This may have been asked around here more than once (I couldn’t find anything though). Is there a way to have an object set to ‘unrendered’ but still have an effect on the scene? Example, have a plane cast reflections on an object but the plane itself is not rendered.
I’ve been looking around for quite a while and have yet to find anything like this.
Yes. On teh render layers tab set the top row of layer buttons so that the object can be seen in the 3D view and set the bottom row of buttons so that the layer containing that object is not rendered. It will now cast shadows, radiosity (if enabled to do so) and be reflected without being rendered.
@rambobaby: That does not work for me.
I have a cube on layer 1.
I have a plane on layer 2.
I have a shadow casting sun on layer 3.
The cube sits on the plane and casts a shadow on the plane.
GOAL:
I want to see the cube in the 3D window, but not the plane and the light but when I render I want to see the plane and the shadow of the cube, but not the cube itself.
Now for the Render Layers setup.
TOP LAYERS BUTTONS:
I have layer 1 enabled.
BOTTOM LAYERS BUTTONS:
I have layers 2 and 3 enabled.
OUTPUT:
A blank blue screen, it does not work as you suggest, perhaps I am setting it up wrong?
Care to review my setup? I have been interested in this technique for a while, but never have I been able to achieve it.
renderlayer_tricks.blend (154 KB)
You have to see all objects in the 3D window for this to work. You simply disable the render flag for the layer containing the undesired object (2nd set of layer buttons on render layer tab), not the visibility flag(1st set of layer buttons).
Image:Set up is identical to yours concerning object placement on layers. Note the render flag configuration.
Got it, it works, thanks for taking the time to point it out!
Hey thanks for that RamboBaby. Just what I was looking for. =)
