Can an "invisible" object cast a shadow?

JazzyBearJazzyBear Posts: 804

I was hoping to be able to make an opaque cylinder cast a shadow, but of of course as the opacity goes up the shadow cast goes away... as it should.

Is there a way to make an object invisble in render but have its shadow be visible? I need this as a one step render with the rest of my scene.

Thanks in Advance.

Comments

  • srieschsriesch Posts: 4,241

    I don't know how to do it in Iray, but if you are using 3DL:

        To stop a whole item from casting shadows, just click off the Cast shadows property in the Parameters pane.  To hide the object but still have it cast shadows, select the surface of the object to hide, double-click on !UberSurface Base.duf, then in the parameters pane set the "Fantom" property to "On".

     

  • AndySAndyS Posts: 1,438

    Can an "invisible" object cast a shadow?

    In general using iRay you're dependant on "photorealism". So only visible objects cast shadows.

    But:
    There's ever a possibility. One interesting trick is described in this tutorial using canvases: http://snowsultan.deviantart.com/art/Iray-Canvas-Tutorial-565641976

  • JazzyBearJazzyBear Posts: 804

    Looking for an iray version of cast shadows. I was hoping to use a squished cylinder with the Billboard concept to cast correct shadows, but doesn't seem to be an iray option.

     

  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914

    I believe you can accomplish this in Iray (I had the same question quite some time back) but I've not tried it yet.

    In the render settings go to the "Render Mode" section for Iray settngs and change from Photoreal to Interactive. Basically I think this makes Iray act more like 3DL which should let you use the cast shadows options for lights asnd objects.

  • sriesch said:

    I don't know how to do it in Iray, but if you are using 3DL:

        To stop a whole item from casting shadows, just click off the Cast shadows property in the Parameters pane.  To hide the object but still have it cast shadows, select the surface of the object to hide, double-click on !UberSurface Base.duf, then in the parameters pane set the "Fantom" property to "On".

     

    I know this is an old thread, but you seem confident in the approach. 

    I added the shader and turned "Fantom"  to "On," but the object I'm trying to make invisible yet still have it cast shadows is still visible. Is there a step I'm missing here???

    Hope you're still around to answer questions.

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