I am trying to make a realistic candle but I'm having no luck with the flame. The candle is modeled in Rhino (left) and rendered in Bryce. When I set the flame as a volume, "voluminous fire" (right), it doesn't show up. I can set it to the volume "purple brain cloud" (center), and it looks fine...but don't want a puffy, purple flame.

It is surely something simple, but what am I doing wrong?

thanks

Here is another render using Fire (special fx). Turned transparency down to 28 to brighten the flame. Not bad, but hoping for something much better.

Suggestions on modeling a flame...without photoshop postwork?

I've done a simply volumetric material, like the laser beam, and have put a light into it. You can see the result on the thread under your. At this moment I don't have my Bryce here but if you like my candle I can give you the values of the material

Attached Link: http://www.phase2.net/claygraphics/brycepg.1.html

The default fire volumetric that comes with Bryce is horrible, don't use it. I have seen members use a volumetric fire material from our other Bryce Moderator, Clay. I think it is hidden somewhere in his website...but even though his material is way superior, it has the properties of a large roaring inferno, may not be able to really make it look like a single simple flame. You might be better off getting a pic of a candle flame and using it as a 2D face in your render.

This is what Clay's fire material looks like.

You could/can use this if you want.

End up looking something like this. Be sure to "up" the transparency slider from 0 to 5, that will get rid of any edges around the flame that would still be showing.

its a great candle zarth ...good modelling :) and good luck

AgentSmith: Great picture. thanx. I've only used Bryce as a renderer so forgive the simple questions. So, apply the picture to a small ground plane oriented vertically? Or, a create a thin solid from a distorted cube? thanks

don't use a ground plane, in the object toolbar there is a simple flat square obj, use that.

thanks

Um, Vasquez, you mean the Da Vinci pic, right? I just used Agentsmith's picture on that, copied the original into the alpha channel and I got a single candle flame without anything else. Hm. Cannot get a glow, though, at the moment.

Attached Link: http://www.phase2.net/claygraphics/volumetricfire.html

If you want the volumetric fire it's here: http://www.phase2.net/claygraphics/volumetricfire.html But AgentSmith is right this is more for an open flame from a campfire etc.You could try tweaking the settings a bit if ya like.

Couldn't help putting my 2 cents worth in here. You will probably want to turn off the shadow for your fire object so it doesn't cast its own shadow. :^) Also place an invisible light source (with weak output)where the flame is, to simulate the light given off by the flame. I use a volume flame texture I got by surfing the links here called (I think) Menno's Fire, very similar to Clay's. Maybe Clay is Menno? It is very cheap to render, and an example can be seen in my gallery here in a piece called "Mask of Reason". But it is more suited to campfires and torches.

Clay's vol. fire is great - really versatile. I use it for lots of things myself. Tjohn is right, turn OFF the following for the fire material: casts shadow, receives shadow, and self-shadows. Real fire doesn't do any of those. Also, with those settings off, you can park a radial light right in the heart of the flame mesh and it will work great.

yes, yes, and yes do all those things, lol. Clicking on the DaVinci pic is the way to go, it sets it all up for you, and that's how I did it in that pic up there, the only other thing I did was to increase the transparency from 0 to 5, `cause the flame pic still had an edge to it. Of course, shadows off, fogot to do that/tell you that. And, remember to have the 2d pic of the flame directly facing the camera, otherwise it will look like a carboard cutout. AgentSmith

What kind of tracking should the flame have? The cnadle itself? Yes, I know it's not an animation, but if you move the view around.

Track the camera, that way if you move the view the flame will always point at the camera.

Also apply the texture to the ambiance and crank it up, way up.....instant glow in the dark

Rendo people: you've been great on this one. I'm on the road the next two weeks so web access will be iffy. Thanks for the tremendous help.