Support to switch off reflections/refractions globally in GPU-rendering, still allowing light to transmit window glass (as in CPU mode)

[Robert1977]

This feature would be really good for texturebaking, since there is the need to bake texture atlases in GPU with reflections/refractions disabled (the light still transmits through glass, as in CPU mode), but the baked texture doesnt show reflections, refractions. So one could bake a completemap without reflections/refractions and bake the reflections with cubemaps separately, putting everything together in a game shader.

[hermit.crab]

What do you mean by "still allowing light to transmit window glass"? If you disable the reflections/refractions global switch, there won't be such in both baking and production.

[Robert1977]

Hi,

This is my experience in Vray 5 CPU.

Sun - Sky with window with refractive material on glass with thickness:


Switching refraction/reflection off:



Rerender:



So from my understanding rays are traced, even if materials are not showing any reflection or refraction. This would be the effect that I am looking for at baking completemaps which do not include reflections/refractions. Since refractive materials anyway would get a different shader, and reflectiveness on baked materials would be realized with cubemaps for reflective environment (together with fresnel and reflection color map).
Also tested this with an area light from outside, it also comes through. Cause I thought it might be just a skylight thing, but it isnt.

[hermit.crab]

I see. So, in your case, you are baking the whole room, window included? Won't creating a duplicate UVW unwrap, where the glass UV shells are out of baking range work? Otherwise, you can add the idea (to implement a "reflection/refraction" override for the GPU) in the Portal.

[Robert1977]

Hi, yes, i try to do a completely automated workflow, so baking in an atlas a complete item, a room, a seat, a bar. There might be other materials with refraction, and many with reflection, so metal or plastic reflection would also be included in the completemap, which is undesired. Also, render or baking time increases if refraction/reflection is baked into the completemap.
Thanks for the hint, I will put it into the portal.

[hermit.crab]

FYI, I've logged an improvement request (internal bug-tracker id: VGPU-6718 ) for the switch.