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[cumesoftware]

Quote from Wikipedia entry for dielectric:

"Many phenomena in electronics, solid state and optical physics can be described using the underlying assumptions of the dielectric model"

They can be described, but a dielectric is a material that has the ability to store electrical charges. I think the word should not be applied here.

[RudySchneider]

My goodness we're stubborn!  Then again, it's obvious you didn't look at the Wikipedia entry for dielectric.  So, I'll quote from there, again:

"Dielectrics ... are not a narrow class of so-called insulators, but the broad expanse of nonmetals considered from the standpoint of their interaction with electric, magnetic, of electromagnetic fields. Thus we are concerned with gases as well as with liquids and solids, and with the storage of electric and magnetic energy as well as its dissipation."  And by the way, light is in the magnetic spectrum.

I'm an electrical engineer, so I appreciate your comfort level with Webster's definition, "a nonconductor of direct electric current," but I prefer the broader, systems-level implications to which Wikipedia refers.

[cumesoftware]

My goodness we're stubborn!  Then again, it's obvious you didn't look at the Wikipedia entry for dielectric.  So, I'll quote from there, again:

"Dielectrics ... are not a narrow class of so-called insulators, but the broad expanse of nonmetals considered from the standpoint of their interaction with electric, magnetic, of electromagnetic fields. Thus we are concerned with gases as well as with liquids and solids, and with the storage of electric and magnetic energy as well as its dissipation."  And by the way, light is in the magnetic spectrum.

I'm an electrical engineer, so I appreciate your comfort level with Webster's definition, "a nonconductor of direct electric current," but I prefer the broader, systems-level implications to which Wikipedia refers.

I do not always agree with wikipedia definitions, but that doesn't mean I'm stubborn. If you see the origin of the word "dielectric" it means "two electrical poles". By your classification metals are also dielectric, because they interact in a special way with light. Actually, photons loosen electrons from the metal atoms. When the electron falls back to a lower energy level, it sends a photons. That is why metals are so shiny. But they are unable to store different electrical charges because they are conductive.

[RudySchneider]

Good observation and argument, cumesoft.  And while I don't fully share your views, respect, acknowledgment, and appreciation for different insights and opinions is always a good thing.  Good discourse helps to expand and exercise the mind.

[cumesoftware]

Good observation and argument, cumesoft.  And while I don't fully share your views, respect, acknowledgment, and appreciation for different insights and opinions is always a good thing.  Good discourse helps to expand and exercise the mind.

Indeed. Well said.

I must add that if all people had the same pattern of though, the world wouldn't evolve and all ideas would eventually fail at the same time. Because ideas are different, if one fails the other persists, and there is always space for adaptation and always new knowledge to cultivate the mind.

[Kyle]

Wow, youve really outdone yourself Steve. I didn't think anim8or would ever see a real raytracer.
I'm finding myself very lost though, even with the documentation.  I cant figure out how to do simple things such as making the reflection more subtle. (something akin to turning down an environment map value when using environment maps). and I still don't get all these new terms. is there a thread I can go to right now to learn as much as possible about how to get specific results?   I keep finding that using this new renderer makes the lighting way darker to the point where it removes all detail from my pics. makes everything flat.  I know there's something I'm not doing right though.

anyway great stuff from what Ive seen. I think the only major thing left that I'm dying to see from anim8or's renderer is motion blur.
do you for see that ever happening?

oh, and fur ofcourse, but I think we're still pretty far off for that.  but for all I know it may be more achievable than motion blur.

[Steve]

Kyle, I'll be the first to admit that setting the materials up for ray traced effects is clumsy at best.  You need to add "Attributes" of the appropriate names and values.  Download the sample .an8 projects on the ART ray tracer documentation page for some examples:

http://www.anim8or.com/download/preview/art_raytracer.html

I'll be writing some better documentation and possibly making it easier to set the necessary values in the future.

[Steve]

The properties of dielectric materials are well understood in the field of physics.  There are long standing mathematical madels that explain their behavior when interacting with, for example, light.  Thus they are well suited to ray tracing.  Glass, water, quartz, diamond and many plastics are example of dielectric materials that you can use for more realistic models.  Opaque dialectrics like ceramics are best modeled with simpler materials because they are much faster to render.

[Kyle]

yeah, Ive downloaded a couple of the sample files, but even after analyzing them and trying to recreate the attribute values/classes, I still don't get any type of reflection. no idea why.  Ive only been able to get them to work by copy and pasting the sample materials and modifying them to my liking.

[lawrence]

Nice work Steve, I'm going to try and make some test renders when I get the time.

[mcheccyb]

kyle, this one took me a while to figure out as well.

The main attribute i use is reflection, if you type in specular underneath then the reflection amount is affected by how high the specular value.

[Steve]

mcheccyb, yes, this is what it is supposed to do.  From the notes on the ray tracer page: "The [specular->reflection] result is multiplied by the materials specular weight, Ks..."

[startrekfan001]

OMG i just watched the file size of anim8or, just 2mb!!!! WITH a friggin' RAYTRACER included!!

steve, marry me.

seriously tough, awesome. thanks for those really cool features. i'm busy making jewelry, i never was able to do it before. this is awesome. finally nice refraction in my renders.

[behrouz]

Yeah this raytracer's great, i think the next thing that anim8or needs now is one of them particle generators so you can do proper hair and fire and stuff like that

[startrekfan001]

Yeah this raytracer's great, i think the next thing that anim8or needs now is one of them particle generators so you can do proper hair and fire and stuff like that

terranim8or.......