I have a some problems here to get reflection to work and I need your help.Please excuse my English.

First I am trying to figure out why when I use Environment light with HDR image I don't get the reflection on material such a “silver material” when using micropolygon or raytrace render .I am getting the reflection only when PBR is used.I know about the ability to apply env map inside the material but the question is what is difference between raytrace and PBR render when PBR uses raytracing to calculate the reflection, and why env light with hdr image doesn't work when raytrace is used.

Second question is related with the image planes.I am trying to output the reflection as a separate image plane (channel) But I don't get anything in a render.I am using again the silver material from the material library and env map applied to the shader. I am able to get the diffuse, specular but reflection just doesn't work. Basically what I am doing is I am adding a variables like “reflExport” ,“ specularExport” in the image plane .This variables are created by default inside the shader What I am doing wrong that I can't get only the reflection.

And the third question is why I can't have image planes when PBR is used?Is this limitation with PBR or I have to have special shader for that?

I hope my questions are clear considering my English.

Thanks

PS I am using Houdini 9.5.350 HD

hi

ok first question, yes your right you can't see reflections from the environment light when using micropoly/raytrace… hopefully at some point we will be able to, Houdini 10 maybe?
i personally find it very counter productive to use reflection maps at shader level, never mind trying to rotate them…

second, your image planes should work just fine, just remember to check whether your VEX type under the image plane variable is float or vector, this must match the VEX type in the shader parameter export, although it is set to vector by default so it should work..

third one, yes your right you can't use image planes with PBR, it's a limitation in the current version of houdini/PBR

hope that helps somewhat
jason