[Edward1986]

Hi Guys,

I was using NURBS shpers as emmiters before and have swithced to just surfaces (much quicker).. will mesh surfaces as apposed to normal sufaces help for a faster render?

Also if I merge my emmitters to give me fewer sliders I'm guessing this means I can no longer adjust their strength individually- is this right?

Ed

P.s. Colour gradients to emmiters?? that sound cool.. and chance of a brief instruction

[JDHill]

Hi Ed,

1. Yes and no. Say that you need an emitter plane; you could create a NURBS plane, or you could create a mesh plane. If you use NURBS you don't really know, without making manual adjustments, how Rhino will decide to divide that surface up when it creates the render-mesh. However, if you use a mesh, then you directly control how it is created, and no further work is done - it will be put into the MXS just as you have created it.

2. Yes - the point is that once you have joined two meshes, there are no longer two, there is only one. It may have multiple, non-connected pieces, but it is one mesh.

I'll have to let someone else comment about gradient emitters - probably they mean to create a gradient image in a program like PhotoShop, then use MXCL to create an MXI file to use in an emitter Material.

JD

[caryjames]

Hi Edward and JD: JD thanks for all the information on the meshes I will have to give that a shot.

Edward- Here is what I have learned over the last while when it comes to jewellery rendering.

Adding gradient textures to emitters: This is basically to help give better results in your diamond and metal reflections on your jewellery item. Essentially what you do is create an .mxi file that you will add to an emitter plane. You can use any image to add life to your emitter. See this thread below go to the second page for the emitter discussion.

http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/view ... c&start=15

How I used gradients as additions to my emitters was:

* go to "The Gimp" or Photoshop and create a gradient from white to black.

* Then save it as a .bmp file.

* Then you open Maxwell Render and import the file, save it as a .mxi file.

* Then in Rhino go to the emitter and click on the "Image emission texture " button and then load in your .mxi file.

Instead of just bright emitter panels this will add a gradient to your light and make your reflections seem more natural. Hyltom uses images of light boxes and umbrellas as his "image emission textures" and they make his scenes look super realistic.

Also I am using .HDR's for my lighting now and they work terrifically!! If you can make them yourself great but if not go to HDR Studio and purchase a couple of their .hdr lighting setups. I did that and it has made a difference to my renders.

Hope that helps
Cary