how to get this look?

[new guy]

hey gang! i have tried and can't seem to get this chrome reflective look with the orange shinny/glossy reflective look. any clues?

[robcat2075]

Of course those are going to be two different materials.

 

The general rule of reflective surfaces like chrome or gold or silver or glass is that they need to have something else to show up in their reflective surfaces.

 

In 3D you either strategically place some objects off camera (the way they do it in real life) or you use an environment map that fakes those off camera objects.

 

In A:M, environment maps are done with a "material" , one of the Hash plugin materials I think. The environment map doesn't need to be very complicated usually. Maybe just a big white band across a black background. Different maps will make different looks.

[new guy]

Of course those are going to be two different materials.

 

The general rule of reflective surfaces like chrome or gold or silver or glass is that they need to have something else to show up in their reflective surfaces.

 

In 3D you either strategically place some objects off camera (the way they do it in real life) or you use an environment map that fakes those off camera objects.

 

In A:M, environment maps are done with a "material" , one of the Hash plugin materials I think. The environment map doesn't need to be very complicated usually. Maybe just a big white band across a black background. Different maps will make different looks.

 

that is some great advice! thank you! i will give it a try.

[robcat2075]

My experience is that environment maps work better for complex surface shapes. A simple button shape like that may need that you do actual off-screen things for reflections. Simple, flatish shapes tend to reveal the pixels in the map also

 

If you look at my car paint tests you can see that the glossy reflections look better in the still done with off screen white cards, than in the animation done with an environment map.

[MattWBradbury]

It's also a nice touch to add a little bit of impurity to the reflective surfaces such as small bumps like this:

 

 

Just use a material combiner (black and white for the two surfaces) and set the bump percentage and scale to the desired amount.

[new guy]

My experience is that environment maps work better for complex surface shapes. A simple button shape like that may need that you do actual off-screen things for reflections. Simple, flatish shapes tend to reveal the pixels in the map also

 

If you look at my car paint tests you can see that the glossy reflections look better in the still done with off screen white cards, than in the animation done with an environment map.

 

wow! that is amazing! i only hope to get that good someday. could you please email me? i have some questions about something else. editormacman@yahoo.com

 

thanks!

shawn

[new guy]

It's also a nice touch to add a little bit of impurity to the reflective surfaces such as small bumps like this:

 

 

Just use a material combiner (black and white for the two surfaces) and set the bump percentage and scale to the desired amount.

 

thank you for this advice!