Hi everyone. I'm a new poster on this forum, however I have been lurking on this website for quite awhile. I need some help with refraction textures in 3Dmax.
Basically, I'm trying to make clear, plastic RPG dice that look more-or-less like this:
I want that wobbly distortion when viewing objects through them, but I am unfamiliar with refraction maps and am having a tough time figuring how to make an object transluscent and refractive. Any help you guys could give me would be much appreciated.
Posts
The net step is to just go on google and search for "refraction table plastic" and look for red plastic. There is a universal standard for the refraction of plastic and you shouldn't need a map to get that effect.
Current Projects:
Ambassador Class
The other issue you have is absorbtion, and refraction blur, you'll have to check on how those work on your software though. You also need to have reflectivity, a Fresnel gradient on reflection (plastic is reflective!) and or specularity
Another tip is you need to get something TOO refract, and reflect. Don't be fooled by that image, those are cutout, they probably have background things which are being subtly reflected and refracted, to give them that depth and colour. Sticking them on a white background with a single spotlight will make for very boring renders!
All I've done with it so far was make it translucent, made the polygons and the material 2-sided, and increased the index of refraction to about 1.5. I'm sure there are things I'm doing wrong(or haven't done), but shouldn't that be basically enough to get a refractive effect?
Current Projects:
Ambassador Class
Also, not sure about your app, but in LW, you have to activate 'raytrace refractions' otherwise... nothing happens So check your render setup/settings to make sure such an option is activated!
Icy, you need to have transperancy, like i said above, that's the point of having the double-sided polygons, so you dont "see through" the object as much as "see into". I should have clarified that more when i explained it.
Current Projects:
Ambassador Class
Any suggestions on how I can finesse it and make it look more natural? I don't know if this helps you guys, but I am using 3D max.
I would google tuts on ice or glass effects. I have only done this in brazil a 3rd party renderer. As well a object needs to exist in the enviroment to reflect bounce etc. Not to mention distort.
Current Projects:
Ambassador Class
Max default scanline renderer
Use raytrace material uncheck the basic parameters colour boxes use the #s instead
apply use settings as follows
Diffuse your color
tansparencey 49
index of reflection 1.1
spec 100
gloss 70
under super sampling check box enable local supersampler (this should elimanate any jaggie ness that the default reflections have. IF you havent messed with the AA in the renderer menu. Then place a plane for it to bounce crap around in. The index of reflection setting is the distortion in the objects shape.
NOW this shows a HUGE flaw in max scanline it doesnt treat objects properly how light transmits through things. I think this is called caustics. Reality there would be hotspots under the object as well as other changes in the shadows due to the light passing through the object. Maybe if I used ray shadows instead of area shadows it would work. But I have in the past just resorted to brazil (sadly its not a free renderer) But play around with it.
Not 100% but it should get you in the right direction, I dont think the scanline renderer can do the hotspots that should existin the shadows.