On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 20:16:04 +0100, "Tim Nikias v2.0" <tim.nikias (@)
nolights.de> wrote:

>Aside of that, does anyone have experience with scripting/modelling some
>media-driven subsurface effects, especially in the direction of marble?

The only advice I can give with SSS (advice no one seems to take which
I find odd since I've had great success with it) is to give the
container object an opaque interior_texture so as to avoid the fuzzy
edges and unrealistic shadows which would otherwise require a very
dense media.

Apply the same pattern that you use for the media density as a pigment
to the interior_texture, give it a low ambient, high diffuse, and
double_illuminate if possible (so that the shadows of the media are
projected on the outside surface). Radiosity also works with this
approach but is IMHO overkill if not otherwise needed for the scene.

For the finish use fresnel reflection and use a very high ior (5, 10
or more). A high brilliance, although unrealistic, brings out the
spherical shape very well, again IMHO. Other useful stuff includes a
soft phong + tight specular.

As of marble, I suggest you start with agate instead of marble for the
media density. For the texture it might be worth to try a texture map
where the veins are distinctively less reflective (in terms of
highlights, too) than the white areas.

Scratches and other imperfections are optional. It will be very cool
if you hard-code the date you release the source and make the surface
more worn with every render (i.e. based on current date/time -
date/time it was released). Just kidding :)

My fingers are itching to beat you to it :) but both this poor little
machine and myself have too much to do at the moment :(


Peter Popov ICQ : 15002700
Personal e-mail : pet### [at] vipbg
TAG      e-mail : pet### [at] tagpovrayorg

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