Realistic shaders and textures book?

[Magnus3D]

I can't recommend any books, because i don't know of any books about shadercreation. However i'm curious why you can't learn from real world examples, you won't get any better resources than what you find in real life. What you have to do is to learn to pick apart a surface in your brain, slice it up in thin pieces so you can learn to see how much light it reflects or refracts, what it's surface structure is (bump, displacement, normalmap), colortones on the surface, subscattering depths, dirt and grimelayers, roughness and much much more..

Seriously, try harder to study nature and real life materials before you step into recreating them in the computer. It helps ALOT if you know the real world around you if you're gonna be a skilled shaderartist. A book might help you solve some specific issues, but it will never turn you into a pro.

/ Magnus

[Dreamdealer2099]

Hey guys!

Completely agree with magnus.Nature should become your main teacher.i think it's also an endless source of inspiration.Maybe it's alittle weird (for the people around) but I always have a notepad with me,to put my thoughts about what material i'll have to recreate is made of,the way that it interacts with light.Photographs are also helpful.It's always much easier when you know exactly what performance you want to achieve.

[DarkNemos]

Thanks for the reply guys.

What we are doing here is trying to recreate something that already exists in nature so nature is the best resource ofcourse. I am well aware of that and thats how ive been learning so far.

But there is always an isue of time or the lack of specific material to look at. I personaly dont have the time to go around and look and study the stuff when i am on a deadline or for example i am entering the furniture shop and scratching the furniture and looking at the details people will think i am nuts :D

So i am searching for a resource that can help me when i dont have a real reference or i dont have the time. But it seems to me that there is no resource like that.

[soulburn3d]

But there is always an isue of time or the lack of specific material to look at. I personaly dont have the time to go around and look and study the stuff when i am on a deadline or for example i am entering the furniture shop and scratching the furniture and looking at the details people will think i am nuts

I understand the problem well. You're given as assignment, told you have 1 day to complete it, and you freak out and say "I don't have time for reference!" But trust me, it bites you in the end. Good reference is the #1 thing that will let your final image look good. Yes, you will probably be able to make something faster if you don't spend the time to get good reference, but chances are the end result will look wrong, the client won't like it, and you'll just have to redo it. Having good reference, and writing down some good notes on what makes a surface look the way it does will be slow at the beginning, but it will make the rest of the process much faster, especially after you've done it a few times.

And let people think you're nuts, you'll probably never see them again anyways :)

- Neil

[DarkNemos]

Thanks Neil for your reply. I really apreciate it.

I understand the problem well. You're given as assignment, told you have 1 day to complete it, and you freak out and say "I don't have time for reference!" But trust me, it bites you in the end. Good reference is the #1 thing that will let your final image look good.

Yeah thats an isue witch i came across often. I dont have a 10 years experience so its natural i think to have this problem. It bites me often the lack of experience and knowlage but i am trying to make a living so i am in a fight between my knowlage and the clients demands. :)


Yes, you will probably be able to make something faster if you don't spend the time to get good reference, but chances are the end result will look wrong, the client won't like it, and you'll just have to redo it. Having good reference, and writing down some good notes on what makes a surface look the way it does will be slow at the beginning, but it will make the rest of the process much faster, especially after you've done it a few times.

Thats exactly what i am looking for. Some good notes. Lets get clear. I am not trying to avoid collecting the information myself. I am just looking for a book that has those notes, brakedowns or what ever you call it. For example, cooper, brushed metal, aluminium, chrome are all metals but with somethin specific to all of them that makes them the way they look and there is something that can be done to recreate them in 3D. So in the meantime while i cannot go and research that to have a resource that can point me in the right direction, and make me think like i should about the material or shader.

And let people think you're nuts, you'll probably never see them again anyways :)

- Neil

I live in a small town so the chances are big to see them again but i dont care. What ever i say they will think i am on drugs so there is really no problem with that :)

[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.