Did you check to make sure the actual texture map file hasn't become corrupted?

Thanks for the response, sparrownightmare.

That was my first assumption, so I changed textures a couple of times with no change in the spotting effect.  I doesn't seem to be a texture or shader problem.  I also tried changing lights.  I still get this effect.  I wonder if the artifacts are memory related, there's a lot going on in the scene.

Klebnor

That's possible.  Have you tried switching render engines between software and OpenGL?

Is it something that has come from Poser7?

Brian

it appears to be an AO./ photon count/interpolation problem.
post screencap of render settings.

Brian, the background is a Carrara Terrain and Realistic Sky and in the foreground is a Danie Maforno object and V4.2 with a texture and clothing.

Attached is a render.  You can see that the spotting only seems to affect the skin texture.  I have not touched the skin shaders, and have tried applying different skin textures.

Maybe the problem is issued by ambiant occlusion.
Try to adjust the paramater to 2.5 ft...

LMAO.  It's always the simple things eh?  :)

Absolutely!  Lots of head scratching on that one.

I put the full version in my gallery due to size limit on forum.

Klebnor

I'll take a look.

o.k., kleb, glad to know ya got rid of the artifacts.  there are various adjustments
to those render settings that ringo, litst and the other developers put in there
to enhance realism, but they do add greatly to the render time when set at
maximum quality.

Looks good but Miss Nancy is right.  You could greatly enhance the realism using a higher level of textures.  What you can do depends on your system's capabilities but my Phenom X4 system has no problems with max settings unless I use too many poser characters. :)

Quote - o.k., kleb, glad to know ya got rid of the artifacts.  there are various adjustments
to those render settings that ringo, litst and the other developers put in there
to enhance realism, but they do add greatly to the render time when set at
maximum quality.

Not sure about litst, but ringo isn't a dev. or are you referring to a PA product?

The whole point about Carrara is that you can make your own, personal, "vicky/Michael type person", without importing what is made by others in other apps--that are NOT Poser or D/S made originally anyway either!.

So much of the real joy of 3D modelling being circumvented by using model importation.--with all it's problems.

Brian

That's why I generally prefer to use as much content as I can that I created myself.  I only use Poser figures for characters because I stink at humanoid form modeling. LOL

I agree, although its hard to resist dashing off a composed scene when something catches the eye.  I have enough trouble with relatively primitive content, I don't think I'll be trying any human figures for years.  As a relatively recent convert from poser to Carrara, I am still enjoying learning and experimenting with all the available lighting effects.

Playing with render settings is next.

Thanks for all the help and input.

 Excellent agenda for 2009 !

Ringo n'était pas un développeur de carrara? ¡mon dieu!

Brian

Brian:

Very interesting.   Is the pattern on the dress (cloak?) a procedural shader or a texture?

Klebnor

Brian
The attached shows the current files I have in the Shader Browser  EnhanceC folder.

Cool.  If you wanted a more detailed texture, is there an easy way to tile the shader (ie make it appear more than once on the object) without individual zones?

Klebnor

Yes.
Pretty basic stuff for almost every shader.

Brian