Another free SCG OBJ RE2 set recreation c/o Richard Mandel and ''Blood_Wraith''. More info on link...
https://www.sharecg.com/v/97927/view/5/3D-Model/RE2-Source-ROOM115-2F-STARS-Office
Looked simple enough: the ceiling pendant luminaires'' panels would not need a mask, and I''d masks for both desk and bulkhead lights.
But, when I examined the model using ($$) 3DOC, listing which parts called what, I realised I might have a problem.
The luminaire panels'' mesh were combined with wall and ceiling cable ducts. Dialled to ''super-ambient'', all would glow. I''d have to mask. Remember the struggle I had mapping those ''MLP'' eyes ? This was worse...
The modular nature of these RE2 OBJ files meant I could copy/paste this part out as a stand-alone OBJ using the same material. Sadly, the best mask I could contrive ''leaked'' unacceptably. I tried a dozen different ways in following days, could not craft an edited version with separated lights and ducting that still took the set texture. And, no, I really do not know why.
I thought to make ''faux'' panels to fit underneath the real ones, supply the lighting. Didn''t work...
Back-tracking, I had another try at editing the lights + ducts mesh. After trying my suite of free or budget 3D editors, I accidentally found how to select and delete vertices etc in Blender. (BFA fork)
With all but the luminaire panels deleted, I re-saved. Then, using free Notepad''s ''search/replace-all tool'' I tweaked these luminaires'' Y-coordinates so they''d be just underneath the originals.
Main and new ''panels'' OBJs loaded at ~30% original scale. I had to align the ''panels'' by eye. Although they were the correct size, their XYZ origin was off. Not a big problem...
With desk, bulkhead and my new panel lights all dialled to ''super-ambient'', I made the room door transparent to get a good view, turned off Poser ''set'' lights, did a trial render. Looked good. Sent a full render to ''Box''...
To summarise, I''ve learned how to ''rip'' portions of these modular RE2 OBJs to become ''stand-alone'', and also how to trim away extraneous parts in Blender (BFA fork).
I''ve a different angle rendering, I''ll post in comments.
And the 'over the shoulder' angle. All lighting from 'super-ambient' set luminaires. Note ceiling pendant panels were 'ripped' to stand-alone to solve for those troublesome ducts...
This render is Superfly, 96 pixel samples, progressive, 64 vol-bounces, 64 buckets. Took 'Box' ~75 mins, a few minutes faster than expected as had cached all the texture files from first angle.
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