Hi everyone,
I’m working on an underground cave scene with an organic ceiling hole where I want realistic god rays to fall onto the cave surface. My goal is to achieve a persistent volumetric light effect without having the source mesh visible in the final render.
What I’m trying to achieve:
Blender Visualization:
I’d like the light rays to appear naturally coming down through the irregular ceiling hole, giving a dusty, volumetric look to the cave atmosphere.
My current approach with postprocessing GodRaysEffect:
I used the postprocessing GodRaysEffect on my source mesh. It works well when the source mesh is in view; however, when I move the source mesh off-screen, the god rays fade away completely. I want to hide the source mesh entirely while still having the volumetric light effect.
Other attempts:
- I tried combining a light with an occluder (a plane with holes) to simulate the effect, but due to light falling and being blocked by geometry, it didn’t produce the characteristic dusty feel.
- I also considered using a mesh that simulates light rays with custom shaders, but I’m not sure this approach would yield the natural look I’m aiming for.
Question:
Has anyone managed to create a persistent volumetric light effect in a scene where the light source is hidden (or offscreen), yet the god rays remain visible? Specifically, for an underground cave environment with an organic ceiling hole, how can I achieve realistic, dusty, persistent god rays?
