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View Full Version : glowing panels - suggest approach?

saltflats
04-14-2012, 01:32 PM
I'd like to render in mental ray (in 3DS Max) some internally lighted, glowing panels like in the attached image. I'm getting familiar with mental ray....but still much to learn.

Like in the photo, the panels are a metal frame (easy part ) with a translucent frost acrylic skins with blue LED lighting in between the acrylic skins. Like in the photo, I'd like the metal frame to show through the translucent acrylic, yet achieve the glowing blue effect from within.

I'm having difficulty achieving something close.....any advice on how I should approach this to achieve this look?

I'm hoping for a general breakdown of I can do this....physical lighting, crafted bitmaps, glow effects, post effects, etc?....using 3ds max and mental ray

Thank you!
InfernalDarkness
04-16-2012, 11:47 PM
You can try the mia_light_surface shader. I use it for almost all my visible light geometry. You would attach it to your mia_mat_x shader in the Additional Color slot. It will emit Final Gather, reflections, and can also be controlled by an actual light for further flexibility.

You'd also use it for neon tube lights, for example, or glowing windows at night.
saltflats
04-18-2012, 10:56 AM
Thanks! I googled a bit more on the 'Additional Color' you mentioned...I think that's going to help me get closer to the look i'm going for.
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04-18-2012, 10:56 AM
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