Hi, all! My apologies if this is extremely obvious, but I am a very new RDS user. Is it possible to create an object that is a light source in RDS? I'm not talking about the effect you get with the Glow channel; I'm looking to make object that is an actual light source that shines on other objects. If it is, don't feel any need to go into exhaustive detail. If you happen to know already a tutorial or some such on the topic to which you can point me, that's great. I just want to make sure I'm not ramming my head against a wall. ^_^ Thanks!

Fugue - I don't think it is possible (although I have the stripped down version of RDS, RayDream 3D), but I've come up with a work-around. I use the glow channel on the object and place a similarly colored light with very soft shadows very close to the object. If you're creating a still image, it's pretty easy to place the light so it doesn't look wrong. When things start moving is when it becomes a little more obvious that it's a trick. Chip

Thanks for the response, Chip! I did manage to get pretty close to doing it last night. I don't know if you can do it in RD 3D, but I put a small bulb light at the center of my object and made the object pretty transparent. So I do now have a light in it. The problem has become adjusting the light. I've tried playing with the transparency, playing with the size of the bulb, playing with the intensity of the light, and I don't see much in the way of variation. And my script sorta calls for it to be adjustable. Haven't even started the animation step of the process. Of course, I do have to be able to animate it. I'll doubtless be back on the forum when I reach that point. ^_^ I think I'll use your plan when I don't have to animate, though. It sounds a lot less complicated.

I've tried similar things in the past with varying success. Make sure "light through transparency" is enabled and "soft shadows" needs to be selected.

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Yep, I can put lights inside transparent objects, but as you've found out, I had trouble varying the softness of the shadows; if the size of the soft DRT shadows is bigger than the transparent object the light's inside, I got all sorts of freaky effects, none of which were particularly pleasing.... I'm looking forward to seeing some posts! (It also looks like I'm going to have to upgrade to RDS 5.5, finally.... Hoping to find a cheap close-out copy somewhere....)

Hi! Sorry it took me so long to get back--I think I've got it under control. The "light through transparency" and "soft shadows" worked miracles. (Although one must wonder what the program thinks transparency is if not a situation in which light passes through something. . . .) I still haven't got the pattern I want on the surface, but that's just trying different things to see what I like. Thanks much!

I know it is not RDS but Eric Winemiller of Digital Carvers Guild has a plug-in for Carrara that does exactly what you want called Anything Glows.