This is a scene to test objects. It is a cycles version of the Thomas Berglund's LightBox for Blender Internal you can download at "http://www.blendswap.com/blends/scenes/lightbox01/". It has for meshlights inside a box. I have created a material node group for these meshlights, so they only emit light through one side. It uses light falloff node to soften shadows if you want.
It includes two scene, one without light falloff (soft = 0) and another with it. Also it contains four example renders, with chrome and glass materials.
It is made with Blender 2.64 testbuild2
EDIT: Made again with Blender 2.67. I think it solves some problems with new node groups.
Enjoy it!
It is very similar to the scene I use to test the materials I post in "http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?278285-Yet-Another-Thread-about-Cycles-Materials".
I opened the file, and pressed RENDER, nothing happen, do I must do something special? thanks!
It should work with CPU or GPU. I have uploaded a new version made with Blender 2.67. I saw some problem with node groups in lights material.
This is awesome and love the lightbox! It has been doing my head in however. How have you got the light box so that in a perspective view, as you rotate the camera, you can always see through to Suzanne? I know it is probably a basic setting somewhere but can't for the life of me find it.
Thanks @mattelder. In the 3d View window, go to 'Properties Panel >> Display' and check 'Backface Culling'. You may need to flip normals in your objects to see what you desire.
Thank you for this awesome lighbox. I am a newbee in blender and have a question. How can I adjust the lighning to get a whiter floor and a blue heaven? Which settings should I adjust? Anyway your work savd me a lot of time.
You need to use to background nodes, one white and one blue, and mix them with a Mix node, using "Light Path >> Is camera ray" as factor of the mixing. It is very used tweak.
Also there is an specific node for heaven: Sky Texture. And also you can use Blackbody node to get the blue and white sky colors.
Perfect for learning, works like a charm with 2.66, thank you!