Creating a Glow

Overview

In this tutorial, you'll use GlowWorm, Poser 6 and compositing software, such as Photoshop, to make a Christmas tree's lights glow.

Setting up the render job

In Poser, launch GlowWorm from the library. Click the "Add File" button and select your scene.

Unless you're doing an animation, be sure to change the Output Frames to "Current". Set other properties as desired.

You'll need to add three render passes:

The beau Pass

This pass is GlowWorm's beauty pass preset. It's a select pass with diffuse. Alternately, you can use a lighting pass and a diffuse color pass.

The amb Pass

This is GlowWorm's ambient pass preset. It's a select pass with ambient.

The spec Pass

This is GlowWorm's specular pass preset. It's a select pass with specular.

Compositing the Passes

1) Open up your beauty pass

2) Paste on the ambient pass. Set the ambient layer mode to "Linear Dodge" (aka "Add")

3) Duplicate the ambient layer. Apply a Gaussian Blur.

4) Paste on the specular pass. Set the specular layer mode to "Linear Dodge".

The result is a lovely glow. To further enhance the glow, you can double up your specular and blurred-ambient passes.