Hello... been a while since I've stopped by, unfortunately.

Anyhow, here goes...

I'm experimenting with rendering the above product image in Bryce and would like to create the effect of light shining through the water and onto the concrete pipe bellow its surface. My intent is to create the caustic lighting pattern that should appear on the concrete pipe under the water's surface. Did that make sense? I hope so.

Has anyone tried to do something similar?

I'm well aware that such caustic effects are usually created in Bryce with a pattern of an actual water caustic used as a gel to filter a light. Although I've never actually tried it myself yet. I've read tutorials for doing just this in underwater scenes. I just haven't seen it done for an "above water" scene.

If I use the same method with the scene above it seems to me that I would have to complete one redering with the caustics and one without, and the edit the two together. The reason I see for this is that the light with the gel would be casting the caustic pattern on more then the area under the water.

The other option I can see is to make the that part of the storm drain pipe which is underwater a separate object and apply a custom material to it... a material which has been made to look like the caustic effect. But... damn, I would have to contend with recreating the layer of dirt at the bottom of the pipe in some other way or make it part of the material (or texture map)also.

If anyone has a better solution please let me know. Thanks!

Oh... If there is anything in the image above that you think needs improvement don't restrain yourself and please tell me. :) I still have a lot to learn about Bryce.