Help needed with ChromeMetal Shader

[faultymoose]

Unfortunately your only option is to fake the detailed reflection on the face of the logo (you could put a very small environment sphere around the logo and make it not render)... or model the logo with some subtle curvature to capture more of the environment in the reflections.

The problem is that your flat surface is reflecting a very small percentage of the environment, and 90% of the effect of metal comes from varying reflections across the surface.

[cclarke]

thanks alot. that makes sence and I have an envio sphere .
But I only have a lambert shader on it.
What kinds of shaders/textures would suit the envionment sphere?
would i apply an actual evionment ball etc?
or maybe a phong with a fractal?
any ideas are great?
chur.
cc

[temo]

i would suggest u to use hdr texture on that sphere.
and if you already use the env_ball its almost the same idea as the invisible sphere surrounding the logo.I would recommend the env ball (you can apply it to the logo itself)
check out dgs material on the logo itself

[lemonyfresh]

How are you creating the logo? A bump? Displacement? Is it modled? If modled are you just assigning the texture to the faces or is it seperate geometry? Can you post the image?

If you use HDR you need to be rendering in Mental Ray to take advantage of the nature of a HDR image. If you are not using the HDR you don't need to have any geometry to assign the texture to, you can just put an environmental sphere or ball with any old image in the reflection color channel of your chrome. I reccomend a Blinn if your going to use this method, Phongs have trouble with reflected color channel.

[cclarke]

Im using a bevel text. Ive applyed the shader attached to the face.
and basically the same shader on the sides of logo but without bump.
I havent thought about hdr. I will give it a go.
Its starting to ok. but really bloody generic and alittle boring.
I want that "real" chrome and Im not getting it with this shader.
The problem I have is I dont know the set ups of MR properly.
But will give it a go and lean.
How do I create the logo with a matte to composite into title if i use hdr?
when i have tryed to use hdr in past the sphere image has always come with the
targe file ive rendered.
Is there i way to Use HDR so that the sphere with hdr photo isn't
embedded in the final render?
appreciate the help.
cc

[cclarke]

hey Ive applied a dsg to the face of R logo text.
see how its flat. Hdr rocks though. what would be my next step
to get a bump or displacement going on the face using dgs material?
I have dgs applied in BlinnSG in MR material.
any ideas are welcome.
cc

[temo]

dont give up, you getting there...
u can check this link for dgs material , incase you missing someth
http://www.jozvex.com/tutorials/glossy.html
why do you want bump though I dont understand, we talking about chrome right?
there are many other ways to get the look you need, can go even hdr and ramp shader, if I will find free half an hour later today, i ll make it quickly and post it - maybe you will like it, and can use it somehow

[cclarke]

Thanks temo.
I think I was thinking "oh a bump map will give it that texture I need".
Man I loving this but its a learning curve.
cheers for your help though. I'll check out the link.
cc

[lemonyfresh]

The main reason why you use an HDR is if you want to fake lightsources in your scene. An HDR image has all this extra data in it that when set up properly will basically project light into the scene. This could be valuable to you because it would give you all these specular highlights for your chrome. But you will have to make a decision now weather you want to use HDR image lighting or traditional light rigs, because combining them is adding alot of complications.

I see you are using an antisitropic and a bump for your chrome, which is really more appropriate for a more high gloss brushed illuminum than a chrome.

I would use a Blinn or a Phong for simpler setups (of course you could use some more advanced Mental Ray nodes) Phongs have some issues in Mental Ray, when you put imags in the reflected colors input for some reason they don't render. You can however put them in the color channel, but it doesn't look quite right. Actual reflected geometry and scene look good in a phong though. Blinns take a reflection map just fine though, and often have a better looking and more managable render than a phong.

[temo]

here one way to do it. it could be many other ways, depends on weather, mood and degree of amnesia...

in mr render globals uncheck default light; activate final gather; create IBL: mapping>angular, type>Texture, pluginto texture your hdr(used well known uffizi.hdr), uncheck primary visibility. in the hdr/texture attributes: play with color gain and color offset (i decreased the offset lower than zero and increase the gain over 1) - suit your taste. needless to say raytrace is on in Render Globals.
apply to your model Phong E material, adjust values (diffuse will be low, reflectivity will be high) - adjust all values according to your scene. scroll down to mental ray tab: reflection blur around 1.5 and because of that reflection rays go at least to 7 (otherwise the bluring will not be smooth)

again there are many ways to do it. my advice is to find a photo that looks close to the look you try to accomplish, then you can adjust your techniue accordingly. cold vs warm;dark vs bright;soft vs sharp - is the name of the game always

apologize for the hasty explanation, but hopefully it helps somewhat. in case I forgot to mention someth - I am providing link below to the maya scene. and some low quality tests as well


http://www.sapir.biz/temp/2.JPG (http://www.sapir.biz/temp/2%20copy.JPG) http://www.sapir.biz/temp/3.JPG (http://www.sapir.biz/temp/3%20copy.JPG) http://www.sapir.biz/temp/1.JPG (http://www.sapir.biz/temp/1%20copy.JPG)

(http://www.sapir.biz/temp/chrome_temp.rar)http://www.sapir.biz/temp/chrome_temp.zip

[cclarke]

I no its awhilw since you posted this. I came back to have a look at it
anf found your post.
AWESOME.
thank you.
cc

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