Car Lights

[Penry]

Can anyone help me in finding a way of creating a light streak as would eminate from a moving car's front and rear lights when taking a night photograph with a low shutter speed? I've experimented with volume fog and gizmos in max but haven't had much joy.

[joconnell]

Use very bright lights and a long motion blur duration - you might find that you dont get a lot of brightness but if you up the motion blur samples it'll come back in.

Here's a test with a bright object moved along a path - http://www.joconnell.com/stuff/vray_mblur.mov

[Penry]

stills

thanks joconnell....I was actually after a method for a still image. Sorry for not specifying that before.

[Da_elf]

why not just have a lofted object with a gradient ramp opacity map and using selfillumination and you might fade the edges a bit as well

[Penry]

tried that

Thanx da elf but I tried that and it just doesn't look right.....it's too regular. By the way....your avatar has everyone in my office pissing themselves with laughter....nice one.

[joconnell]

Ah okay - get yourself a still photo of lights and comp it in photoshop using blending modes - you can colour correct a photo so its mainly black with bright highlights and then use add, screen or linear dodge in photoshop. Image after, flickr or google should find you something suitable - if you want you can map it onto a loft using it's brightness as an opacity map so it shows in reflections...

[jonnybefree]

i agree with da_elf,
for the regularity you can use any map or procedural textures inside the gradient ramp.

[themaxxer]

maybe with the freeplugin ky_trail?
or with finalDOF from cebas.

best regards
themaxxer