Hi all...

I'm trying to make some lightning for a scene, but having difficulties.  I took a photo of a lightning bolt and, using terrain editor, made a bolt.  However, when I try to use a light (either radial or spot) surrounding terrain and other objects inevitably illuminate, also.  Is there a way to turn the bolt, itself, into a light source?

I am determined to make this work.  Anybody have an answer for this issue?

Thanks in advance!

Try setting lights to "ranged"  and set a value that will only illuminate the bolt.  Or use "squared fall off".  Remember a lightning strike will illuminate the landscape and clouds some.  Try glass mats and turn ambient way up.  I don't know if any of this will work as you wish but it is where I would start.

 I'd follow Willie's lead on this...sounds sound.. ...

Yes, I think that's the way to go.  I switched the "bolt" to glass and modified it's color and the color of it's illumination.  I'm not completely happy with the outcome, but it's a vast improvement.  I have a few other things to do in the scene I'm making and I will post it in the gallery.

Seems I have a lot of work to do to figure this one out.  Another quest...  :-)

Thanks for the input.  As I said, a vast improvement!

 I love it when a plan comes together.. ...

@ Greenhawke - I sent you an email outlining a method I use.

Got your message...  And thanks!  I'll give that a shot on my next lightning project.

I guess I'll upload what I have now.  Looking for some critique...

@ Greenhawke - You can see this lightning technique at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBE-Gq-VpjU  Good Luck!

Quote - @ Greenhawke - You can see this lightning technique at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBE-Gq-VpjU  Good Luck!

Sweet!  Very, very nice!  Was that yours?  Lightning was very good.  But, so was the whole vid!  Excellent...

Okay!  Just posted it in my gallery.  I'd REALLY appreciate any criticism.  skiwillgee, I would especially appreciate hearing what you think as I followed your suggestion in this rendering.**
**

PD Pro has a lightning tool. See some at www.thebest3d.com/dogwaffle/whatscool and across some of the tutorials www.thebest3d.com/pdpro/tutorials

Also, if you create fractal noise  in most imaging tools and then reduce the brightness and adjust contrust it can make for great elements that can be composited into a lightning 'tree'

Finally, see if you can find something from storm / tornado / eclipse website www.klipsi.com  (my bro)

If you want to model a 3D object to look like lightning,in Bryce or other 3D tools, take a gree and make it have no leaves a but lots of details (branch iterations).  And then turn it up-side down. Long ago there was a plugin for Carrara, Zen something, or something else, which created trees, and another plugin from the same creating lightning, and the code was very similar IMHO. Just upside down.

I guess whenever someone plants a tree in Australia or the Amazones we see some lightning here in the Northern hemispheres LOL

-Philip
 PS: how to turn Ostrich egg shells into artistic decorative lamps:
www.lezoeuf.com
 

Those are some really good lighning photos on www.klipsi.com

@GreenHawke

The bolt is very good.  My suggestion is leaning more toward realistic than surreal.  First try increasing the size of the scene by enlarging everything and moving the camera back farther to take it all in.  When the scene is larger and the objects are spread more it will give you better control over the detailed  lighting effects within the scene. A small change in brightness values will not be so globally apparent, especially when the lights are set to squared fall off.  Does that make sense to you?

That way you could set several radial lights along the path of the bolt without overwhelming or over illuminating the ground and clouds.

I hope you will experiment with this and fine tune the process.  That is how you learn and can become the master of lightning scenes. 

I do them in post in Photoshop etc, the GIF-X 2 plugin from Ulead has a superb lighting effect! :)

Quote - ... I hope you will experiment with this and fine tune the process.  That is how you learn and can become the master of lightning scenes. 

Sorry for the delay in responding.  Had my grandson here and he kept me busy...

Yes, I will continue to play with the lightning.  I'm trying hard too get up to speed.  Haven't used Bryce since about '02 and have only been back on board with it since May, this year.

Thanks for the tips, etc.  I'll be doing some more such scenes and hope to have some good enough to post...

I like taking photographs.

sent!

Quote - sent!

Thanks!!!

WOW, that is good. Is there a chance you could put it up in sharecg if you don't want to put it up here?  I could use that lightning mesh.

Thanks in advance.