Shadows not casting in Classic 3D but do in Raytraced 3D

[jessicao98749098]

I've revisited a project from July/Aug last year (V13.8.0) as the client wanted some changes.

The project consists of several precomp layers with 2d layers inside layered up into z space (to create a fake extruded effect).

The only changes I have made are to the camera path, but when I come to render it out in Classic 3D there are no shadows at all. When I render with raytraced 3D however the shadows are there! This leads to me think there isn't a problem with how the shadows are set up, but I can't understand why they won't render in Classic.

I want to use Classic 3D as it is much faster (10hours compared to 30+), and there is an issue with the DOF in Raytraced, which I can't seem to fix without bumping up the sampling which will no doubt push render times beyond anything even vaguely reasonable!

I've tried looking at it in the older version of After Effects that it was originally created in, but to avail.

I'm now trying a work around to essentially get a shadow pass to comp back in, but this will still take several hours to render and probably won't be the final result/quality I want.

Any ideas will be hugely appreciated.

[Mylenium]

Show us screenshots of your various switches in teh timeline in teh comp window. Also check your settings for Draft 3D, the comp viewer settings, guide layers and all the usual. Presumably you mixed up something there.

Mylenium

[jessicao98749098]

Draft 3D isn't on, there are no guide layers. Also surely Draft3D wouldn't affect what it actually rendered out into an image sequence?

All the lights have basically the same settings, and nothing has been changed since it worked 6 months ago.

Here's the main comp settings,

This is the "shadow map" I'm getting from Raytraced 3D, but I can't get the DOF on it and it's just not the same look when reapplied on top.

It's so frustrating because I know I've done it all as one render before......

[Szalam]

Do you get the right shadows using the C4D renderer? (It might be faster than the ray-traced renderer.)

Also, check inside your precomp containing all of your 3d layers; are there any 2d layers hiding in there? Is that comp set to draft 3d?

[jessicao98749098]

No, unfortunately C4D renderer produces a largely black image.

Also, checked the precomps, there aren't any 2d layers and not set to draft 3d.

Is there something in Classic 3D that will stop shadows being rendered? Literally changing nothing else, but switching between Classic and raytraced, shadows appear...

[Szalam]

What do your composition settings in the advanced tab look like?

Also, what does this settings page say for shadow resolution?

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Jessica,

Interesting looking image. Did you ever get your depth of field looking right? Please let us know how you solved the issue or if you still need assistance.

Thanks!
Kevin

[jessicao98749098]

Hi Kevin,

No I didn't find a solution to the problem, I made a workaround instead to get the result I needed.

I rendered a shadow pass separately without the DOF and fudged it in the comp. Not the ideal answer, but I had a deadline to meet so needs must.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Thanks for letting us know, Jessica O.

Kevin