Setting Up a Ground Plane
First, a ground plane will need to be created to receive the shadows cast by the lava lamp. Go to Create > Polygon Primitives > Plane and rename "pPlane1" to "pGroundPlane". Using the Translate and Scale Tools, move pGroundPlane into position, as shown in the image below. Ensure that the horizon line is flat. In the Channel Box, check that Translate Y = 0 (Fig.45).
Introducing pGroundPlane has created a problem - the power plug is now going through the floor and needs to be adjusted. Go to Window > Outliner. The Outliner is very useful for easily selecting objects in the scene. LMB click to select pProng1 and then holding down the shift key, LMB click to select pPlug. Go to Edit > Parent. When pPlug is moved, pProng1 will follow. Parent pProng2 to to pPlug. Move pPlug upwards so that it is resting on pGroundPlane, then LMB click to select pCord and click on the Deformation tab. Click on the Wireframed (see-through) box icon, at the left hand end of the Deformation Tab. This will apply a deformation lattice to pCord.
Select the deformation lattice. Go to the ffd1LatticeShape tab in the Attribute Editor and set the values as follows:
- S Divisions value to 2
- T Divisions value to 12
- U Divisions value to 2
RMB click the lattice and select Lattice Point. Then in a side viewport, move the first two rows of deformer upwards so that pCord joins pPlug again, as in the image below (Fig.46).
RMB click the lattice again and select Object Mode to finish. Then LMB click pGroundPlane to select it, RMB click pGroundPlane and select Assign New Material > Blinn. Rename "blinn1" to "blinnGroundPlane" and set Color to white. Set the other values as follows:
- Diffuse value to 0.90
- Eccentricity value to 0.1
- Specular Roll Off value to 0.5
- Specular Color to white
- Reflectivity to 0.25
Setting Up Shadows
Select the light called keyLight. The keyLight will be the main shadow casting light in the scene. Go to the Attribute Editor for keyLight. Scroll down to the Raytrace Shadow Attributes roll-out. Check the box next to Use Ray Trace Shadows to turn shadows on and set the following values:
- Light Radius value to 2.0
- Shadow Rays value to 20
- Ray Depth Limit to 2
Create a test render of the camera viewport. The shadow gets cut off because pGroundPlane is not large enough so select pGroundPlane and, using the Scale Tool, make pGroundPlane much larger.
The final rendered image is shown in Fig.47.
I hoped you enjoyed this tutorial and I would really appreciate any feedback that you may have. Please email me at Kristina@animatedcreations.net
Kristina Sara Johnson