How to create a mirror ??

# 1 26-01-2007 , 12:23 AM

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I need some help, I want to create a reflective mirror for a bathroom, I would like to know what material can I use and how should I use it ... I mean how should I set up the reflection, diffuse, shades.. .. etc etc ...

You know what I mean .... user added image

Thanks in advance for the help.

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# 2 26-01-2007 , 12:38 AM

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1) Do a search of Simply Maya for "Mirror reflect"
2) Click a link that pops up from the last time somebody asked that question
3) Read, follow directions and voila! One mirror..

Here you go: Creating a Mirror

S.

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# 3 26-01-2007 , 12:56 AM

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Thanks

Thank you "enhzflep"

user added image

I have an extra question ... :p

How do you make a glass ... not a mirror but something like a window, so it is transparent but at the same time if there is light there are some reflections ?

Thanks again ... user added image

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# 4 26-01-2007 , 01:28 AM

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hey just check the forum i also asked the same question about 1 or 2 weeks ago and i got quite good replys

or just check this link

https://www.kalhusoru.com/forum/viewt...17&rowstart=20

Last edited by DotNet54; 26-01-2007 at 01:31 AM.

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# 5 26-01-2007 , 01:43 AM

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No worries.

Well, let's have a think about it for a second - couldn't be bothered searching for somebody else's answer (which there of course, must be here somewhere :p )

A mirror and a piece of glass are very similar, no?
While you can't see through a mirror, and it reflects pretty much 99%+ of the light that hits it, a bit of glass is see through and reflects no-where near that amount of light.

So, for starters, we could take an example from a material we used for a mirror, and turn the transparency value up to nearly full. Also, note that glass isn't usually black in shade, unless it's volcanic glass or, the 'glass' that's left after a nuke has gone off.

Sooo, we also need to change the colour. You've seen the edge of a window before, right? Well, unless it's high-purity glass (=expensive), it's more than likely that it will have a green hue to it.

So, why don't you try with a new blinn material. Set the colour to a green or a blue.
Next, you need to make sure you can see through it, so set the transparency up pretty high - almost to the end in fact.

Now stick that material on an object, and give it a go.
You'll nead quite a bit more work to make it look photorealistic, but the effect is there. It just needs more work and a good understanding of the hypershade, which comes with time.

As an example, the shader used to make a good-looking car-paint (with the reflections, and flecks of metal, and clear-coat and if it's pearl, plenty more) can easily have a dozen or more nodes in it.

It's just time to experiment or (wink, wink) do a google search for "246 shaders for maya" - you can download a shader for the job, but it's still not the same as working it out for yourself, and developing a stong understanding of how all the different values interact with one-another.

The results of searching for "246 shaders for maya" with google are well worth getting. Many, many, many hours work in that little gem.

Enjoy

oh yeah, here's a render of a super-quick and nasty glass shader.

Simon.

Attached Images

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# 6 27-01-2007 , 05:08 AM

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Problems

In order to create a mirror I have done exactly what you explained to me ... I create a polygon plane, and a phong .. I apply this phong material to the plane and in front I place a red sphere to see if it is reflected in the mirror !!

However when I render I only get a black screen, there is no sphere or mirror .... I am using mental ray and raytracing is enabled .....

Should I use a different rendering method " Maya software" or what ?????

THanks ....:headbang:

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# 7 27-01-2007 , 05:24 AM

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Sorry mate, I've been up for over 24 hours now and my brain is starting to really feel it. I just used the software renderer, just make sure that you go to the "Raytracing Quality" section of the Render Settings, and turn Raytracing on. I'll see if I can find the file or just re-create it if it's not here anymore.

Simon.

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# 8 27-01-2007 , 05:33 AM

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Okay, here you go. It's saved with Maya 7.0 - If you've got a version less than that, just use the .ma file. Just open it up in notepad or wordpad first, and change lines 4, 7 and 8 to whatever version of Maya you're using.

Sorry I can't do better than that, I'm just so tired now and my brain's feeling a little under the weather. I need :zzz:

Simon.

Attached Files

tebichesglass.zip (14.1 KB, 235 views)

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# 9 27-01-2007 , 05:53 AM

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Hi Again

Hey Simon ...

Well thanks for your help, it is working ... is just that I would like it to look like a real mirror, not with that black color ..

Anyway thanks again, and if you have any tips about how to make it look real ... then write to me .

Thanks

Esteban.

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# 10 27-01-2007 , 06:17 AM

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No worries Esteban,

Don't really know what you mean by "that black colour" - which bit, where?

Don't forget, CG glass is much like real glass, in that it looks entirely different in different lighting conditions. I didn't even chuck a light in the scene, it's all "Default Light". So there's no light on the back of the ball to reflect an orange colour - if you mean that black bit on the reflection of the ball..

Also, correct me if I'm wrong anybody - but AFAIK the phong illumination model was developed with the aim of better simulating metal. It certainly does a beter job than Gouraud shading, which from memory had been the best (in terms of appearance and speed) up until then.

If you render a 320x240 and post that, along with some arrows on the image, I'd be much better placed to help you.

Failing that, just keep that file as a reference, then do a whole heap of renders, just changing one attribute a little bit, save all teh renders and importantly - write down what you did differently from one render to the next. It's all a matter of understanding what does what.

I sure don't yet, but working something out for yourself is a much better way of learning and remembering something than having it served up to you.

But as I say, post an image with some arrows on it and if you're able to, a better description of the problem you have.

I'm not at all trying to bash your english, it's 150,000 times better than my Danish. BUT It's also 2,000,000 times better than my mind reading abilities - 'specially at the moment.

Simon.

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# 11 27-01-2007 , 06:29 AM

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It works ..

DOnt worry Simon, I was talking about the mirror .... but as you just said trying it by my self is much better than getting everything served ...so I am making some tests at the moment and it seems to work better user added image

I just want to say thank you for the help.

If you use msn give me your address so I can add you and we can chat once in a while ..

I go to sleep now ... it´s 03:20am already ... time goes fast ..:angery:

Well, thanks dude ...

user added image

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# 12 28-01-2007 , 05:04 PM

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Re: Hi Again

Originally posted by tebiches
Hey Simon ...

Well thanks for your help, it is working ... is just that I would like it to look like a real mirror, not with that black color ..

Originally Posted by