Chaos Corona Forum

Chaos Corona for Cinema 4D => [C4D] I need help! => Topic started by: johnnyswedish on 2024-01-04, 20:04:21

Title: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: johnnyswedish on 2024-01-04, 20:04:21
Hi Support,

I need to create a simple row of neon tube lights going from cyan/light blue to white. When I crank up the light all tubes go white which I suppose in real life would happen but I need to visualise them coloured. They emit the light correctly but need the tubes to be coloured, is there a easy way to achieve this or do I have to do it post in Photoshop? Many thanks for any ideas :-) 
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: johnnyswedish on 2024-01-04, 20:37:58
I saw this and its perfect! But link is dead. Any advise how to create it please, please, please :-)
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: TomG on 2024-01-04, 21:00:54
Ray switch so the directly visible and emitted light colors are different intensities, so direct visible doesn't blow out to white?
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: johnnyswedish on 2024-01-04, 21:05:20
Hi TomG,

Much appreciate your quick response. How do I do this? Never used Rayswitch or distant shader before??? Thanks, John :-)
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: TomG on 2024-01-05, 13:02:54
Howdy! I'd suggest https://docs.chaos.com/display/CRC4D/Corona+Ray+Switch+Shader and even
(it's Max, but principles are the same) as good resources to pick up how to use the shader, then you can test to see if it does what you need it to do

(simple version: create two LightMtls one for casting light with high intensity and one with low intensity to be viewed for "preserve the color of the tube", then put the first into the GI slot of the RaySwitch, and the second for preserve the color of the tube into the Directly Visible, Reflection, and Refraction slot of the RaySwitch)
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: johnnyswedish on 2024-01-05, 13:11:08
Tom, You are a legend! Thank you and have a good weekend :-) John
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: TomG on 2024-01-05, 13:18:26
You are welcome, I hope it does resolve the issue for you and if not, let us know. Have a great weekend there too, neon tubes included lol!
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: johnnyswedish on 2024-01-05, 14:56:48
Worked a treat! Thanks :-)
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: TomG on 2024-01-05, 15:07:05
Great to hear, ty for sharing the results of the test!
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: tuami on 2024-01-08, 11:07:16
hey can someone explain to me why this is not working for me? thanks!
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: Beanzvision on 2024-01-08, 13:57:27
Hmm, I think that this will depend on your camera exposure? According to real-life examples, the result is as expected.

(https://forum.corona-renderer.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41732.0;attach=193238;image)

If you really want to fake it, you could also duplicate the mesh and make it slightly larger and hide it from the camera using the comp tag.

(https://forum.corona-renderer.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41732.0;attach=193240;image)
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: tuami on 2024-01-08, 16:39:55
Hey  Beanz,

could you explan me why the object isnt red in this example with ray switcher material.
Thanks!

*edit
can it be that raywitcher does not work with light material ?
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: TomG on 2024-01-08, 21:55:42
Interesting, we'll take a look.

Meantime you can copy the tube twice. On one, apply the color and intensity that should emit into the scene, and in Advanced settings in the LightMtl uncheck Visible Directly, in reflections, and in refractions. On the other tube, apply another LightMtl with desired color / intensity to be seen on the tube, and uncheck Emit Light.
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: tuami on 2024-01-09, 09:09:16
Interesting, we'll take a look.

Meantime you can copy the tube twice. On one, apply the color and intensity that should emit into the scene, and in Advanced settings in the LightMtl uncheck Visible Directly, in reflections, and in refractions. On the other tube, apply another LightMtl with desired color / intensity to be seen on the tube, and uncheck Emit Light.

Hi TomG
thanks for the explanation, i just noticed that and i am sometimes a bit curious to find out why something is not working that should actually work :)
cheers
Title: Re: How to get coloured neon tubes?????!!!!
Post by: piotrus3333 on 2024-01-09, 14:38:34
Please do remember that drt / tonemapping is big part of how neon lights look.
a few common examples: