Problem with shadows
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Hi.
I created a model in SketchUp, turned on the shadows and exported 2D images without any problems. Then I decided to change focal length and field of view and now, when i turn the shadows on again the view changes automatically. It jumps forward and it looks like my model is sectioned - i can see the inside of the houses. I then set focal length and field of view to default settings but it doesn't work. I can't shade the view that i want.
Does anyone know what to do? -
Changing the focal length can make it so the camera is clipping into walls. But the focal length and the shadows should not have anything to do with eachother. So is this a question about the camera clipping into the houses?, or about the shadows? I'm not really sure where the shadows fit in here.
Do youh ave pictures to describe better what you are seeing? Thanks,
Chris
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I'm not a pro in SU, far from it actually, but i know the basics. So maybe i'm doing something wrong but before I started changing focal length everything was working fine. I could position the camera, turn on shadows and export. When I changed focal length and turned on the shadows the camera started clipping into the houses. If I turn off the shadows it goes back to a normal view, no clipping. So that's why I thought there might be a connection between focal length and shadows.
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First one - shadows off, second one - shadows on.
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The pics are not working. Could you attach them directly to your post maybe?
hmm, that is interesting. I have not seen shadows do that before. It does not mean its not possible. Maybe it will make more sense once you get the images working.
Chris
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I tried to recreate your problem with a random, not too complex model. And indeed; when shadow is turned on, the clipping plane is further away then when it's off. Furthermore, I discovered that the position of the clipping plane is also dependent on the sun altitude! Meaning noon renders correctly, and sunrise and sunset have too big a clipping plane distance.
You do however mention your model contains houses. Is it a city planning kind of model? These tend to have a lot of detail compared to their overall size. The distance of the clipping plane is also dependent on the overall size of your model. Thus, if you have excess geometry in the outer fringes of your model, see if there is anything you can delete.... -
That is very interesting. I've never noticed that before and I do not recall it ever having been mentioned. I wonder if this is new to the new 7.1 rendering engine, or if its always been like this and we just never noticed.
This could definitely be another good tip then to give people when they are having clipping plane problems. Make sure to adjust the shadows for the most optimal clipping plane.
I'd like to dig into this more when I find some time. Thanks for looking so closely at Pyroluna.
Chris
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The 'sectioning' sounds like the old clipping plane issued caused by have a model that's a long way off the origin.
Switch on the model's Axes and check where the origin is - if it's miles away then first ensure everything is visible, then select all and move everything back over the origin. Adjust your views/scene-tabs to suit...
Alternatively, you might have a small piece of geometry in a component/group that's way off in the distance - if so edit that instance and then use select all, then deselect [shift+ctrl] what you can see - i.e. want to keep - and press delete to remove the unneeded bits.
Alternatively, alternatively, you might have a component with it's origin set far away from its geometry [have 'show component-axes' switched on in Model-Info > Components]... if so select, then the component and right-click context-menu 'Change Axes' and pick a more logical point for its origin and axes directions...Toggling the shadows shouldn't change the camera settings - have you saved the various camera/views as scene-tabs with shadows on/off etc.
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I managed to figure out what the problem is and I see you have given me very good advice in your replies. I had some geometry far away from the model I was working on. It appeared when I imported a dwg file into SU and it was so far along the vertical axis I didn't know it was there. When i zoomed out and deleted it the shadows worked perfectly again, no clipping. Obviously focal length had nothing to do with my problems.
Thanks very much everyone
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