Rendering Shadows Only.

[JuanManuel]

I have never tried to do it myself and I am not in my machine right now, but I do know that Vue lets to render by channels, so I suppose it is just a question of rendering the shadow channel and compositing in postwork.

When I return to my machine I will check on the matter.

[JuanManuel]

OK, I cheated. I returned to my machine at about 11pm to check some mail and stuff and did not see into the shadow thingy.

Sorry.

Anyway, here is what you are looking for.

If you right click on the render icon, the render options window will appear. On the first set of options, click on user setting. Then on the bottom left, click on G-Buffer/multipass options. A new window appears. Click on Generate multipass-buffer, and select the items you need :)

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8746/shadowsff8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[IvanB]

Hey Juan..
Thanks for that, but its not really what I'm after..This technique creates an alpha type image of the whole scene..(Or I'm not sure what I'm doing), What I want is to be able to hide my foreground eco system, but keep its shadows whilst rendering the background...Check out the image I have attached.. Notice the shadows in 1 of the foreground (tree) I want them in 2 (2 is the backround sequence) without the tree....Hope it makes sense. I want the shadows to end up on the path...If I hide the foreground, the path looses the shadows..when I composite in LW it looks odd as the shadows get cut off at the path... (This is my version of the Xstream plugin, I call it the "XivAnB for LW. beta version 1.0.0.1.2(x+y)(z/y)2" hehe.)

[JuanManuel]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah
I see
you mean like in shadowcatching?
mmmm.... I have not checked if completely transparent materials cast shadows in Vue...

[IvanB]

Hey Juan..

I kind of managed to get around my issue with the shadows..What I did was, make it so the shadows pointed in the opposite direction..check out the image. You'll notice that the shadows from the trees dont interact with the running object in the LW render..oh well...I think this is where the Xstream plugin would come in.

Here's a link to a low quality render of the final clip..Give it a second to load.
http://www.esnips.com/web/composite

[Ed Bittner]

Is it possible for VUE to place "cookies" over the lights? Cookies are a kind of cut-out that will simulate shadows from an object. Attached to a spotlight, ( as in LW), you can add shadows in such a way.
(Shadow image from Pawel Olas)

E.

[IvanB]

Thanks Ed..

It was something I considered, I understand that you can add an image sequence (possibly an alpha of the shadows) to a light. How do you get a render of a specific group of shadows only? The other thing is, the render from the camera is one thing but the angle of the light is another..Wouldn't you have to place a camera next to the light render that ( if you can render shadows of that group of trees) and then project it from the light so that it matches. Its kinda looking like too much work!..My head hurts!
Thanks again, Ivan.

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