Spotlight mixed with other lights

[elsksa]

Additionally to what @jayroth2020 provided,It would be worth to consider render-layers to optimize volume rendering.

[Korma]

Thanks guys, but a volume is not an option in my case. I thought that was clear, maybe i should have mentioned that there are good reasons why i wanted the spotlight for that project. I have several hundred spotlights and it's simply impossible to artdirect them with a volume. I now have a nice solution by combining the Cinema 4D standard renderer with Octane by rendering two versions and combining them in post. This way it's even possible to achieve results with IES lights that are simply impossible with Octane without spending days. There it's just drag and drop different IES lights and it renders in seconds. It's crazy easy and fast.

The tip came from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OctaneR ... nt_mention

[elsksa]

it's simply impossible to artdirect them with a volume

It's 100% possible, for years!

The tip came from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OctaneR ... nt_mention

That's the closest to my render layer suggestion.
Basically rendering the scene and volumes separately, optimizing them both respectively and combining them in post (by respecting a linear workflow in an appropriate compositing software i.e not Adobe software).
Whatever works for you! Although this wouldn't be viable in production.
I imagine the deadline doesn't allow more time to be allocated for testing various methods.

[Korma]

Although this wouldn't be viable in production..

Yeah elska, i'll tell this to my customer when he asks why i spent 95% of the budget on spotlights

[elsksa]

Although this wouldn't be viable in production..

Yeah elska, i'll tell this to my customer when he asks why i spent 95% of the budget on spotlights

"Render layer splitting" is nothing uncommon at many small to large VFX studios.

[Korma]

I was talking about art directing hundreds of lights... nevermind.

[boxfx]

In our experience, you're better off rendering visible and volumetric spotlights in c4d's standard render engine and just comping them over the octane renders. Visible light cones in octane are very uncontrollable as far as art direction goes, you either end up with a misty smoke filled room or incredibly long render times as you try to resolve the noise generated by a small bright light shining through a 3D volume.

I'd love to be proved wrong on this with a c4d project file, but we basically gave up trying a while back

[champton]

Have you tried the 4dm light kit spotlight? That one works pretty well. You could also fake the spotlight volume with a cone mesh and the proper material.