Shadow catcher with area lights workflow?

Not showing transparency?

itsmattburton

User Posts: 2
Sep 30, 2022 09:32

I'm looking to get this working, i'm a total noob with this plugin so please be gentle!
I've seen the option in the material for shadow catcher, I click this on but just get a black plane instead of any transparency when applied to an object (plane).
Why do I not get any transparency?
I've just noticed with environment object we do get normal operation.

Edited: itsmattburton - Sep 30, 2022 10:42

ssjenforcer

User Posts: 217
Sep 30, 2022 15:57

Quote
itsmattburton wrote: I'm looking to get this working, i'm a total noob with this plugin so please be gentle! I've seen the option in the material for shadow catcher, I click this on but just get a black plane instead of any transparency when applied to an object (plane). Why do I not get any transparency? I've just noticed with environment object we do get normal operation.

from what I understand it doesn't work with Area lights.
but just use omni light or perhaps just an hdri to light for shadows?
Any light except area light should work.

Also, c4d 2023 can use vertex maps with volume mesher objects now!
I hope centileo will work with 2023 as well as r26 when it's updated

Edited: ssjenforcer - Sep 30, 2022 15:59

itsmattburton

User Posts: 2
Sep 30, 2022 18:37

Quote
from what I understand it doesn't work with Area lights. but just use omni light or perhaps just an hdri to light for shadows? Any light except area light should work.

Ah thank you, good to know. I wonder if theres a way with AOV's perhaps?

ssjenforcer

User Posts: 217
Sep 30, 2022 19:38

Quote
itsmattburton wrote: I'm looking to get this working, i'm a total noob with this plugin so please be gentle! I've seen the option in the material for shadow catcher, I click this on but just get a black plane instead of any transparency when applied to an object (plane). Why do I not get any transparency? I've just noticed with environment object we do get normal operation.

Correction: this is from Kirgman on another thread;

"Actually this is the right finding that shadow catcher weights only for Omni, Infine lights sources and Sky+EnvMap tag.The others lights like Area and Spot don't support casting to the shadow catcher because they have limited directional lighting, e.g. they don't lit the scene behind them."

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