Sun Rays through forest roof

[bobbystahr]

Here are two stripped down atmosphere clips as used in "elephants in the mist1 and 3". 1 uses a localized  cloud, 3 doesn't and is the better one I think. There's not much to them and no real secret, just make sure you have "receive shadows from surfaces" enabled and have a high quality/number of samples in the mist layer.
Don't think I even had raytrace  atmosphere on for version 3 (not sure it was available then).
Feel free to play and make sure you post your results.
Merry xmass.

Thanks a thousand, Kevin. I will play with the clip files tonight and hopefully I can show some results tomorrow

Cheers and marry xmas,

You will discover that if you set this up Confusius, with the sun aimed at the camera coming through trees, that you will have to go into Atmosphere 01_1 and in the Quality Tab, check the Receive Shadows From Surfaces as well as the similar Tab in the Mist which is already set in the clip file. Otherwise there will be "sun burn" as I call through the leaves. Over all a good instructive share...thanks again Kevin .  ..   ...

[dandelO]

Far cheaper to render with a normal atmosphere(without 'shadows from surfaces' checked) and to use a localised cloud layer in the area you want the rays to be. Check 'receive shadows from surfaces' in that cloud layer only, and you will have a much quicker render than using the entire atmosphere with ray traced shadows enabled.

[bobbystahr]

Far cheaper to render with a normal atmosphere(without 'shadows from surfaces' checked) and to use a localised cloud layer in the area you want the rays to be. Check 'receive shadows from surfaces' in that cloud layer only, and you will have a much quicker render than using the entire atmosphere with ray traced shadows enabled.

But if you do not check Receive Shadows in the Atmos. you get "sunburn"...see image, which was the effect Confuscious was asking about in post 1