CADuzer

I'm using the VRay demo 1.5 RC2. I’ve created a simple scene with a plane as the base on top of which is a box. They both have Vray materials attached to them. There is a target direct light with a vray shadow aimed at them. I’m trying to render out the shadow as an element. When I do this with the normal 3ds max render element and open the file in photoshop, the alpha that is embedded in it is in the shape of the shadow (which is what I want). When I render the render element with “vray shadow” , the alpha channel built into the shadow file is in the shape of the plane, not the shadow.

Anyone have any ideas?

ihabkal

Hi Scott,
That one confused me too then I read the online manual,
the shadow and the raw shadow layers both need Vray materials to work. If you assign vray materials to all your objects you'll see the shadow as white on black. I thought the software was buggy at first then I found out that solution.

CADuzer

I've got vray materials assigned to both the plane and the box and the vrayshadow render element shows the shadow with the color of the bottom plane, not black and white. I've attached the MAX file and two images to this post.
Scott

Attached Files

test.zip (93.6 KB, 27 views)

robertherrick

to be honest ive never found the vray shadow material particulary great, it maybe easier and quicker (if you just want to shadow to do it in scanline with the shadow/material. But then again i suppose your testing out 1.5 so whats the point! oh well

then maybe have a look at the mat and try clicking the effect alpha button this may help (but only when the render has finished will it find the alpha channel)

__________________
Robert Herrick

robert@visualhouse.co.uk

visualhouse
3D visualisers

www.visualhouse.co.uk

CADuzer

Didn't work. I think the key issue is that the alpha channel is showing the objects in white and the background in black. For the vrayshadow render element, the shadow should be a gradient from black to white and the rest should be all black. That's what isn't happening correctly.
- Scott