Jump to content
3DCoat Forums

Getting Specular right in paint mode


Dreamcube017
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Member

Hi again everyone. Sorry for another post on this but... I've got a nice 3000 poly model of this image.

129810731334.jpg

YAY problem of other thread solved. :)

Now this problem should be MUCH easier to figure out.

I'm in micro vertex mode and want the specular to be wide so it looks like metal. (Kind of how it looks in that image.

The problem is that when I go and pick a grey color and even after I make a metal material with a specular channel... the object just appears to be wet like it's coated with... (lol) paint... 3D Coat... get it... xD

um... anyway, How do I make the object have that nice metalic sheen like the original shader had. I think I just have to make the specular spot brighter. Iv'e tried playing with the specular settings, but it didn't work. I set the specular even to 200 percent. Then I even set the opacity to 200 percent. It should've been blown ALL the way out... but it wasn't... what gives?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I may be misunderstanding the effect you are trying to produce: If the metallic "sheen" you are trying to get is more matte than shiny, and if the object will not be viewed in "extreme close-up", you could try some tricks like painting the specular channel through a "granular" looking mask - or just use a material that has a fine, granular texture in its specular channel. This produces some light diffusion, artificially.

If you want a metallic surface to be totally believable and reflective, (high amount of buffing), an Open GL realtime renderer won't cut the mustard. 3D-Coat's internal renderer will be somewhat better - but there are things that add to metallic realism that neither of these renderers are capable of doing, (like anistropic shading and sub-surface scattering).

However, you will always get more shine, the flatter the surface is that you are trying to get reflections and specularity from. Hard edges with a very very small and sharp bevel also lend to this illusion.

If you own a professional rendering app - it would be best to try and get these effects using that app's renderer, though.

Greg Smith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member

Hm ok. I'll give it a try.

3DC can render it gbecause in the image, it looks correct and that's rendered in 3DC.

I'll try the DX engine instead.

Also, I don't see why this can't be rendered with a specular channel. All that needs to be done is mak the specular range larger so that the brightness covers up more of the object... but that doesn't appear to be happening here

EDIT:

Ok this is just stupid.

I tried using the FILL tool to just fill in the entire object with the material... it worked once or twice, but now it never works. I know it said it only works on flat objects... but I was JUST using it on the whole thing. Not only that, but it had a nice bright specular too.

Now it'll only do it on flat surfaces, yet when I look in the preview window for the fill tool, it just fills the whole surface (in preview) I can't acutally use it to FILL the whole object though... what gives?

I tried doing it from the right click menu on the layer, but doing it that way, it'll only fill in the color. It's the option that says Fill Unfrozen.

I don't get it. How do I just fill the whole object with the material? Why does the fill tool only fill flat surfaces when according to the preview, it's fully capable of filling the whole object?

GAH! :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Instead of using the "Fill Tool" try this:

1) Press "E" and choose the rectangle tool.

2) Choose your Material, or

3) Disable all channels except Specular, setting the desired value, and

4) Drag a rectangle, encompassing your object.

5) Drag as many rectangles as you need to cover entire object.

Greg Smith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member

Hm thanks.

It worked kinda. Maybe it's just that I'm tired and frustrated, but 3DC's starting to get on my nerves and that's a shame because I'm really trying to push and support this program.

All I wanted to do was import my low poly model, put some materials and details on it as normal, deffuse, and specular map.

I guess I'm just getting all hung up over the specular map because it's not dispaying correctly..

Also, I'm upset that the Fill tool is basically LYING to me because it looks one way in the preview and looks anotehr when you put it on.

I'll try on a different object later.

Thanks for the help again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Advanced Member

PSmith: SSS for metal????

Dreamcube017:

To do nice metal you need to be able to control the specular level independently from the glossiness. which 3DC wont do.

So far as painting specular maps and making them look convincing you need to consider how light works.

put really basically

Tint your specular to the colour of your metal.

Keep your diffuse balanced with your specular. 50% Grey spec on a 60% grey diffuse = 110%. basically means your object is reflecting more light than is hitting it. which in reality cant happen unless the object itself is a light source... which generally metal isn't'. Since you shaders are often dont take energy conservation into account you can sort of fudge it by regulation the diffuse map.

Now specular as most shaders use it is pretty rubbish for making things look real. they just take account of the position of the lights in your scene and draw little fuzzy blobs. this is a mathematical approximation of the reflection of a glowing sphere in a void. no account is made for the environment around your object. so basically your going to need to use an environment map to fill in the void around the object. this will also need to be tinted and weighted using the same map as the specular.

:) Hope some of that helps

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Advanced Member

I think that environment map or specular basic sphere are generated shaders like some shaders we use in 3dcoat, projected to normal direction of camera. Am I right?

As for specular maps, these mostly look like diffusion maps but with high contrast and low lighting, sometimes combined with a cavity map.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Advanced Member

I think some of the shaders in 3DC work like that yes.

As for specular maps, these mostly look like diffusion maps but with high contrast and low lighting, sometimes combined with a cavity map.

It depends totally on the situation, Colour values of the diffuse have very little to do with the level of reflectivity of an object. look at printed page for instance. the colour value is very variable and contrasty but the specular would be a single flat tone.

Its best to think beyond the colour of the texture and think about what its actually made of.

What i tend to do when painting my diffuse is split each material into a new layer (or layer group) in photoshop and then use layer masks to control their coverage. Since each material is being controlled by a mask its very simple to create specular, glossiness, and glow maps once you have defined these material areas.

for alot of surfaces a tonal block is all that is needed. so far as cavity maps go, yeah then can be very usefull, again though i wouldnt just apply them as a general rule.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...