In addition to setting basic object visibility and selectability attributes, the visibility options provide fine control over how the selected object behaves with respect to various ray types (transparency, reflectivity, photon lighting, final gathering, and so on) and other surface attributes such as shadows.
To display: Click the object’s Visibility node in an explorer.
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By default, model instances inherit their visibility attributes from the instance master. However, to give you proper control over model-instance visibility attributes, extra check boxes appear (unlabeled) next to most parameters in the visibility property editor. Checking these boxes causes the instance to stop inheriting the master hierarchy’s visibility attributes, and allows you to set the chosen parameter for the instance itself. |
General
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View Visibility |
Determines whether the object is visible in the 3D views. |
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Render Visibility |
Defines whether the object will be visible during rendering. Also available on the Rendering tab. |
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Selectability |
Determines whether the object is selectable in the 3D views. |
Animation
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Ghosting |
Toggles the display of ghosted shapes for the animated object. If this option has a check mark but is unavailable (grayed out), it means that this object belongs to a layer or group whose ghosting setting is active and overrides this value. If you want to have ghosting for only one object in the layer or group, first deactivate the ghosting for the layer or group, then activate Ghosting here for just that object. |
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Ghost Types |
Determines the appearance of the ghosted shapes for the animated object. The display uses the current settings as defined in the Display Property Editor. • Object: draw the object’s geometry for each ghost. • Point: draw a point for each ghost, based on the center of the object’s bounding box. • Pose: draws a transformation (scale, rotation, translation) axis icon for each ghost, based on the center of the object’s bounding box. • Velocity: draws a velocity vector (direction arrow) for each ghost. You can set the length of the vector drawn with the Velocity Scale Factor parameter in the Camera Display property editor. • Trail: draws a smooth curve connecting the points created for each ghost, displaying the trajectory of the object. You can set the smoothness of the curve using the Trail Subdivisions option in the Camera Display property editor. |
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Render Visibility |
Defines whether the object will be visible during rendering. Also available on the General tab. |
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Instance Master Hidden |
If the selected object is part of a model instance master, it is hidden for rendering. This also affects display in the viewports. This is useful for particle and hair instancing, where you’re not likely to want to render the master object/hierarchy. |
Ray Visibility
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Primary |
Activates or deactivates primary rays. Primary rays are all rays emitted from the camera, including transparency rays. They determine the visibility of an object in the scene. When on, the object is visible. |
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Secondary |
Activates or deactivates secondary rays. Secondary rays are rays cast once a primary ray hits an object. These include, but are not limited to reflection rays, refraction rays, final gathering sample rays, and so on. |
Shadow
Shadow options control the visibility of shadows on scene objects. For shadows to be visible, you must also activate shadows in the property editors of the appropriate scene lights (those that are responsible for creating shadows.
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Caster |
When on, the object casts a shadow on surrounding shadow-receiving objects. |
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Receiver |
When on, surrounding shadow-casting objects cast their shadows onto the object. |
Transparency
Transparency options give you fine control over how an object reacts to transparency rays. For these options to have any visible effect, the object and/or surrounding objects must have some sort of transparency defined in their materials.
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Caster |
When on, the object can cast transparency rays. This means that other scene objects are visible through the object. |
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Visible |
When on, the object is visible to transparency rays. This means that the object is visible when looked at through the surfaces of scene objects that are themselves transparency casters. |
Reflection
Reflection options give you fine control over how an object reacts to reflection rays. For these options to have any visible effect, the object and/or surrounding objects must have some sort of reflectivity defined in their materials.
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Caster |
When on, the object can cast reflection rays, meaning that it will reflect surrounding objects in its surface, provided that they are visible to reflection rays. |
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Visible |
When on, the object is visible to reflection rays, making it visible in the surfaces of surrounding objects that are themselves reflection casters. |
Refraction
Refraction options give you fine control over how an object reacts to refraction rays. For these options to have any visible effect, the object and/or surrounding objects must have some sort of transparency defined in their materials, and their Index Of Refraction (IOR) values must be greater or less than 1 (an IOR value of 1 means that no refraction occurs).
It’s easiest to think of the refraction visibility attributes as being identical to the transparency visibility attributes, but only used when the IOR is set to something other than 1.
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Caster |
When on, the object can cast refraction rays. This means that other scene objects properly refracted when seen through the object, provided that those objects are themselves visible to refraction rays. |
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Visible |
When on, the object is visible to refraction rays. This means that the object is appears properly refracted when looked at through the surfaces of transparent scene objects that are refraction casters. |
Final Gathering
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Caster |
When on, the object can cast final gathering sample rays in order to sample surrounding objects. |
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Visible to Sampling |
When on, the object is visible to final gathering sample rays cast by other scene objects. When off, final gathering rays pass through the object and are able to sample the next object that they hit. |
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Sampled |
When on, the object is sampled by final gathering sample rays cast by other scene objects. When off, the object absorbs the final gathering rays, but does not contribute t the final gathering result. |
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Local FG Map |
Specifies the path to a final gathering map that is generated for the object only. If an object has its own final gathering map, it is ignored when the scene-wide final gathering map (as defined in the Render Options property editor) is generated. However, it will use the same Map File Usage setting as the scene-wide map. If Usr is on, the path is displayed as you entered it. If Res is on, the resolved path is displayed. You can type a different path or use the Browse (...) button to change locations. Valid names are displayed in white, invalid names are red, and read-only files are gray. |
Global Illumination
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Caster |
When on, the object can cast photons for global illumination. Photons, emitted from a photon-emitting light, that strike the object will bounce and can continue to affect other struck objects. When off, the object will simply absorb photons that strike it. |
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Visible |
When on, the object is visible to photons cast for global illumination. When off, photons will simply pass through the object. |
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Receiver |
When on, the object can receive global illumination photons, meaning that the global illumination effect is visible on the object’s surface. |
Caustic
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Caster |
When on, the object can cast photons for caustics. Photons, emitted from a photon-emitting light, that strike the object will bounce and can continue to affect other struck objects. When off, the object will simply absorb photons that strike it. |
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Visible |
When on, the object is visible to photons cast for caustics. When off, photons will simply pass through the object. |
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Receiver |
When on, the object can receive caustics, meaning that the caustic lighting effect is visible on the object’s surface. |
Geometry
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Visible Face |
These options allow for face culling on the selected object during rendering. Four Options are available: Inherited: if the object is a model instance, inherits its face-culling from the instance master. Back Face Only: only the back-facing portions of the object’s surface are rendered. Front Face Only: only the front-facing portions of the object’s surface are rendered. Both Faces Visible: no face-culling occurs. |
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