Dinner for eight

[Hannes]

That could work. I'd have to edit the glass model.

[luvsmuzik]

Tres chic!
Is your mirror beveled? Please do not tell me the doilie under the ice bucket is a wire frame object, or is it? I know you could plant this on the table surface with an image, I was just curious.

[Hannes]

Tres chic!
Is your mirror beveled? Please do not tell me the doilie under the ice bucket is a wire frame object, or is it? I know you could plant this on the table surface with an image, I was just curious.

No, it's not beveled, although I agree it looks like it is.
The doilie (I had to google this word) is a flat square shaped box with an opacity map and a bump map. I created both maps from a photograph of a real doilie (found one on Google!)

[luvsmuzik]

I had to use soft shadows in my skylight still life because I got some really weird bounces, wonder if that would help your ceiling?

[Hannes]

I had to use soft shadows in my skylight still life because I got some really weird bounces, wonder if that would help your ceiling?

Quite something to consider! Thanks!!

[Dune]

I had a vague notion it could be something like that indeed, with the curtains. Very fine piece altogether.

[bobbystahr]

Here's the render that at high res gave me a BSOD an hour ago. Playing with Hannes lighting method, hope y'all don't mind me hitching in here. Also I modeled everything in this scene except for the bed side lamp and I made the shade for that.

[Hannes]

Good start, Bobby! Play with the strength on surfaces value. I used 3 in my room.

[bobbystahr]

Good start, Bobby! Play with the strength on surfaces value. I used 3 in my room.

Same here and 3 very low lights, 2 on the dressing table(my Mom's) and one in the bedside light. There is bleed from the hall light though, I may turn that out as a control to your method. Is your sun default 5?

[Hannes]

Yes, 5. How does it look like if you're increasing the environment light even more? I guess GISD, especially occlusion weight, should be on, otherwise the lighting may look a bit flat. And I think you could leave the hall light on. It's a "real" additional light, so it won't destroy the illusion.

[bobbystahr]

Yes, 5. How does it look like if you're increasing the environment light even more? I guess GISD, especially occlusion weight, should be on, otherwise the lighting may look a bit flat. And I think you could leave the hall light on. It's a "real" additional light, so it won't destroy the illusion.

Yup I have GISD set at lo levels(2&2), normally I go 5 and 7 respectively and AO I set at 3 mostly for indoors, 2 for woods and general outdoors. O K, I'll give the hall light a break. heh heh. Off to soak my feet and hit the hay, been a long day here. Lotsa walking in slushy snow, ugh....zzzzzzzzzzz

[Hannes]

I had to use soft shadows in my skylight still life because I got some really weird bounces, wonder if that would help your ceiling?

Just noticed, that soft shadows are already on. But as I said, after watching the first 23 frames with GI caching, it seems that the square structures are almost gone.

[Hannes]

I did some glass tests. See below.
The first image shows the known problem. After I read Matt's explanation I edited the glass geometry and deleted the inner wall of the upper part of the glass. I tried some glass shader experiments with this edited glass from picture 2 on.
Picture 2 has some weird refraction, so I checked "doublesided" in the glass shader from picture 3 to 5. In picture 6 I unchecked it again and reduced the IOR that was 1.3 in pictures 1 and 2 to 1.2.
A bit confusing, I know, and now I'm a bit uncertain, which one looks best.

Of course the glass in the first image looks best, except the black stuff...

[bobbystahr]

so you're using an invisible copy for shadows? If so how about if you turn it's opacity to .501 like Ulco often recommends?

[Hannes]

No, not this time. Of course this is a good way to get less opaque shadows.