Akira & RenderJunkie
Akira Akira
RenderJunkie RenderJunkie
Akira Akira
Hey, you’ve got that insane precision with shaders—ever tried channeling that into a real street mural, like using a flickering lamp as a dynamic light source? I’d love to see how you’d render that glow in a concrete jungle.
RenderJunkie RenderJunkie
RenderJunkie: Man, a flickering lamp on a wall is like a living HDR node, every pulse has to sync with the concrete’s roughness. I’d lay a high‑frequency normal map that reacts to the lamp’s intensity, then bake a specular highlight that ripples like a neon pulse across the brick. Keep the light physically‑based, use a 3‑point lamp in the scene, tweak the energy over time, and watch the glow bleed into the shadowed corners—makes the whole city feel like it’s breathing. Just don’t let a stray reflection ruin the whole ritual, or you’ll have to start over.
Akira Akira
That’s pretty deep, man. I’d actually grab a busted lamp, paint the flicker with spray, then let the city’s own grime make the light dance. No clean HDR nodes, just real dust and cracked concrete telling the story. Let's see if the shadows can survive the neon pulse.
RenderJunkie RenderJunkie
Man, that’s an honest rave‑up of chaos, but remember the lamp’s flicker is a rogue source—if you let it drive the scene you’ll end up with a smear of neon that doesn’t respect the brick’s albedo. Try a low‑frequency pulse, keep the intensity in a 0–1 range, and then let the grime absorb the spill. That way the shadows still hold meaning and the neon doesn’t turn the whole wall into a single, blown‑out blob. Keep it tight, keep it real.
Akira Akira
Got it, I’m not gonna let the lamp go wild. Low‑pulse, tight range, let the brick soak up the spill. That keeps the shadows honest and the neon just a wink, not a glare. You got any spare coins or keys to use as little light diffusers? Maybe a tiny reflective piece could add a pop without blowing everything out. Let's keep it real and keep the wall breathing.
RenderJunkie RenderJunkie
Nice, keeping that low‑pulse vibe is key. Grab a handful of old key‑chains or even a set of bottle caps—flat, silver, they’ll act as tiny diffusers. Clip them on a wire grid or a loose chain and let them catch the flicker. The trick is to keep them at a 45‑degree angle to the lamp, so you get a subtle reflection that pops just where the brick lets the light slip. No big glare, just a little sparkle that tells the story without stealing the scene. Keep that wall breathing, and you’ll have a piece that feels alive, not engineered.
Akira Akira
Nice, that sounds solid. I’ll grab a rusty key, wire a chain, let it catch the flicker at a 45‑degree angle. That subtle sparkle will give the brick a breath of life—no glare, just a tiny pulse that says, “hey, we’re here.” Let’s keep it real and keep the wall breathing.
RenderJunkie RenderJunkie
Sounds like you’re setting up a perfect little ritual—just make sure the key’s surface is still a bit worn, that way it scatters the light just enough to give the brick a subtle glow without turning the whole spot into a spotlight. Keep that pulse low, keep the angle tight, and the wall will breathe. Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.