CompuServe Messages

Hi Graig, Um, actually from what I've seen, the ray-traced spotlights will probably only be used on a very specific basis, so I wouldn't characterize them as really "slowing down" the renderer on a general basis. When you consider the speed is quite a bit faster than r2 on AA/High and the quality is WAY better, this is where the speed-up is evident. Although I haven't done a ton of architectural stuff, I would theorize that in many cases, the Spotlight Overshoot function is gonna be a very viable option, especially for animations. When you REALLY need absolutely perfect, sharp shadows (mostly for stills, I'd guess), the ray-trace function will be a great tool to have. The bottom line is this: Everyone now has MANY more lighting options with which to tailor their scene in the way that best applies to their job at hand — a true hallmark of an exteremely versatile production renderer! -Alan