First off, Kix, REALLY NICE MODEL! I'm really impressed with your old Constitution Class ship, there. It's awesome! Is this something you're considering making available to those of us out here in 'rosity land? Second, I was going to suggest the multiple pass approach, myself. It seems like the answer. Yes, GI takes a long time to render, but it's worth it for the quality of the image. Doing a multi pass render will also take a long time, but it's probably your only approach. If you composite your multi passes in Photoshop, you'll be able to have a little more control over the "aura" effect on glowing areas, too. More control! More Control! - Dex