volume stacking

[SaT]

Hi everybody,

is there somewhere a little bit more information about volume stacking?
I read the section in the manual but what is really different than in older LightWave versions?
Assuming I have an object with single sided polygons and a few are facing in the wrong direction. When using a single sided surface and making it transparent, will it be rendered correctly?
Thanks in advance.

[nthused]

I'm pretty sure that to get good looking renders, your models need to be built correctly. If you're rendering a glass, you'll need to model the glass as if you were going to pour a real liquid into them. Approach it more like you would a real solid model that would be manufacted. Amd remember GIGO.

[SaT]

Thanks for your reply, Allen.
But how do you use "Volume Stacking" correctly? For examle the settings for your glass, is the surface single or double sided? Thanks.

[jameswillmott]

Single sided.

[SaT]

Thanks for your answers.:thumbsup:

[nukemodular]

got a quick test scene here...

http://www.agent-c.net/Milk.jpg

[RedBull]

got a quick test scene here...



Seems to have some problems, as the milk edge is on the outside of the glass.. :)

[cagey5]

Seems to have some problems, as the milk edge is on the outside of the glass.. :)

Nope. This has been discussed on a couple of other threads and that's as it happens in real life too.

[SaT]

That milk scene looks pretty cool. :)
But when do you want to use a double sided surface then? For facades?

[jameswillmott]

When you need to see the back surface of a polygon, that's all.

[SaT]

Ok.:thumbsup:

[Dionysios]

I've been having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around volume stacking as well. But that milk scene helps, thanks a bunch. So let me reiterate (and correct me if I'm wrong). For liquid in a glass, the idea is now in 9.3 you have to model the liquid as one piece, as opposed to say just selecting some of the inner polygons of the glass, assigning them a different surface and adding a circular cap to the top of the liquid?

So the take home message is model the way it is in reality?

[jameswillmott]

I've been having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around volume stacking as well. But that milk scene helps, thanks a bunch. So let me reiterate (and correct me if I'm wrong). For liquid in a glass, the idea is now in 9.3 you have to model the liquid as one piece, as opposed to say just selecting some of the inner polygons of the glass, assigning them a different surface and adding a circular cap to the top of the liquid?

So the take home message is model the way it is in reality?

Yes.

[Dionysios]

Thanks!

[zapper1998]

Boy that clears a few dust bunnies in the brain....

Thanks for the info on volume stacking...

Michael

[Oliver]

Just a funky side note regarding shading issues:
I tried to shade a glass of orange juice some time ago, when I read the info in the open beta forums, and I was completely annoyed by this thin dark line on the upper front side of the liquid. Some days later, when I was sitting at home, I looked at my glass, just passing with my eyes... till I realized, that LW was correct... and I was wrong. :D
Good reminder that somewhere behind my monitor, there is a place I can always check, called Reality*. Anyway, I convinced myself that I had no glass of orange juice around, when I was trying to shade one... ;)

Greets.
Oliver.

* 7 weeks till diploma film finish! I beg for no delays...
Damn, I need the real world again, 1,5 years is too long!

[danielkaiser]

3D is the art of observation.

[Simon]

I've been having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around volume stacking as well. But that milk scene helps, thanks a bunch. So let me reiterate (and correct me if I'm wrong). For liquid in a glass, the idea is now in 9.3 you have to model the liquid as one piece, as opposed to say just selecting some of the inner polygons of the glass, assigning them a different surface and adding a circular cap to the top of the liquid?

So the take home message is model the way it is in reality?

Just to illustrate that (a picture is worth etc) ...

[zapper1998]

can some one please, share there surface presets for the components

I would like to get this looking correctly

My stuff does not look like that at all ??? (been scratching head allot)

[Simon]

Here's my scene file and objects ...

[Simon]

The glass surface blends a refraction blurred transparent material on top of the dielectric to make the etched logo.

[Netvudu]

How come FPrime renders a wrong version of this glass scene, while LW native renderer does it right?

[jameswillmott]

How come FPrime renders a wrong version of this glass scene, while LW native renderer does it right?

FPrime doesn't yet support volume stacking?

[Netvudu]

Are you guessing or granting me an explanation? Sorry, not sure...

[Captain Obvious]

I've been having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around volume stacking as well. But that milk scene helps, thanks a bunch. So let me reiterate (and correct me if I'm wrong). For liquid in a glass, the idea is now in 9.3 you have to model the liquid as one piece, as opposed to say just selecting some of the inner polygons of the glass, assigning them a different surface and adding a circular cap to the top of the liquid?
Actually, that's how you've ALWAYS been supposed to model it...

If you render in FPrime, you still need to do the air polygon trick for any polygon where something refractive meets air. You shouldn't make air polygons between the glass and the liquid, but you should between the glass and the air, and between the liquid and the air.

http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/LightwaveTuts/LWPacks/LWGlass/LWGlass-1.html

[Lightwolf]

Are you guessing or granting me an explanation? Sorry, not sure...
Since there has been no FPrime update since Volume stacking has been introduced it is very unlikely that it will be supporting it. FPrime uses its own render engine, and Volume Stacking requires a change to the rendering engine to work as expected.

Cheers,
Mike