I don't render pool water very often, but every time I do, it takes me forever to figure out how to get the caustics to work. I go through all the settings, search for all the tutorials.

I just started another project with a pool and I'm going to want a rendering with awesome pool water caustics.

Here's what I'm doing:

• Creating a plane that is the surface of the water and making it a component.
• Applying a water material to the component and to both faces of the plane.
• Adding a displacement geometry modifier to the component - I use the same noise map from the water Bump channel for the displacement.
• In the water material Refraction Advanced Settings, uncheck "Affect Shadows".
• In the render settings Global Illumination Advanced Settings, turn on "Photon Mapped Caustics".

What am I missing? You'll see in the image that the displacement is working at least.

I just spent a few minutes trying to find a better solution than the one I've used for years to this problem...

The problem: Creating a new layer is visible in all existing scenes, so if one wants the new layer to be visible in only one/a few scenes, one has to go through scene by scene to hide and update.

One solution: AutoInvisibleLayer plugin.

AutoInvisibleLayer solves the problem as stated, so I will try it. However, it only works at the moment of layer creation. It would be nice to be able to turn layer "X" on or off in multiple scenes at any point in the process. I started looking through plugins to do that. There are a quite a few layer management plugins, but I can't tell if any of them have this particular feature. I'm hoping somebody here knows.

Thanks!

I'm trying to get caustics working for a swimming pool. I just downloaded V-Ray 3.60.02 and I'm using SketchUp Pro 2018.

I can get caustics working with a drinking glass and a spot light,

but the I was hoping to get it working with displaced water and the Sun.

There are a lot of tuts around the web, but none seem to address it with VR3.6 for SU and so even trying to match settings ("check or uncheck the Affects Shadows"... for the material? For the Sun?) is confusing as an infrequent V-Ray user.

Can anybody help?

Packaged Skp+V-Ray

Thank you all for your feedback. I'll need some time to digest and research each idea, but I'll be back with more questions. Thanks again!

I'm a bit new to woodworking, at least of the cabinet variety. I was hoping I could get a little help on a cabinet I'd like to build myself. Attached is the my first idea for this. A few things to note.

• This is not the right dimensions. I roughed it out intuitively. Particularly the length and the height of each shelf can and probably will change.
• 2/3rds of it will open to both sides, kitchen and dining room; the 1/3rd next to the stove will open only into the dining room.
• This will probably be a plywood box with poplar face frame, painted white, so I'm not super concerned about using fasteners. Tips for getting a very smooth, even finish would be appreciated.
• I don't love the vertical braces I've put under the shelves, so I'm open to suggestions to stabilize the long shelves.
• I don't love the way the end grain of the frame will be exposed at the narrow end. Suggestions to finish this end differently?
• How should I fasten this whole thing to the floor? It will be located where I removed a wall, so currently the subfloor is exposed in that area.
• How should I fasten the counter top to the top? I will be making my own concrete counter top, so I could potentially cast-in fasteners, but is that necessary? Would construction adhesive be enough? How are stone counter tops usually fastened?
• What kind of doors should I use? I'm tight on space, so the less they intrude the better. I was thinking double doors for each opening, but that's a lot of doors. If I attempted sliders, does anybody have good details for that?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

base_cabinet.skp

This might not be the best answer, since we are on SketchUcation and all, but have you considered another software package? What you are doing would be much easier in Rhino with Grasshopper, Revit, Bentley GC, or something like that. You could always create the mass and populate it with windows, then bring it back into SketchUp for your other drawings and adding other stuff.

That looks like a rammed earth wall, to me, but I'm no expert. I did a quick web search, but didn't find anything. Maybe knowing what it is will help you, at least a little.

Looking awesome! I really like the changes you've made since you started this thread. Two last comments that I have: I think the mirror and lights next to it should be as tall as the door and the top of the high window. That up-and-down sticks out to me. Lastly, the ceiling reflection is so strong I find it a little distracting. Maybe reducing the amount of reflection or making it a little glossy would help?

Great job!

Just to add to the discussion (and perhaps your confusion), you could also look into making that initial piece a hosted component. Then insert another instance of it and it will stick to any face you place it on. That might alleviate your feeling of self-loathing when you flip it.

I really like this rendering! Nice work.

You mention the ceiling: could you add a tiny bit of glossy reflection? That might give it some depth. I don't see a shower head. And what about adding some nice cozy slippers? Everybody always says it's the little details that really make a rendering pop.