Bitmap Background

[Steve Newport]

Hey, I was wondering if it was possible to use a bitmap as a rendering background. I don't want to have to import the picture as an object into bryce because then you have to mess with the lighting to make sure everything in the scene is lit properly, then is distorts the look I had originally intended the the bitmap to have. I wanted to render a bullet object on this bitmap w/out having to light the bitmap at all in Bryce, but so the reflections in the metal bullet will be correct. any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Steve Newport

-My Gallery-

-Featured Artist 2002-

[Steve Newport]

Hey, I was wondering if it was possible to use a bitmap as a rendering background. I don't want to have to import the picture as an object into bryce because then you have to mess with the lighting to make sure everything in the scene is lit properly, then is distorts the look I had originally intended the the bitmap to have. I wanted to render a bullet object on this bitmap w/out having to light the bitmap at all in Bryce, but so the reflections in the metal bullet will be correct. any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Steve Newport

-My Gallery-

-Featured Artist 2002-

[Gary David Bouton]

Steve...

I think but am not sure that someplace in Bryce you can render a file with an alpha channel background. If this feature does indeed exist (like it does in Vue D'Esprit), you'd render the scene, and then bring it into a bitmap editing program such as EVERY one today (Photoshop, Photo-Paint, PhotoImpact), and then compose the scene, adding your bitmap background.


My Best,
Gare

[s.winders]

If you import your map as an object Steve there must be a way of adding a tag or a pref setting or something which stops the image from being lit,I would assume.



Stu.

[Mark (theKeeper)]

If i remember at all, bitmaps have to be applied to a surface rectangle/object.
It can then just sit in the background. But i'm not real positive whether it's possible to NOT have your lights effect it. I don't recall that being possible with Bryce.

I would just do what Gary suggested. That's the simplest method.

[gidgit]

Here is a screenshot of a simple object and a background ( shown in Properties ) done in Carrara, background image from stock images which came with Cinema4D v5, and but a sphere with a reflective shader applied... I grabbed a render snapshot tiled in at 7, then took another grab of the sphere area with the background tiled in at 1, then grabbed again continuing to hold down left button while hitting the print screen button on the keyboard thus gaining the wire shot as well... the object is affected by the light (top left) but the background is as the source picture is... at least under this default setting

I suppose one would have to play around a bit to get just the effect they were looking for, but yea, I believe that with Carrara, what you are looking for here is highly possible...

[This message was edited by gidgit on January 19, 2003 at 13:39.]

[gidgit]

... and for those who like the "orb" effect... background with sphere in front with transparent chrome shading applied, plus a smidgin of refraction and shininess...

I probably don't have just the exact settings here that would really bring this type of effect to life, but hey, must say that I do like this render though, considering that this is on default render settings and renders in 15 seconds on my wee 266... pretty nice all in all...