Shiny surface reflection - how to achieve this

[robmar]

Anyone know how to achieve a really glossy shiny surface on meshes, just in one color, with the standard lighting? I can get matt type shinnines, but I can´t seem to achieve really glossy surfaces.

[Mel]

Increase the "shininess" atribute of the materials. It can go beyond 1. Though, it is a per vertex highlight, so, it is best that your meshes are highly tesellated.

[robmar]

Yes, did that, but its always a rather dull shinnines...

[mongoose7]

Shininess is just a specular effect. If you want, say, a wet look, you will need to combine an environment map, I should think.

[robmar]

Yes, I tried that, and the reflections help, blending the env. map with a pure color, but then you have to add objects around the scene to get the required reflections.

I was wondering if there was a way to simulate this, like by using EMT_REFLECTION_2_LAYER

With EMT_REFLECTION_2_LAYER and the "reflection texture" from Irrlichts media folder, its looks good until its used with a sphere, which then distorts the reflection layer, sort of pinching-up the areas at the poles, which doesn´t look natural.

[ACE247]

The sphere's pinching at the poles is due to its bad uv mapping.
But honestly, Shaders were invented to do the shiny effects, because other methods just really can't do it.

[robmar]

Yes but I think the best way is to use the quick method, with a good texture. Otherwise the env. map method requires suitable objects to reflect off, which may be unwanted in the scene.

Do you know if there a source of good textures for reflections on the web?

[robmar]

I´ve just discovered that sphere mapping isn´t working in d3d mode with my software, by switching to opengl, the spheremap works.

Looks like a bug, as it only produces the correct sphere mapping under opengl

cpp Code: Select all

 
   // Use sphere map to simulate env. mapping
   ITexture* pT = pDriver->getTexture( (LPCSTR)szFile );
   if ( pT )
      pMeshSceneNode->setMaterialTexture( 0, pT );
   pMeshSceneNode->setMaterialType( video::EMT_SPHERE_MAP );