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How To : Reflective Surfaces

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After reading a request on how to make reflective surfaces, I decided to share some of the alchemy to turn bitmaps into quicksilver :D

 

A test sample of what you can achieve:

silverbird.jpg

 

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[/shameless PR] ;)

 

Now the way to do it :

 

A reflective surface is in fact a composite of 2 bitmaps: one bitmap with what you could call a "normal" texture and one that will serve as reflection.

 

You need to adjust the texture settings on 3 levels:

-Vertex Material

-Shader

-Textures

 

You start in the textures tab, by assigning your regular texture bitmap to the "stage 0 texture". For stage 1 you need a nice looking sky or environment bitmap. While still on stage1 set the pass hint to "environment map".

 

Then jump to Vertex Material and choose "WS environment" for stage 1 Mapping. It is by far the best looking.

 

Get to the Shader tab now and set the advanced option like in the picture.

 

 

STEP 1

 

Textures.jpg

 

STEP2

 

Vertexmaterials.jpg

 

STEP3

 

Shaders.jpg

In some cases you're better by setting Pri Gadient = Modulate

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