Has anyone succeeded with a "dappled sunlight on water" effect, as follows? I want to place the camera underwater looking upwards through the surface towards the sun.

There is a water caustics scene in the Carrara 5 library but it "cheats" by placing a water-textured plane just below the camera, which projects the caustics onto a plane beneath.

Thanks
Richard

What about a light cone with a gel?

I think you'd have to put a flattened cube in the scene for the surface of the water.  Give that cube a microdisplacement texture either using noise or a t-map.  Use refraction in the shader so you can get cool refracted views of whatever is over the water's surface.  If you have caustics on, you should also get some cool light streams if you place a volumetric cloud under the water's surface.  The light cone might work, too, with the newer feature of cones shooting through transparency.

I'm on a deadline or I'd give it a try....

HTH - Dex

Thanks sfdex - That sounds close to what I had thought of. Will give it a whirl when I get a moment!

Thanks
R

Here's an out-of-the-box idea; use a particle fountain and set the particles to glow.