Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 10.54
Glow Radial
Noise attribute
Glow Radial Noise = 0
Glow Radial Noise = 0.5
Halo Type
Specifying a halo creates a foggy halo around the light in addition to the glow.
You can find controls for the halo under the Halo section in the Attribute Editor.
Star Points
Setting this attribute specifies the number of star points the glow generates.
Rotation
Setting this attribute rotates the orientation of the star points.
Radial Frequency
Used in conjunction with the Glow Radial Noise attribute (see the next
item) in the Glow section, this attribute defines the smoothness of any added glow noise.
Glow Radial Noise
Setting this attribute adds noise to the glow effect, creating light and
dark patches within the glow for a more random look, as shown in Figure 10.54.
Glow Color
Setting this attribute specifies the color of the glow.
Glow Intensity and Spread
Setting these attributes specifies the brightness and thickness
of the glow and how well it fades away.
To turn on a lens flare along with the light glow, click the Lens Flare check box at
upper right in the Attribute Editor for OpticalFX. The attributes under the Lens Flare
section control the look of the flare.
Light glows and flares can be highly effective in scenes, adding credibility to the light-
ing; but they're often misused or, worse, overused in CG. Used sparingly and with sub-
tlety, lens flares can go a long way toward adding a nice touch to your scene.
Shader Glow Effects
To create a glowing effect, it's sometimes better to place a glow on a geometry's shader
instead of the light itself. Because a light must be seen in the shot and pointed at the
camera to see any light glow and flare, a shader glow is sometimes more desirable. This
process will composite a glow on the object assigned the Glow shader to simulate a volu-
metric light, such as a street lamp on a foggy night. Shader glows have far less render cost
than true volumetric lights.
