difficult task(at least for me) making a belieavable blade

[HapZungLam]

You should review Leigh's tutorial on reflection maps. The basic concept of hers is that the amount of reflection is contrast to the amount of the object diffuse colour. That means, 100%white in diffuse should have 0% of reflection. In other words, 100% reflection (metal, mirror, glass) will have 0% diffuse (black)

Right off the bet, you should set your blade diffuse and ambien colour as 100% black. Then turn up the reflection to 100%. specular should be 100% too, or sometimes I use 200% on specular. Decay should be small as like 10, or even 5. So that you can have a hot spot for the highlight.

HOwever if you don't have an enviorment for your scene, your blade will look black on the render. Therefore, you either add somthing to your scene. Or apply an enviorment map to your scene so that your blade will have something to reflect.

Hope it helps. read Leigh tutorial for more infomation

[FabioMSilva]

Thanx. I'll give it a try

[leigh]

I would advise against using 100% reflection though ;)

[FabioMSilva]

I'll keep that in mind Leigh:)

[Templargfx]

I am a collector of real swords (I have them all over my computer room walls! infact, I'm looking at 2 right now!!)

I'll try and explain how the blade looks in terms of texturing for 3D.....

here goes..

first and foremost if the visibility of imperfection, made visible by the reflection of the environment. you can see how they are made, the samurai sword has the smallest of dimples or dents where it has been beaten constantly to compress the sheets of metal into a blade, the english broadsword has a similar but larger dented effect (you can't actually see the dents, just the slight warp in the reflection.

each blade does not reflect the surrounding like a mirror does, or chome, they have minute etchings going from the centre of the blade to the sides, this is where the blacksmith has grinded it on the sharpning wheel, and then buffed it by hand with hard weatherd leather strap, greatly reducing the appearance of the scratches within the metal.

the actual edges of the blade are not like that of a knife, perfectly sharp, this is because a blade that sharp (and thin) would chip and break when contacting with another blade, or armor of any viable force. they are rounded off, then flattened slightly (like a butter knife).

the sides of the blade (not the flat centre if it has one) has a much duller reflection that the rest of the blade, due to the way that it has been worn down.

the replica blades in my collection have a dark silver look to them, brushed steel almost. I'd say set your diffuse to a light to very light gray, use displacement or bump maps of high res to place the scratches and dents and imperfection onto the blade, and set the reflection to 40-70% and add softness to that reflection to help blur it.

I hope this helps, if you have ANY specific questions on things about real life blades, feel free to ask, and I will examine those in my collection for you!

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