#Ray Tracing?
12 messages in this thread
Would like to know your opinion on Ray Tracing in 3d Studio r3 primarily
concerning objects. I realize r3 has a shadow ray tracing option but I was
wondering about "tracing" objects.
I've seen a program called POV-Ray and would like anyone's opinion on it or
others. Is the tracing really noticable in "fli's" especially 320-200. Would
you recommend "tracing" as your standard finished product mode especially when
it comes to tracing objects?
Thanks for your imput.
Jerry
PMJI but to put in my 2 cents worth, there's been a lot of talk about
raytracing built-into 3D Studio and all the rest. Am I mistaken when I say
that the only thing raytracing offers over the existing 3DSr3 renderer is the
ability to acurately depict refractions and reflections? If that's the case, I
say we lose raytracing as a part of 3DS, and just add some more "trickery" into
the renderer that will simulate refractions, and reflections and keep the
rendering time nice and fast as it is.
probably has nothing to do with your letter but just had to say it somewhere..
— Steve
I've got a whole outline of "trickery-induced" ray-traced-look effects as part
of my r4 wish request list, Steven. I can think of more than a few ways of
simualting refractivilty so that the eye will say "hmmmm..looks real", but the
renderer will just be saying "…a little distortion here, an image flip
there…" Should be WAY faster and nearly as effective as true ray tracing, I'd
suspect.
A object-selective RT option for appropriate applications would be nice, too.
It's just that for production/animation work, I think there may be better ways
right now.
-Alan
PMJI,
But I agree, if you're going to add ray tracing to a 3D app., SELECTIVE is
the only way to implement it IMHO. If you gotta' have it and you've got the
time, use it with the minimum objects required – otherwise, scanline.
(wouldn't mind having that option at times with 3DS)
BILL
Bill:
PMJI&FWIW I think your "selective" ray-tracing idea is an excellent suggestion.
Bob
Thanks Bob, but it's not my idea though. Selective ray tracing is well
established in many higher-end (priced) applications, and I think Alan brought
it up.
BILL
If you have objects with reflections and refractions and you want to see them
really realistic, raytracing will help you.
3DSR3 can create shadows like a raytracer does. The raytraced-shadows looks
more realistic like the shadow maps. Raytraced shadows have no effects on
reflection and refraction. And the closer 3DS comes to a raytracer the closer
it comes to the rendering time of a raytracer.
To have a really realitsic image you should have a combined
raytracer/radiosity. Radiosity can make shadows that look more real than the
shadows in the real world ;-).
I don`t know how to make a Z-buffer renderer that can render realistic
refractions without raytracing. 3DSR3 can do nice reflections but if you have a
lot of them in your scene rendering time can grow up to the time that raytracer
need to raytrace the same scene.
I don`t know how raytraced images look like in 320×200 with 256 colors. It
depends on the scene. If you have only a chrome logo with a black background
Z-buffering (like 3DS does) will do the job.
The POV is a good rayracer. It has a nice image quality and it`s not the
slowest raytracer. But when I want to raytrace a 3DS scene I use the
forthcoming 3DS-raytracer <can`t mention the name>. It`s much faster and has a
quite better image quality.
>> Would you recommend "tracing" as your standard finished product >> mode
especially when it comes to tracing objects?
However it depends on the scene. When I`ve a job to make a bottle close to a
swimming pool I defenetly use raytracing. When I have a glass table in a room
and the scene should look complete realistic I use raytracing. But a lot of
jobs I`d do with the great Z-Buffer of 3DSR3.
I hope I answered your questions.
Michael
Michael:
You've given me alot of "food for thought." The more I understand about 3d
Studio and animation in general, the more I see that I don't know.
I figure if I ask enough questions and "digest" the answers pretty soon I'll be
a "skilled animator." Thanks for giving me your insight.
Jerry
WEll,
I'll put in my two cents on POV-Ray. It's a great way to trace. If you get a
program such as Moray v1.5, you can do graphic modelling then export to POV
format. POV-Ray is very powerful – slow at times though:>. If you use
3DS2POV, you can model in 3dStudio and then convert to pov format.
Aaron the Good
How about being able to apply Ray-Tracing (and perhaps Radiosity)
on a MATERIALS basis, just like we can currently apply
Flat/Gouraud/Phong/Metal on a per-material basis, and then choose a
Maximum Rendering Level at Render time?
This would mean that when you go into the Materials Editor, you see
two or three new buttons for the Render Level, perhaps grouped like
this:
[Flat] [Gouraud] [Phong] [Metal]
[Radiosity] [Ray-Traced] [*.RXP]
Just as clicking on Phong currently makes the [Soften] button appear, and
clicking on Metal gets rid of the [Specular] color patch and changes the
function of "Shininess" and "Sh. Strengt," so Radiosity would change the
function of Self-Illumination (have it actually casting light) and adding
optional Shadows buttons, while Ray-Tracing would add Refraction Index sliders
and perhaps a Refraction Mapping map/mask type. *.RXP would allow whole new
types of rendering to be written in IPAS4 (the Renderer is the last major
module to not have IPAS functionality).
At Render time, you would again have these buttons available, and 3DS would
convert any Material in a higher shader type to the maximum type, just as Phong
and Metal are converted to Gouraud or Flat if you select one of those in r3.
Marion,
<< This would mean that when you go into the Materials Editor, you see two or
three new… wish.>>
r4 wish items. Got it. are you from chicago?
jonas[adesk]
Nope. Shreveport, Louisiana.