How to make an object glow...

[Kelley]

I want a clutch of these motorcycles to run through a scene with their headlights [and red tail lights] on. So far, as I look through manuals, A:M can make a halo-type glow around the object, but I see nothing on how to simulate an object that is emitting light. I did a fair approximation by creating a cube, coloring it yellow-orange, installing a light inside it and setting the cube's Translucency to 50%.

 

Is there a better way?

 

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[MMZ_TimeLord]

In bones mode, simply right-click and add a new light to the model (It should be placed just in front of the model mesh.) and specify a "Klieg" light and adjust it's properties to mimic a real headlight.

 

Also, you may want to add a standard bulb in the same location so as to give that ambient light surrounding the headlight (not sure about AO vs. standard rendering in this area)

 

I used this technique for my TAoA:M exercise "Can you say that." (The lipsync one).

 

You can find it here.

[luckbat]

Are you saying you want to "see" the light? If so, you're going to need some sort of fog or volumetrics. In clean air, light is invisible.

 

Greg Rostami once argued that you should use a second bulb-shaped light to illuminate the volumetric itself: http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&sh...indpost&p=18477

[Kelley]

Luckbat: No, I don't want to 'see' the light. At least, not right now, though I may add volumetrics later.

 

MMZ_TimeLord: I know that I'll have to install a Kleig to throw 'real' light on the street...but I didn't know that I could add it to a bone chain. I was going to do a 'translate to'. Thanks.

 

What I'm looking for is a sense that the object [headlight lens] is transmitting light from behind. When I was using Carrara, there was a simple dialog box into which you could insert a value, and the object would glow like a Japanese paper lantern. It wouldn't actually throw any light. You still needed an outside source for that.

 

What I need is that sense of an internal glow.

[KenH]

Is this the sort of thing? You have to increase the glow options in the chor properties.

[Kelley]

Is this the sort of thing? You have to increase the glow options in the chor properties.

 

AHA! Thanks Ken. [and...I'm assuming that the light on the ground is a Kleig?]

[KenH]

That's coming from the light behind the glass....which is a kleig within the model (ie no lights in the chor). I'm sure the other light types would produce a similar effect though.