if you attach an image to the opaque side of that plane, the plane remains transparent when viewed from the other side.
The problem is that you have to use a text editor to construct that single one-sided plane, which isn't a very user-friendly exercise. Read this thread and study the included example.
Hans
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Hans
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Re: Objects not cast a shadow option?
Hans thanks for the suggestion -- I will give that a try. I'm quite happy working with the OBJ format in Blender, and it does have the advantage of being an editable text file.
France
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Re: Objects not cast a shadow option?
At the two best quality levels of rendering, the "one side" objects are rendered as double sided objects. You could try is to apply your texture on a half transparent box, that would let the light go through partially.
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Emmanuel Puybaret, Sweet Home 3D creator
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Re: Objects not cast a shadow option?
Hi Hans -- Unfortunately it does not look like this trick will work, although it was a good idea. I downloaded your box OBJ file, which has single-sided polygons & is transparent seen from inside the box, and opaque from the outside. I put this into a simple room in SweetHome and placed a light source inside the box then rendered the scene. No light escaped from inside the box. Moving the light source outside the box did, of course, illuminate the room.
Oh well, I can always find ways around the problem; as a last resort I can patch in a view of the exterior through the window in a Photoshop-type software after the initial render/save. The ability to set an object to not cast shadows during render would be a useful addition to the software though, if it could possibly be achieved.
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Re: Objects not cast a shadow option?
At the two best quality levels of rendering, the "one side" objects are rendered as double sided objects. You could try is to apply your texture on a half transparent box, that would let the light go through partially.
Hi Emmanuel -- Sorry I didn't notice your post (above) when I replied to Hans. I will give what you suggest a try.
