Help Getting Realistic Results

[BigAl3D]

As some of you may know, I use C4D and Corona for automotive renders and animation. One area I've always had trouble getting realistic results is the red and yellow plastic lights around the car. I have had to resort to using images of the actual lights with some reflection and sticking them on the outer geometry. In most cases, this works just fine, but since Corona is so good and fast at rendering this sort of thing, I want to get realistic transparency, reflections and refraction in 3D. I'm attaching just the rear light assembly of the current model I'm setting up. Does anyone want to try and get this to render in a realistic manner and share the file for the community to learn from?

[Eddoron]

I think you should ask this in the general help section.

I'm not doing your homework but I will give you some tips:

-You can disable the opacity and diffuse channel, they're not relevant here.

-If something is too opaque, the opacity channel is the last resort, after you have generated the overall look to an acceptable degree.

-If you want nonrefractive window glass, use the "thin wall" option in the refraction settings.

-Volume settings don't make much sense if you have unclosed/one-sided geometry.

-Jet fuel can't melt steel beams.

-You should be able to achieve your goal by only using the refl. & refr. channels. Leave the refr. level at the standard 100%, you can tint the "inside" with a color and you won't need much. (usually below 50% saturation)

-The devil's greatest trick was to make women believe, that yoga pants are normal outdoor clothing.

-It wouldn't hurt to give the glass a little bit of thickness.

-Rodents make bad romantic partners.

I've just had a small look at the file and didn't add lights, so I can't tell you if you should enable caustics for that part.
It depends on the desired look. Try what looks best.

Good luck.

[BigAl3D]

Thanks for the tips. I didn’t know there was a special C4D section for this type of question. Plus, my brain has to get used to the idea of NOT using transparency (opacity) in materials like this. I’ll post my results.

Also, your other comments were funny, except I’m not sure how you meant the line about the steel. Son I’m American, I’m a little sensitive about the September 11th attacks here. In fact, I’m close to Yhe Pentagon. Anyway, it bothers me when I see people repeating things like that. Steel doesn’t not melt at the temp of gruel, BUT it does weaken a lot when heated up. Imagine all the weight above those floors and then the steels is weakened. Ok, I’ve said my piece. Now back to 3 S.

[iacdxb]

see this corona tutorial... its full car material and render process, may be helpful,

t=1538s
@ 42:10

a quick try.

...

[BigAl3D]

Um... “thanks” for that reply? I think you need to write a fiction novel. I didn’t realize I made so many typos. I was tired.

:-)

@iacdxb Thank you for the link and effort with the scene. I’m going to learn a few things.

[BigAl3D]

OK, I did some more testing using the advice here. This is getting pretty good now. The car on the left is using images of the actual lights and some reflection mapped onto the outer geometry. Looks decent when not too close ore animating. The car on the right has no maps at all and only using Corona materials using the Reflection and Refraction channels. Looks pretty nice I think. Now, the clear sections down below are proving to be a challenge. I have a colorless material similar to the red, but I've added some displacement to try and get those ridges and to distort the lens behind it. Still gotta work on that part.

I appreciate the help on this. I'll post again with updates.