CompuServe Thread

#Really good silver&gold?

23 messages in this thread
#117884From: Paul SimpsonAug 12, 1994 12:34 AM
Hello again – it was good meeting all of you at SIGGRAPH. Look forward to the next one. Has anyone created and gold and silver that they think is excellant? I've spent a little time and still haven't come up with anything that I'm completly happy with. I'm using the Vertigo ad in WIRDED (page 48 Aug 94) as a baseline. I'd be really happy to hear from anyone who feels that they've managed to do so. Thanks all, Paul Simpson Hyperbolic UK
#117888From: Yost GroupAug 12, 1994 1:12 AM
Paul, that Vertigo ad was rendered in Renderman. Since there are so many different illumination models possible within Rman, it would be tough to match it exactly with either the Phong or the Cook/Torrance model. – G
#117914From: theo van bruggenAug 12, 1994 8:27 AM
Paul, I do not know what you mean with Really GOOD, but i use Kay Power Tools (Plug in for PhotoShop) and came up with some good result in the Gradient/Metallic Designer area, You should try this out. I am very disorganised so i can not playback how i came to this results. I really need a camera over my shoulder to record my keystrokes. Succes, Theo
#118040From: Paul SimpsonAug 12, 1994 6:43 PM
I've been using exactly that for my reflection, specular and shineness maps. As Gary said earlier – I think I need renderman for what I want. I will report back my experiments. Regards – Paul PS Gary, did you get my mail or is my off-line reader playing up?
#118094From: Yost GroupAug 13, 1994 12:32 PM
Paul, I've got a TON of backed-up mail, and I think yours is one of them. I'll try to get to it this weekend. (and to everyone else, I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd give my email box a rest for a while… thanks) – G
#117948From: David RhotenAug 12, 1994 10:24 AM
For some good metals in general, Glenn Melenhorst uploaded a MLI of metals to the libraries, and the GOLD.3DS that comes with r3 is a pretty good gold example. Dave
#118041From: Paul SimpsonAug 12, 1994 6:43 PM
Dave, Thanks very much for your pointers. I'll follow them… Paul
#118522From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Aug 16, 1994 9:12 AM
Paul, << metals.zip (ie. metals.mli) >> can be found in the 3d studio section of the lib.
#118728From: BITSAug 17, 1994 4:58 AM
Hi Paul, Good to see you on the forum. Did you find a solution to the gold prob? Andy Roberts BITS Corp.
#118862From: Paul SimpsonAug 17, 1994 5:59 PM
Hello Andy, I've achieved a reasonable gold using a combination of reflection, self-illuminating and shineness maps with various amounts of masking in conjunction with KPT. Cheer – Paul PS You're manga style woman is AMAZING. One of the best bits of 3d character animation I've seen to far in 3ds. Can't wait to see more once you've got hold of IK.
#118974From: BITSAug 18, 1994 3:57 AM
Hey Paul, I've been trying for decent gold for a little while – maybe I could catch up with you next week and run through your solution if that's OK. I'm glad you like the woman – thanks for the positive comments! Andy Roberts BITS Corp.
#119101From: Paul SimpsonAug 18, 1994 6:53 PM
Of course you could – drop in anytime. Look forward to seeing you, Paul Hyperbolic UK
#119191From: John RedfernAug 19, 1994 3:13 AM
Gold & Silver are very difficult. I've been working with the real thing for about 20 years so I know what it should be like – there are several antique watches on my desk as write this – but I'm a long way from being satisfied. As Gary says (Hi Gary) there are limitations in the models but it's streets better since metal shading. Most of my modelling involves gold or brass (very similar) and I've made lots of materials without thinking too deeply. Your question has prompted me to try and analyse what I do. Gold has a wide colour range from greenish to reddish but I generally use a warm diffuse, about 21,134,194 (HLS), less than half L for ambient. Real gold is rarely highly polished and looks horrible if it is but nevertheless I think you need a small specular highlight that is gold colour. This means shininess & shin. strength right up – 95+ but that gives a hard highlight and leaves all the diffuse to the mapping. A compatible (warm toned) reflection map at 100% and blur 100% is getting close but this tends to make it a bit translucent or glasslike so perhaps a texture map to sharpen the surface will help. You need quite a strong but not sharp reflection image but all the colour must be knocked over to the gold. I usually do this first to the map in P'shop but maybe a mask would do it. I realize I've probably confused, rather than simplified the issue but I will think about it some more as I work on my current project – a 40' high gold statue – and post the results. In the meantime maybe others have ideas and I would be interested in your solution in a bit more detail. John Redfern Bonny Scotland. [where the men wear skirts and no knickers – so they say. Don't ask me for confirmation – I'm not native!]
#119217From: Yost GroupAug 19, 1994 10:21 AM
Very useful information, John. Could you please take the time to upload a small .prj file and maps to the forum here when you've got a chance? Thanks! – G
#119230From: ALAN IGLESIASAug 19, 1994 10:32 AM
Maybe you could confirm what the *Lasses* wear under their Kilts, John!<g> -Alan
#119402From: John RedfernAug 20, 1994 3:02 AM
Sure. Do you want a .prj file for that too? JR.
#119420From: ALAN IGLESIASAug 20, 1994 9:39 AM
Any illumination on the subject would be fine, John. <g> -Alan
#119441From: dave aguilarAug 20, 1994 3:52 PM
Alan, Any idea who did that whale on the 94 SIGGRAPH tape? It was AWESOME!!! -dave
#119494From: Ted BoardmanAug 21, 1994 7:15 AM
Dave The whale was done by Dave Stinnet. He's on the forum often so should jump in. Pretty amazing, huh? tedB !^NavFont01F0007MGHHG5ADC26
#119514From: dave aguilarAug 21, 1994 2:59 PM
/* The whale was done by Dave Stinnet. He's on the forum often so should jump in. Pretty amazing, huh? */ I was awestruck. My wife (who is amazingly apathetic about all this stuff) happened to be watching the SIGGRAPH video with me… it takes a lot to impress her, most of the images didn't do anything for her (while I'm salivating)… but then the whale comes on and she says "why can't the others look more realistic like this one?" I explained that the goal of these images isn't always photorealism, but for a lot of them it is and this whale hit the mark. Nice little touch with the air bubbles too, and the barely visible watershifts from above played ocean out very well. A beautiful image. -dave
#119531From: David StinnettAug 21, 1994 5:10 PM
Thanks for the kind words about the whale. I just uploaded a new whale still in the libraries here. Look for Humpbk.zip, in the Images/Animation library. David
#119569From: Bruce McGlassonAug 21, 1994 9:56 PM
Hey! Now THAT's the Alan I know! It's good to see you peeking out from behind that forum mask once in awhile with some pertainent querries. What thread is this anyway? How's tricks in sunny SD these days? …B.
#119583From: ALAN IGLESIASAug 22, 1994 12:36 AM
He, He…Just couldn't lay off that one, Bruce… Things are nice and hot here in SD. Couldn't ask for more beautiful weather! The thread originally dealt with making good-looking metal materials, I think. It's probably time to let it go… Nice to hear from ya! -Alan