Comments on: Previewing Shadowmaps http://www.softimageblog.com/archives/269#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=previewing-shadowmaps People and thoughts behind Softimage in production... Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:23:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Stefano http://www.softimageblog.com/archives/269/comment-page-1#comment-17307 Stefano Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:12:19 +0000 http://www.xsi-blog.com/?p=269#comment-17307 Yes, it's broken (used to work in 5). However, that option allowed you to keep the maps animation wise, but not to reuse them somewhere else, nor was the map written to disk, if I well remember. I think Maya instead allows for per-light path. Yes, it’s broken (used to work in 5).
However, that option allowed you to keep the maps animation wise, but not to reuse them somewhere else, nor was the map written to disk, if I well remember.
I think Maya instead allows for per-light path.

]]> By: harry bardak http://www.softimageblog.com/archives/269/comment-page-1#comment-17306 harry bardak Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:01:37 +0000 http://www.xsi-blog.com/?p=269#comment-17306 Actually the function exist in the GUI but it doesn't work. XSI will always ask MR to rebuild your shadow map even if you uncheck rebuild shadow map option. It looks like nobody really tested it ! Actually the function exist in the GUI but it doesn’t work.
XSI will always ask MR to rebuild your shadow map even if you uncheck rebuild shadow map option.

It looks like nobody really tested it !

]]> By: Guillaume Laforge http://www.softimageblog.com/archives/269/comment-page-1#comment-17305 Guillaume Laforge Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:28:37 +0000 http://www.xsi-blog.com/?p=269#comment-17305 Thanks for the info Stefano. Saving deep shadows map is something very useful when ligths are already set and that you just need to tweak the surface shaders without re-render the shadow maps. I never tried this using Mental Ray as most of the time I don't use shadow maps with this renderer. But Softimage could add this feature in XSI to avoid the .mi file generation. Thanks for the info Stefano. Saving deep shadows map is something very useful when ligths are already set and that you just need to tweak the surface shaders without re-render the shadow maps.
I never tried this using Mental Ray as most of the time I don’t use shadow maps with this renderer. But Softimage could add this feature in XSI to avoid the .mi file generation.

]]> By: Stefano http://www.softimageblog.com/archives/269/comment-page-1#comment-17304 Stefano Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:57:52 +0000 http://www.xsi-blog.com/?p=269#comment-17304 Sure. If the statement is there, the file is found, and ray3 is told to reuse the shadow map (-shadowmap reuse), the map is used, regardless of the current geometry standing between the light and the shadow receivers. keep in mind that a shadow map only stores the distance from the light to the shadow casters, at the time it was built. When it's read, this distance is compared with the distance from the light to the lit object, that's it, no memory is kept about the first phase. So you can do all sort of crazy things, at your own risk of course. Sure. If the statement is there, the file is found, and ray3 is told to reuse the shadow map (-shadowmap reuse), the map is used, regardless of the current geometry standing between the light and the shadow receivers. keep in mind that a shadow map only stores the distance from the light to the shadow casters, at the time it was built. When it’s read, this distance is compared with the distance from the light to the lit object, that’s it, no memory is kept about the first phase. So you can do all sort of crazy things, at your own risk of course.

]]> By: Guillaume Laforge http://www.softimageblog.com/archives/269/comment-page-1#comment-17302 Guillaume Laforge Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:50:54 +0000 http://www.xsi-blog.com/?p=269#comment-17302 Nice tip Stefano ! On the same idea, do you think it could be possible to use an already rendered shadow map in a new render ? It is very useful for hair rendering for example and I don't know if mental ray can do it ? Nice tip Stefano !

On the same idea, do you think it could be possible to use an already rendered shadow map in a new render ? It is very useful for hair rendering for example and I don’t know if mental ray can do it ?

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