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Open GL Solar Animation Tip


PeterT

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When doing a solar animation with Open GL and showing shadows on the ground only, here are some things to keep in mind:

The shadows will render at the point of the lowest object in your drawing. If there is any object below your layer plane the shadows will cast at the level of that object. This includes the HELIODON object.

If you place the Heliodon on the drawing in Top/Plan view, then go to a 3D Open GL rendered view with the checkbox checked to show shadows "On Ground Only", your shadows will project on some plane below the plane your objects are drawn on. Your objects seem to float in the air up above the shadows.

If you go to a 3D wireframe view, choose front view, then use the Flyover tool, you will see that in 3D, the Heliodon object is contained in a 3 dimensional cube that extends below the layer plane.

To fix this, just 3D Move the Heliodon up a few feet and the shadows will move up to the layer plane as expected.

Since the heliodon can really be placed anywhere in 3D space, why wouldn't they make it such that the default placement of the heliodon would be somewhere above the layer plane/working plane?

Or if not, maybe they could mention this vital piece of information in the Help system.

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