Ray trace 3D object shadows

[pgjacob]

HI All

I am ray tracing a scene with a 3D plant (from sketchup) and the shadows are showing squares rather than the actual shadow of the plant (1 pass image shown below).  I have purposely moved the sun around to cast shadows to the back of the image as I have found manually manipulating the sun gives much better RTs than using natural sun angles (at least for me).  I attach the skp file and what the plant looks like in the object info window of CA.  Any ideas how to get rid of this square shadow?  I uncheck the ray casted shadows in camera tool pre-ray trace, and it looks better but still ray traces with the square shadow.

Thanks in advance,

melissa

 

 

Blue Flax Lily.skp

[GeneDavis]

The plant is "half" 3d.  The leaves are 3d, but the flowers are images, and the images are rectangular, specified as always facing the camera.  The rectangles are treated as opaque surfaces when Chief renders the shadows.

 

Dig into the SU model, going component withing group within group, until you get to where you can select the flower images.  When you do the select, you can clearly see the rectangle.  I attached a screencap.

 

Think about the effort it would take in SU to model the flowers in 3D, and you'll understand why the modeler chose to use images.  The SU model is very cool, but won't work in Chief for rendering.

 

Show us how it looks in standard render view, and in vector, and in PBR.

 

Edit:  I attached a render of an image no Hill Country interior should be without.

[pgjacob]

Thanks Gene.  That makes sense.  And I am learning the more surfaces on the object the slower my computer.  I now understand all those squares.  I attach the PBR, vector and standard render.  And thanks for the image for the Hill Country.  Yes, that is true!  I need to remember to add this type of artwork in!

 

[JoeinNorCal]

Would one of you be so kind to tell me what PBR stands for?  Thanks.

[pgjacob]

PBR is physical based rendering.  One of the ways Chief shows the 3D images.  You have a choice when displaying your camera view as standard, PBR, Vector view, and many other types.  PBR is one of the newer ways chief allows users to see their work in the most realistic format.  Closer to what you might see in the result of a ray trace.

 

Hope this helps.