3D Animation, Shading: Material Properties [Blogs experimental] [Blender]

Continue advancing basic concepts as applied. The appearance of the object is created from a few values that describe a model that has been growing in complexity as tools have been developed increasingly comprehensive.

The color of the object is a property that can refer to different aspects of what is known as the synthetic image “Material“. Sometimes the term “Texture” is associated with the material, since both provide information for our senses perceive the object.

Known as “Material” the set of properties that describe the color of the object so as to opacity, namely, its transparency. Sometimes included textures and other effects that overlap in perceptual aspects.

The “color” of the edit or add materials to objects specializes in three types:

Object Color (Cabbage)
specular color (Spe)
reflected color (Me).

We think that the object color is the main color that will show; which the Specular reflections or glare is noticed that the edges of the object, and that reflects reflected from other surrounding objects.

Let us see how these properties deepen a basic exercise with Blender, modifying parameters and rendering the scene in each case for observing changes occurring in the image; by pressing F12 is directly accessible to the function that calculates the image rendered or.

First add a plane on which to place the object and observe the interaction between the two.

We have seen that we can add objects by placing the cursor in a 3D window and pressing the space bar to display a menu. Selecting Add->Mesh->Plane incorporated a scene shot to climb by pressing “S”.

You can use a new file with the plane that completed. To do this, push the spacebar and select Add->Mesh->Plane to climb with the key “S”. It's about having simple elements on which to appreciate the changes made.

The nature of light means we can not consider the separate elements in understanding the formation of an image synthesis. The influence of some elements over others is remarkably complex.

We will use a single point of white light. By default there is one which is valid.

The color of the back lighting is a factor that has great influence on the outcome. For now we will modify it to not add additional complexity.

Adding new materials to our objects have a starting point for making a material to meet our needs.

The default parameters with the new materials we produce the following image of the scenario we have created following the scheme proposed work.

The hardness of the shadow does not allow us to differentiate between that which is thrown by the object and the object itself that is in shadow. We completed our imagination the image boundaries between forms that have not been generated in the image.

The set is highly implausible, lacks the effects of light bounces on other objects which are the effects of mutual interaction between the elements of the scene.

By changing the colors (Cabbage) objects, overall complexity grows.

The recognition of objects in the scene is to discriminate between the colors present in addition to its different shades intensities or so-called “color levels”.

The image gains credibility even though the colors are very homogeneous. Fusion is maintained own shadows and the shadows cast by the object.

By adding specular color brightness are generated in the object.

The specular component depends strongly on the position of the viewer with respect to the points of light. To understand this phenomenon in detail we delve into the calculation models of illumination.

In the example shown, the elements being formed by planar faces, is not as characteristic of the reflection effect, but illustrating the increasing acquires object light ( has chosen a white).

The shadows begin to differentiate themselves clearly from the cast to join faces the mirror effect.

Actually what has been done is add two color components (lighting) which are the color of the object from the specular component and. This component is shown in another color (to highlight) in the picture below.

We will need to see this effect on a sphere to appreciate clearly.

Due to the curvature of the surface is created “concentration” Specular light at a point of varying diameter depending on a factor representing somehow surface type. A plastic has a very concentrated and brightness is clearly different from that observed in cardboard or cloth. In some ways the material can be understood as the color of the object properties that affect the behavior of light from the object.

The quantum leap in the image occurs when we introduce reflections which provide a more complex interaction between the elements. Although the shadows and determining a first level of relationship between objects, reflections bring a distinctive sheen to images and not only get the shadows, that essentially give away information (between objects and between them and the floor).

For an object to receive reflections we have to activate the calculation of the same in the process of defining the parameters of “Shading”.

Figure is selected as a reflective plane, so that the hub provides illumination on said plane (illumination color cube).

This control button is in an accessible window with tabs.

“Mirror Transparency” open access to the calculation using Raytracing reflections and transparencies, to be discussed in due.

We must turn “Ray Mirror” calculating reflections; this is so because it is calculated using a raytracing algorithm which increases rendering time. In addition to activating this mode of calculation will indicate the degree of reflectivity of the object, being the minimum and maximum anything reflective pure mirror. The variable “Ray Mir” this parameter controls.

Another interesting aspect on which you can explore is on the level of light add to speculate that the object and the “concentration or dispersion of brightness” on their surfaces. Tab “Shaders” provides among other controls to change the amount “Spec” and concentration “Hard”.

A low specular light just change the color of the object , while a high value can reach suture.

Here a few pictures to appreciate different possibilities of using some parameters. It is interesting to be learning experience naturally lighting mix, can anticipate the results with some experience and training. Exercises with small variations not overly complicate the interpretation of the effect.

Reflection of the base 50%