I'm using the DSU figure with a background image attached and dont want it lit as it looks really good as is in preview.

I don't believe you can ... but careful placement of lights and cameras could do the trick for you. You don't want to lose the effects of the scene and trying to block light might have a reverse effect on what you are trying to accomplish.

What is the DSU figure?

Just guessing, but try zeroing out the diffuse and specular values, and instead use the alternate_diffuse socket.

the dsu is here http://www.sharecg.com/v/28921/poser/Distance-Simulation-Unit---Vue-Version I was hoping the solution would be a one click option in the properties for the object. I dont want to change my light set up. Pity, the background looks good in preview. I'll maybe try the node textures as suggested. Love esther

We can't literally block it from receiving light. However, we can set up the shader so that it does not take any light into account in its calculation.

The Poser root node Diffuse_Color is a Diffuse node, which has its primary purpose being to take light into its calculation. So it follows that you should not be using that.

Instead, plug the texture into the Ambient_Color and adjust brightness with the Ambient_Value, or plug the texture into Alternate_Diffuse, which doesn't add a lighting calculation as it is expecting you to supply on as a node. If you don't supply one then it doesn't do one.

In other words, do what seachnasaigh said, and what I've shown you for nine years in the BB Environment Sphere.

Note: The EnvSphere adds a bunch of other nodes for the purpose of easy manipulation of the brightness and saturation and color and gamma. None of those amount to anything involving reaction to lights. Ultimately, with the modifier nodes of the EnvSphere shader set to neutral values, you're basically just running the texture straight into the Alternate_Diffuse.

You could also run the texture straight into Reflection_Color, Refraction_Color, Alternate_Specular, or Translucence_Color. All of these do nothing with light by themselves as they are all meant to receive a lighting node. Short-circuiting them by NOT using a lighting node at all results in literally just drawing what you plug in. If you just plug in the texture, then it will literally draw the texture and not do anything else.

I actually have that DSU for my old vue 6 version.. ahh!! the memories :-)

Try compositing in post I believe you should be able to hide your foreground figures and render the DSU background clean&alone. then hide the DSU background and render the figures against black with an alpha channel,to a mac pict or targa image.

This should give them a transparent background allowing you to layer them on top of the clean background render in any image editor the will read alpha channels such as photoshop or gimp.......theoretically

Thanks everyone - okay not too hard. will do. And perfect wolf359 - that is exactly what I wanted.

that worked perfectly when plugged into alt diffuse - thanks again!