Lightning

| Lightning | Line Segments | Render Tree Usage

Category: Volume

Shader Family: Volume

Output: Color

Simulates the effect of a lightning strike. This shader requires that the start and end points of the lightning bolt's main branch be defined in the shader node.

This shader constructs a line-segment path for the lightning bolt based on input values for random seed, length range of line segments, angle range of bending and twisting of segments, branch probability, etc.

Name	The shader's name. Enter any name you like, or leave the default.

Lightning

Start Point, Endpoint

Defines a start and endpoint for the lighting effect. Only geometric objects can be defined as start and endpoints. Nulls and implicit objects cannot be used as start and endpoints.

Add: Opens an explorer and allows you to select an object as a start or endpoint. Click outside of the explorer when you have finished selecting. Use Ctrl+click to select multiple objects.

Up, Down: Defines the order in which objects will be used as start and end points. Objects at the top of the list will be used first.

Delete: Removes the selected object from the object list and no longer uses it as a start or endpoint.

Life

Specifies how much of the lightning tree will be rendered.

0 = no rendering

1 the entire lightning tree is rendered

This parameter is useful for controlling the animation of the lightning bolt.

Seed

Sets the random movement of the lightning bolt.

Glow

Glow width	Specifies the width of the glow emanating from the main branch of the lightning tree.
R, G, B	Defines the RGB values for the lightning's glow.

Branching

Branch Probability

Specifies the degree of probability of branching.

Length

Minimum, Maximum

Defines the minimum and maximum length of the line segments of the lightning tree.

Angle

Minimum, Maximum

Defines the minimum and maximum degree of rotation between the joined line segments of the tree.

Line Segments

Length

Minimum, Maximum

Defines the minimum and maximum length of the branches of the lightning tree.

Angle

Minimum, Maximum

Defines the minimum and maximum degree of rotation between a branch and a spawned subbranch.

Width

R, G, B

Specifies the width of the RGB color channels in each lightning line segment.

Attenuation

R, G, B

Specifies the rate of attenuation of the RGB color channels in each lightning line segment.

Contrast

R, G, B

Specifies the contrast between the RGB color channels in each lightning line segment and the background. Small values create fuzzy color channels, and high values (greater than 8) create sharp contrast.

Render Tree Usage

To apply this volume effect to an object (as opposed to a scene) connect this shader to the Volume input of the material node. Volume shaders cannot be expanded or built upon in the render tree.

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