Shadows

[tct70]

Hi

My client wants to make the shadows very dark on my external renders (too dark in my opinion). I have rendered a VRayShadows element and am using it in a difference blending mode in photoshop. Does anyone have a better method or idea. The scene can be re-rendered if absolutely necessary.

Thanks.

[rivoli]

can you use the render element as a mask to adjust only the shadow's intensity? might give you more control over colour correction in general, instead of being limited to only one blending operation.

[tct70]

Thanks. Saving a VRayLighting element and setting it to Pin Light blending mode seems to give the best control over areas not in direct light.

[joconnell]

A lot of compositors I work with normally ask for a black and white matte for the shadows, then use that as a mask for a curves or levels since shadows are normally a tinted light colour rather than a black overlay. If you're integrating 3d into live action footage they normally just use the mask to darken and tint the area covered by the shadow mask.

[dlparisi]

A lot of compositors I work with normally ask for a black and white matte for the shadows, then use that as a mask for a curves or levels since shadows are normally a tinted light colour rather than a black overlay. If you're integrating 3d into live action footage they normally just use the mask to darken and tint the area covered by the shadow mask.

I think you can get this pretty easily with the Matte Shadow element.

[joconnell]

Yep - loads of ways to do it. Vray is a bit more thorough with shadows though in terms of it tinting the shadows with whatever ambient colours bleeds in. Either way no biggy!

[Morne]

Sorry to Hi-jack this thread, but how do I use VRayMatteShadow Element to add shadows to my render?

I have view inside of building (without roof) and some shadows from a wall on 2 sides. The sky has alpha. There is sun inside the building on the ground and on opposite walls. I will render the roof animating sliding closed and this footage will just go "behind" the walls so you will see the existing render, and the roof will nicely slide closed (because of sky alpha the roof will only go above the walls where the sky is. But then I'll still be stuck with the sun shining on the floor asif there isnt a roof. So I need to add the shadows of the roof over the sun on the floor. Any tips?

Yes I can just render the whole thing in one go, but I want to render 1 still for the interior, because it is complex and will render forever, and then just overlay the roof shadows animating because that will render very quick

[Morne]

I have a VRAyMatteShadow of the building with and without the roof. I've subtracted them from each other so I now have a mask of only the sun area which needs to get shadow. But what do I do with this mask? How do I use this mask to darken (put shadow) on the sunny areas? The roof is semi-transparent so it still lets some light through