Itoo Software Forum

Forest Pack => Forest Pro (*) => Topic started by: danb4026 on January 07, 2013, 08:54:30 PM

Title: Detailed explanation for getting shadows with custom billboards and Vray?
Post by: danb4026 on January 07, 2013, 08:54:30 PM

Cannot find a detailed tutorial on getting shadows with custom billboards and Vray.
I am creating a crowd of people using Vray and Vray materials with opacity maps.
Any explanation would be appreciated.

Title: Re: Detailed explanation for getting shadows with custom billboards and Vray?
Post by: iToo on January 07, 2013, 10:10:21 PM

You can find an (old) tutorial for billboards shadows here:

http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/tutorials/tutorial_shadows.php (http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/tutorials/tutorial_shadows.php)

Basically, this should be the procedure using VRay:

1) Put your VRay material in the Base slot of a new Forest Material (http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/reference/mat.php)
2) Assign it to Geometry (http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/reference/refgeometry.php)->Geometry List->Material
3) Assign the main light (as VRaySun) to Shadows (http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/reference/refshadow.php)->Raytrace->Light

The following FAQ entry regarding billboards also may be useful for you: http://www.itoosoft.com/forum/index.php?topic=448.0 (http://www.itoosoft.com/forum/index.php?topic=448.0)

Title: Re: Detailed explanation for getting shadows with custom billboards and Vray?
Post by: danb4026 on January 07, 2013, 10:18:20 PM

Thanks very much!  I will give that a try.

Title: Re: Detailed explanation for getting shadows with custom billboards and Vray?
Post by: danb4026 on January 07, 2013, 10:40:54 PM

Do you turn fake shadows off?  What about the checkbox for "xshadow/raytracing"?  If that is left off, I assume that you do not check "Cast opacity mask for Custom Objects"?

In the "Raytrace" Dialog, I understand that you choose your light (sun in my case), check "Hide planes on viewport, check "prevent self shadow" and uncheck "every tree over itself"?

Thx

Title: Re: Detailed explanation for getting shadows with custom billboards and Vray?
Post by: iToo on January 07, 2013, 10:55:51 PM

Fake shadows must be on, in order to generate the shadows for the billboards.

Regarding the other options, default settings should work fine (use the screenshot of the help as guide):

http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/reference/refshadow.php (http://www.itoosoft.com/forestpack/reference/refshadow.php)

You can see the description of each parameter in the same page.