Neon Effect

[Jim Smith]

I can achieve a Neon Sign Effect now, but it drinks time like an astronaut in a Tang factory. It would be great to have a lighting tool that would add this effect to an object.

[PVA - Admin]

What method are you using currently? Normally the Backlit shader on a texture can get this effect the quickest, since Line and Area Lights tend to have hotspotting and are more inefficient resource-wise.

http://www.vectorworks.net/getting-started-guides/renderworks/Gsg-2016-r11-backlit-and-glow-texture

Or is that the method you're trying to improve upon?

[Jim Smith]

That may work, I will have to experiment. The look we are trying to achieve is an old school Neon Sign. What I've done in the past is:

- Convert Text to a 3D object

- Use a copy of the resulting 3D Polys to Subtract Solids from another 3D object (the sign box)

- Put a Light object inside the sign box

- Place the 3D Text over the holes in the sign box, but don't seal it, so some light "leaks out" at the edge.

- Play with the opacity & texture of the 3D Text to get an approximation of the effect.

- OR the fast way-

Produce the gemomitry and 3D Text & export the image and open in Photoshop & apply the effect in PS

[Kaare Baekgaard]

Could you show us a rendering created with the method that you describe?

[Jim Smith]

It's in an old 2009 file I'd have to dig out & Batch convert. If I get a chance this weekend I will.