Cineversity

Is there a technique (other than using a multi-pass render function) for creating an object that receives a shadow, that is visible when rendered but the object isn’t visible?  In older versions of C4D there was a shadow caster function.

Hi marcpurcell,

Please have a look here:

Scene file
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/0spodonjEDmg7BatborXvZNReVZ9qxWbkQOfJ846AdP?ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy

The light is set to shadow caster only. See Light>Attribute Manager> Detail> Shadow Caster
The object [figure] is set to be seen by everything, except for the camera. Compositing Tag> Tag> Seen By Camera [checked off]
The Light.blue is only there to have any light at all in the scene.

Let me know if that works for you

All the best

Thank for the C4D file but it’s the opposite of what I trying to do.

I want the shadow and the object casting the shadow to be visible and the object receiving the shadow to be invisible (except for the shadow). Probably not possible?

Hi marcpurcell,

You wrote ” In older versions of C4D there was a shadow caster function.” I have three ideas about that , the light, the compositing tag, and the HDRI shadow option. Whereby the last two could be seen as one, Compositing Background and Compositing Background for HDR. The shadow receiving object seems to vanish.

In the light:
https://help.maxon.net/us/#OLIGHT-LIGHT_GROUP_DETAILS

Compositing Background/. Compositing Background for HDRi
https://help.maxon.net/us/#TCOMPOSITING-ID_TAGPROPERTIES

I saw that the Online Help uses the word Schattenfänger in one link, which is German for “Shadow Catcher”.

In R18 a fourth option comes into the game:
https://help.maxon.net/us/#MSHADOWCATCHER

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The way to get the Multi-Pass Light passes with individual shadows and the result without, is perhaps best established with the Take system.
https://help.maxon.net/us/#54507
You just work with the object visible and then not, perhaps with a child render setting for the shadow “Take”

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As a side note, when I work with camera mapping, as in this clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYNJd9QGHGo
I use to set the shadow pass in the Diffusion and enable “Diffuse Channel> Affect Luminance”, with the camera position that showed the most of the shadow.

If you have an example scene file, I’m happy to look into it.

My best wishes