Since there have been a few watches here lately I figured I'd add mine
to the heap. It's a 1912 Elgin open face pocket watch using a poor
quality image_map of the actual dial (need a good scanner) which was
made by using a handheld scanner on the best photograph I have (no
closeup lenses either). If it weren't for this fact I'd think it a
pretty nice image myself. However Nathans photon mapping would make the
caustics in it look ridiculous by comparison.
Think I might move on with some new additions to this scene anyhow, the
original file is from autumn of 1996.


-- 
 omniVERSE: beyond the universe
  http://members.aol.com/inversez/POVring.htm
 mailto:inv### [at] aolcom?PoV

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Bob Hughes wrote:
> 
> Since there have been a few watches here lately I figured I'd add mine
> to the heap. It's a 1912 Elgin open face pocket watch using a poor
> quality image_map of the actual dial (need a good scanner) which was
> made by using a handheld scanner on the best photograph I have (no
> closeup lenses either). If it weren't for this fact I'd think it a
> pretty nice image myself. However Nathans photon mapping would make the
> caustics in it look ridiculous by comparison.
> Think I might move on with some new additions to this scene anyhow, the
> original file is from autumn of 1996.

Simple and elegant but Sir, your watch could definitely benefit from
a little jewellers rouge and a soft cloth. Your gold looks like the
99.997% pure stuff I have plated on circuit boards. No shine just pure
dull gold. Yulch !

-- 
Ken Tyler

mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

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Pretty sure the totally black POV-void is responsible, at least in part,
for the look. I've added a "room" to enclose it in now and put it under
glass too (display dome). Looks like I'm going to need a less bright
texture now though, not sure. Actually the real thing is gold plated and
almost coppery in appearance to my eyes, indoors anyhow. The gold outer
layer has rubbed away partially at the swing ring (where chain
connects).
Will be posting it here sooner or later, it got real slow to render.


Ken wrote:
> 
> Simple and elegant but Sir, your watch could definitely benefit from
> a little jewellers rouge and a soft cloth. Your gold looks like the
> 99.997% pure stuff I have plated on circuit boards. No shine just pure
> dull gold. Yulch !
> 
> --
> Ken Tyler
> 
> mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

-- 
 omniVERSE: beyond the universe
  http://members.aol.com/inversez/POVring.htm
 mailto:inv### [at] aolcom?PoV

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Bob Hughes wrote:
> 
> Pretty sure the totally black POV-void is responsible, at least in part,
> for the look. I've added a "room" to enclose it in now and put it under
> glass too (display dome). Looks like I'm going to need a less bright
> texture now though, not sure. Actually the real thing is gold plated and
> almost coppery in appearance to my eyes, indoors anyhow. The gold outer
> layer has rubbed away partially at the swing ring (where chain
> connects).
> Will be posting it here sooner or later, it got real slow to render.

   A polished layer of copper then a layer of bright nickel are commonly
 used in metal finishing to add both luster and strenght to the soft
 and normaly dull gold plating that goes on after. Gold as it naturaly
 occurs has both poor abrasion resistance and lacks in visual brightness.
 The brightness seen in objects that have been gold plated actually
 comes from the color and properties of the nickel layer beneath the
 gold. You would think this could not happend but as it turns out the
 gold layer generaly is so thin that the nickel adds it's luster to
 that of the gold.
   And that's probably all you care to hear on that subject. Fine !

-- 
Ken Tyler

mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

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I would really hate to find nickel in my Rolex. :)

But, seriously, I think creating the rubbed look in Pov would make the watch
look very real. I did this on a doorknob once....

GrimDude
vos### [at] arkansasnet

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No, no. I'd love to hear more, but don't you ever sleep? Or do you have
the uncanny ability to read in your sleep? ;)
Heck, I only recently learned of the rolled gold concept by reading my
Complete Guide to Watch Prices book by Shugart and Gilbert and don't
remember seeing that mentioned. Of course thats two different things
anyhow I suppose. The watch here says 14K and "25 Years" on the inside
back and I gather that means it has been made rather durable alright, as
you say. Others are listed as quaranteed 10, 15 and 20 years.
The next watch render is progressing as I type but it now has quite a
luster to it, looks like an airbrushed painting to me now. Still doesn't
look exactly right anyhow, but I needed a larger image to look at again.


Ken wrote:
> 
> Bob Hughes wrote:
> >
> > Pretty sure the totally black POV-void is responsible, at least in part,
> > for the look. I've added a "room" to enclose it in now and put it under
> > glass too (display dome). Looks like I'm going to need a less bright
> > texture now though, not sure. Actually the real thing is gold plated and
> > almost coppery in appearance to my eyes, indoors anyhow. The gold outer
> > layer has rubbed away partially at the swing ring (where chain
> > connects).
> > Will be posting it here sooner or later, it got real slow to render.
> 
>    A polished layer of copper then a layer of bright nickel are commonly
>  used in metal finishing to add both luster and strenght to the soft
>  and normaly dull gold plating that goes on after. Gold as it naturaly
>  occurs has both poor abrasion resistance and lacks in visual brightness.
>  The brightness seen in objects that have been gold plated actually
>  comes from the color and properties of the nickel layer beneath the
>  gold. You would think this could not happend but as it turns out the
>  gold layer generaly is so thin that the nickel adds it's luster to
>  that of the gold.
>    And that's probably all you care to hear on that subject. Fine !
> 
> --
> Ken Tyler
> 
> mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

-- 
 omniVERSE: beyond the universe
  http://members.aol.com/inversez/POVring.htm
 mailto:inv### [at] aolcom?PoV

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Well, I did try anyway. There's a layered gold texture with 2 different
normals for a unsmooth aged look. Getting a fineline scratchiness is
near impossible as I bet everyone knows, and that is what it needs most
to look right. I tried this on the crystal and failed miserably.
Hey, where's that doorknob? Got my curiosity up.

GrimDude wrote:
> 
> I would really hate to find nickel in my Rolex. :)
> 
> But, seriously, I think creating the rubbed look in Pov would make the watch
> look very real. I did this on a doorknob once....
> 
> GrimDude
> vos### [at] arkansasnet

-- 
 omniVERSE: beyond the universe
  http://members.aol.com/inversez/POVring.htm
 mailto:inv### [at] aolcom?PoV

Post a reply to this message

Bob Hughes wrote:
> 
> No, no. I'd love to hear more, but don't you ever sleep? Or do you have
> the uncanny ability to read in your sleep? ;)

I slept once and didn't like it much. Too much down time involved.

> Heck, I only recently learned of the rolled gold concept by reading my
> Complete Guide to Watch Prices book by Shugart and Gilbert and don't
> remember seeing that mentioned. Of course thats two different things
> anyhow I suppose. The watch here says 14K and "25 Years" on the inside
> back and I gather that means it has been made rather durable alright, as
> you say. Others are listed as quaranteed 10, 15 and 20 years.
> The next watch render is progressing as I type but it now has quite a
> luster to it, looks like an airbrushed painting to me now. Still doesn't
> look exactly right anyhow, but I needed a larger image to look at again.

   The gold I was referring to will not be found on jewellery grade
 materials. It is used primarily in the electronics industry for electrical
 conductivity and the physical properties of gold lend themselves well to
 making tight, non corroding, interconnections.

   The gold used in the production of jewellery is allowed with small
 amounts of silver, platinum, and a good dose of nickel. The lower the
 K number the higher the amount of other metals used in the alloy. 24k
 gold is pure gold for all intensive purposes. You seldom find jewellery
 with anything over 22k and the majority of heavy use jewellery will use
 the much more durable 14k gold. The last contains a a rather large
 amount of nickel in the alloy. Nickel is a lot harder than many people
 would probably think. It is in fact harder than non heat treated steel.

   You can in most cases see a visible difference in the appearance of
 say a 14k gold versus a 24k gold just by the darker color of the metal.
 You may not have noticed it but if you look at a gold ring or even your
 pocket watch and then compare it to a quality fine braided chain for a
 woman's necklace you will see that the ring or watch is much lighter and
 brighter in color. The chains used in jewellery are often a higher purity
 because it makes them easier to craft in the delicate shapes that are
 common for these objects. It also explains why they break so easily.

   On the other hand the nickel gold alloys used to make 14k gold are
 durable, have an attractive general appearance, and hold a high polish
 much longer than the more pure types of gold. This is the primary reason
 for the popularity of it's use and not a method to reduce costs as some
 would unwittingly think.


-- 
Ken Tyler

mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

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Well, doorknobs are a special case over watches. They see a lot of dirty
hands. Still, I did add little scratches before smudges and I know the
concept works.

http://www2.arkansas.net/~vossman/DoorKnob.html

Old news. :)

GrimDude
vos### [at] arkansasnet

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