Martin Magnusson wrote:
> 
> Here's another revision of my attempts at a metal texture. I'm starting to
> think it's almost finished now. Suggestions or comments, anyone?

One important lesson I learned when designing highly reflective and/or
specular textures is to make *sure*, let me say this again, make *sure*
you surround and light the object under consideration with other
controlled objects AS you design (test) the texture.  Also, use VERY
careful lighting (I like to test under extreme dim and high lighting
conditions, as metal IMO is most difficult to get right at those
levels).  For my 2cents, the art of metal texture designing is in great
part how the reflectivity reacts with your base colors and diffuse
lighting values.  Oh yeah, if you're using ambient over say 10, my
advice: don't.  Drop it to 10 (or lower... 0?)

Also, note how you can sometimes get away with a really low diffusion
value (40 or 50) if you pump up reflectivity in a texture of low color
values (for example): a color of <.2,.2,.2> with 50 diffusion and
reflectivity up to about 65 can give a very metallic look but ONLY if
you've modelled the texture and tested it in a complete scene to see how
light and other objects bring the surface alive.

If you're relying on your pure black background and a few point lights
to set your metal texture, you might be unpleasently surprised when you
drop your "metal" into a scene...  Picks up all sorts of colors and
lights, or worse... doesn't at all.

As to you example, it's hard to guess being that it's surrounded by
black with no other objects around it (and I don't know your particular
light setup) but I'm seeing too much color coming directly from the
metal in the polished or "non-rusted/damaged) parts (ambience, colors
tuned above values of 0.4? or 0.3?).  I think the metal (shiny undamaged
parts) will be too prominent as a solid color in a given scene.  Also
the edges to the damage/rust(?) in the mid to upper part of the helm
have too much sharpness without that edge being justified by surface
flaws beneath which exposed it to premature rusting(?).  Hm... OTOH
maybe its the depth of the color value that leads my eye to thinking the
edge is too strong- perhaps lower the intensity of the rust streaks??

heh heh- At any rate I'm one who goes for polka-dot procedurals, super
shiny gleaming metals with no flaws, and embraces the plastic look of
other textures, looking for ways to *enhance* this not fight it... I
really LIKE them and raytracers do them so well... so I'm no real expert
on "real world" weathering.

Having said all that malarky, let me add this:  <drool>... damn that's a
fine looking texture you've got going.

-- 
Stuff for POLYRAY, some raytraced images, and
DTA can be found at:
http://www.europa.ccom/~dearmad

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