Ok...i''m making a laser sight model right now and i''m having some difficulties. I''ve got the sight itself all modelled and only missing the one small thing...the laser. To make the laser i use a directional light, pointing away(of course), with a target spot about 300 generic units away(reasonable distance), hotspot/falloff = 1/3(thin line), red in color, and some volume light fog to give it a constant laser feeling....BUT, when i render, the sight itself is rendered totally black, with some red shadowing...but the laser renders just right...can anybody tell me why? This RtS-Babble© has been brought to you by: -Run_The_Shadows -Run_The_Shadows@excite.com

Lasers are better created as geometry instead of light. Create a long and thin cylinder, then create a a fractal material (one part red, the other part clear-ish) and add a very slight glow to it, with fractal noise applied to the cylinder. Then you ccan animation the noise to give is a kinda smoky effect. It gives a very similar result and dramatically cuts down on render time coz there is no volume lighting.

That roughly how i do my star trek phasers anyway

I know there isn't much of it on the picture but i can't add more coz i don't use max anymore




Edited by - Tolerate on November 13, 2000 11:14:22 AM

Beautyful. Was it partly raytraced in Max?