Glass Award

[Rantin Al]

Hi Bob,
Any more specific details?

Such as the size, shape or style: statuette figurine, goblet, shield or polished geometric slab-block.

Glass crystal with a cut, sand blast etched or smooth finish?

These might help folk chip in with suggestions.:)

Cheers, Alan.

[bobzilla]

Sorry about that. I kind of shot this off real quick last night...

Well, it's a like a small obelisk, I guess. Clear. It has etched writing, but that might be easier to add late in Photoshop.

I may just ask one of you folks to do it, too. It's a paying gig.

[LemonNado]

The most important thing is the environment. Reflections do not show the object but the environment. Check out visibility options. They allow you to place white or colored reflector objects around your glass while being hidden by the camera. Check out the google imgae section, look for something you think would look great and then analyze why it looks great. Like with car paint, without great env reflection, it all looks dull.
Rainer

[Shademaster]

The most important thing is the environment. Reflections do not show the object but the environment. Check out visibility options. They allow you to place white or colored reflector objects around your glass while being hidden by the camera. Check out the google imgae section, look for something you think would look great and then analyze why it looks great. Like with car paint, without great env reflection, it all looks dull.
Rainer

Excactly,

Glass IS your environment, it can only reflect and refract anything but your environment. I suggest making your own or using a nice Studio esque HDRI as an environment and for the material use a very Low key Bumpmap of high resolution. This usually makes it look a lot better than a too clean glass material, be sure to use SAT mapping for the bump on the glass instead of MIP, this will yield the best detail results. Use a refraction coefficient of 1.33 or around that to gain the right amount of refraction. Also make sure you use Very high AA settings! use the Sinc filter with 2x2, 8x8 settings. This might seem high but makes the glass look a lot crispier than any AA setting.

Oh and before I forget, try using the Fog channel in your glass material! You can color the glass very nicely with this!

For bumpmaps try www.animax.it then click on get free textures by animax.

Hope that helped!

[georgedrakakis]

hi bob,
this tutorial by James hastings may help you:
http://planetpixelemporium.com/tutorialpages/glass.html

(plus a good gi tutorial:)
http://planetpixelemporium.com/tutorialpages/global.html

[bobzilla]

Thanks very much for all the help, guys. I will try out your suggestions.

[bobzilla]

OK, well, after lots of tries I realized...I ain't gonna get it.

So, if anyone is interested, it's basically like a product shot only with this glass award. The final image will be for a journal cover (8.5" x 11", with .25" bleed).

There will need to be some text etched on it and it has a wooden base.

The basic design is very simple, it's the glass part that's tricky...for me.

It's not needed until Feb. 23, but sooner than that is good, too.

If anyone is interested, you can PM me and we can talk price, further details, and I can show you a pic of the actual award.

Thanks...

[noseman]

Just have in mind, that, if there is nothing behind the glass object (to show through), you can probably get away by using only reflection and no transparency.

[handige_harrie]

I have a studio-type lighting/reflection file lying around that is pretty universal for this sort of things:

http://shademaster.nl/peter/php/3dstills/g3.jpg

(this is w/o GI or Caustics; with Caustics it could look even better)
If you want I can send it to you including a glass material.

BTW: Hey Shady, (very) long time no see :)!

[bobzilla]

I have a studio-type lighting/reflection file lying around that is pretty universal for this sort of things:



(this is w/o GI or Caustics; with Caustics it could look even better)
If you want I can send it to you including a glass material.

BTW: Hey Shady, (very) long time no see :)!

That's great. Thanks. You can e-mail by clicking on my avatar.

[Triker]

From a past project, similar to yours.

[bobzilla]

Those look really good. Pretty much what we were after, but we've chosen someone.

Thanks to all who have resonded. Everyone's stuff looked great, but we can pick only one!

And hey, they actually get an award...sort of...

Thanks again. Great bunch of folks we have here.

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.