Render Challenge: LED Light

thomthom

Ok, this has been a thing that's been bothering me now. Render a close-up of a lit LED light. Particularly an LED light with a clear die, but still emits a coloured light.

So, inspired by the liquid render thread, I want to start an LED thread. Please share your setup methods. Ready, steady, go!

thomthom

This is as far as I've gotten so far.
Using an emissive layer didn't work, as it made the LED look flat.

So today I've been trying out translucency. I had hoped to be able to create a very subtle translucent effect, just enough for the green light to scatter into the LED housing; with a white hotspot in the middle.

A coloured LED housing would be easier, but I don't want that....

This LED is just a green omni inside a little hole inside the housing.

nomeradona

thom can you just share that skp that you used. i will give it a try

thomthom

Here's the Space Invader test: Space Invaders

Then I have anther test model. One is in scale, one is not. I wonder if real scale is important for translucency.
In Scale
Not to scale

EarthMover

Thomas, I was able to get a good effect by changing the shadow color for the omni to a darker shade of green and then bumping up the shadow radius to .5, which in essence faked the glow. I also switched the decay to linear and upped the multiplier to .3. It was looking really good and then my SU crashed. I don't have time to run it again, but see if those settings make a difference.

thomthom

Thanks! I'll give it a try when I get home from work.

Eulgrand

Been trying the other way : modeled the emitter (hexagon - more faces would lead to endless rendering) inside the bulb.
The model is rendered on scale.
Kerkythea - MLT(BPT) 50 passes (not enough) + Neat Image.

j40

Hi Thom,
ASGvis made a great tutorial specifically on LED light

Here's link to the Tut video and the Vismat materials:
http://software.asgvis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=439&Cctitle=LED%20Light

thomthom

I saw that. But it doesn't quite do what I've been trying to do. I'm trying to get an LED where you can see the internals of it to look good. Also, making a LED that's clear, but emits colour.

Ecuadorian

I'm under the impression that what you're asking for is difficult to achieve even in real photography. Normally, in a photo you would see the LED completely overexposed if the surroundings are to be correctly exposed, or viceversa; if you lower the exposure until you see the LED internals, the rest of your scene becomes black.

solo

..and that's why it's a challenge.

C'mon Miguel, you not the type to refuse a challenge.

remon_v

oops wrong LED thread