How to create water and glass textures?

[xynaria]

Play around but the main points for glass are obviously transparency(typically around 5%) and reflection/ refraction maps.
Though you can use Max's Reflect/Refract map, I normally end up either using a raytrace material on raytrace map in the relevant slots. My generic starting point for glass is usually to use a raytrace material with an IOR of around 1.5.- 1.55 Note .. you must make the material double sided for refraction to occur. Unless the glass is smoked I use a white base colour with about 5% transparency, relection 15-30% depending, and with a fall off map set to fresnel in the reflection slot.
Raytracing kicks in on Max when you use the raytrace materials in any form, and the help file does a reasonable job explaining their controls and usage.
Water generally starts from the same point as glass but with a lower IOR (typically 1.33) but usually this starting point gets adjusted radically depending on circumstance and whether still, moving etc. What you use to create the ripples etc really does start to get dependant on these circumstances so it might be better to indicate any other kind of usage you have in mind. :)

[merlin9876]

Boy, do I feel foolish... :o It probably would've helped a LOT if had opened the raytrace materials in the first place... I guess it's kinda easy when you take the glass raytraced material and just APPLY it to the model... :o Man, I'm going to bed, this is just plain stupid of me... ;)

[malleus_46]

OK here's some more info on creating glass/water:

It's basically a mix between transparent(and refractive) and reflective. You use the fresnel falloff type to mix between these two, so that the surface is 100% reflective at the edges and 100% transparent in the center.

how you do this mix is up to you. The simplest way if you can afford ray-traced renders is to grab the raytrace material.

1. set the transparency to 100%
2. zero out the specular level
3. put a falloff map in the relfection slot, set it to fresnel (though you can leave it default if you like)
4. set your IOR to something you like (1.3-1.5)

hey presto! your done!

why do the falloff thing for the reflection you ask? well next time you're at a pool stand at the edge of the water and look down. chances are you can see through to the bottom. Now lift your gaze to the cute girl at the other end of the pool, the water around her looks like a mirror, reflecting mostly sky, and cute girl.
water/glass will go from perfect mirror to perfectly invisible depending on the angle you look at it.


there are also issues regarding the brightness of stuff, if you want me to go on about that stuff i can.

have fun!
Malleus

[merlin9876]

I'll probably try out the techniques on the weekend and keep your offer in mind. Thanks all for the info! :)

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