Quote - Here's another experiment, which makes no sense unless the mesh has moved.

My big sphere is now made of glass. There are two small decorated spheres. The lower one is being refracted through the glass of the displaced lobe. How is that possible if it isn't really there? How do you explain why the two smaller balls do not appear identical, if the lobe isn't really there between the camera and the little sphere?

If the renderer was just moving the glass pixels to the right, we wouldn't see the sphere through it because in that case it isn't really behind the glass.

This is not an illusion as you described it.

Hey, bagginsbill, a quick question on lighting if you please. Why is the shadow of the Sphere solid? If it were indeed made of glass shouldn't some light be shining through it?

Also, you said the blinds were made using a one-sided square and a displacement map. Well, if displacement maps actually move the mesh around as you say, why is the shadow solid?

And for the record, I'm not knowledgeable enough about any of this to be calling you out. Just want to know why those two examples have solid shadows? I'm assuming the answer has something to do more with Poser Lights than with displacement maps, but I honestly don't know.