heyas; here's my eagle pic again. i got an idea from mike (hi mike! sorry i called you a goof. (at least the last 3 times, anyway ;) )). so i took out the sun and put in a volumetric spotlight instead. now i can beam these beams right down on the birdie. so, it looks as if they're going where/how i want them to go... um, but what on EARTH is that huge black spot in the corner!?!? its not outside the volumetric cone; its not centered on the light... there's nothing to cast any shadow there. i turned everything invisible except the eagle. (and didnt render invisible stuff). and i turned the atmosphere from volumetric to normal. the spot appears either way. ::sigh::