Glass (physics_phen) problem

[ariza]

Hi, can any1 tell me what's the problem ?
http://www.ariza.republika.pl/testrenders/s01.jpg
The scene is: simple room, chairs, etc and windows.
Lights: free area (photometric) and mr area spot (raytraced shdws). GI/FG & LogExp on. if I leave holes for windows empty I get what's on left picture. The light goes through and gives shadows, but if I put simple box with glass (physics_phen) material, it seems that the light from the spot doesn't go through the glass box and it's darker and no shadows from it - right picture. Any ideas why ?

[slebed]

Try going to object properties and uncheck cast shadows for the glass box object.

Hope this helps

[ariza]

Thanks for the tip, slebed. It's some kind of solution.

[JeffPatton]

Simple, the glass physics phen material requires you to use caustics for transparent shadows. I'm sure that's discussed in the documentation about that material.

There several ways to make glass, some like the glass physics phen material require caustics, others use transparent shadows. Personally, I'd use a material with transparent shadows instead of dealing with caustics on architectural windows like this.

[ariza]

Jeff,
so, I simply put dielectric material in surface and photon slot and transmat in shadow slot, right ?

[JeffPatton]

and transmat in shadow slot, right ?I suppose you could do that if you want no shadows at all. However, if you want transparent shadows then you'd use something like the glass(lume) or Shadow Transparency (base) shader in the shadow map slot of your material.

[ariza]

Well, as usually I've complicated things, of course your solution is the best, Jeff, I have overlooked the shadow transparency in the map browser.

Thank you very much, Jeff, your knowledge is as always invaluable.

[nisus]

Hi,

If you don't use caustics you might not need the 'correctness' of the glass phenomenon. You might as well use the A+D thin glass preset. This setup uses a transparency checkbox... ,-)

rgds,

nisus

[ariza]

Thanks, nisus, i'll try that too. Of course this solution is only available in max9 while the previous one (provided by jeff) in versions 6 and upper.

[nisus]

Hi,

Of course this solution is only available in max9 while the previous one (provided by jeff) in versions 6 and upper
I didn't realise you were on a previous version. Srry for that.

rgds,

nisus