Help please! - I have problems and I don't know why

[Mahlikus The Black]

I have a question I hope someone can help me answer. I am sure that the answer is around here somewhere but I guess I am not looking hard enough. What is it when I am modeling something and I am trying to put it far back in Z and all of a sudden...it looks like it is vanishing into a black pool of nothing? I hope you know what I meanand when I render...Parts are missing (whatever went past the black). Also, It seems the the lighting is only sudject to the front most objects...I want to make a distant terrain and put a light behind it (as if sunrise). Is this a backlighting trick or can I actual move it all the way to back Z. I also read about people taking about lighting different layers only. If someone can help me out or direct me to a thread..I would greatly appreciate it. I am on my way right now to the quicklinks...maybe I can find something there.
Thanks for helping a neophyte like me...damn I wish I knew more about this prog. Sorry if this sounds confusing and thanks for the help yall.

[Ron Harris]

try this....instead of pushing it back like that so far into the canvas, maybe scale down the model ...that will give some sense of depth. I have this happen to me as well...just pull the model back out of the "void" and go to the scale button while in edit mode and just reduce the size of the model...the further off it is,the smaller it would be right? There are some threads around here coz I have seen them on this subject...z axis or something like that...when I build an image that I know will end up needing layers. I will model on one or two layers...so what I end up with is 2 blank layers ...then my next two modeling layers ..and then one or two bottoms layers...and when I save the zdoc I am able to go back and add stuff to the layers if I want...stuff in the foreground or backgrounds and I use the very bottom layer for the sky and or for fill colors...I know there are alot of different reasons and approaches to this subject...this is simply what I do for now Hope this helped

[Mentat7]

Hey M,

What you are experiencing is the interaction of the object with the clipping plane. There is a finite depth at which you can place your object. Once you go back far enough you will push it behind the clipping plane and the object will disappear. A good thing to remember is that you can move objects forward as well. As far as lights go you can not pysically position lights in ZB like you can in other modeling programs. You can however create a distant background, use several lights (even a backlight which will illuminate the edges of the objects) then bake that layer and use shading enhancer, highlighter 1 and 2 brushes to enhance the sunrise effect. Then just creat another layer and finish your scene with new light settings if you wish. The baked layer will not be altered by the rendering or light settings of the new layer.

[Mahlikus The Black]

Not to be sarcastic or anything but I know how to fudge depth with size changing. I also work with layers to..it is a MUST for excellent construction of the image. I use up all the layer slots up..even for the littlest things..and when I need more, I just merge the stuff I am 100% sure about...I JUST HATE THAT VOID!...The bane of my Zbrush existance. But I guess it is there to stay hu?
Thanks for the help though...I just thought there was a way of getting rid of it or at least moving it back more...

BTW..I found some lighting help in the quicklinks so if I have more problems I will ask...but right now..I am looking.

Thanks Again!

[Mahlikus The Black]

Mental you rock..I don't understand fully baking or its uses but I am getting there...Thanks a ton for that little trick! As for the clipping plane well I guess I will have to move everything up. I wish there was a sense of infinate Zand perspective scaling as one moves things back in Z but alas..maybe in future versions...

Thanks again man!

Viva la Resistance!
Death to the Clipping plane!

[aurick]

The clipping plane's depth is also a function of the size of the document. Since you are using the demo, you can't resize the document. But once you have the retail version, you'll be able to -- which will allow you to push the clipping plane back quite a ways.

Remember, too, that you can move a layer's depth using the Layer>Modifiers.

[Mahlikus The Black]

*Starts crying*..REALLY?!?!

*sobs like a wee girlie man*

At last...it is true..it can be mastered this..void...
heheh.

Thanks Aurick