How to make glowing crystals?

cdpro_2831bbd990

This could be applied to lots of things.  But, I'd like to know how to make an object glow from within, without losing all the detail on the surface.  The Crystal Dragon's Lair is a good example of what I'm trying to do.

However, when I make an object emissive, it usually just turns into a solid light.  Any suggestions?  

kitakoredaz

I may try locate emitter obj inside mesh crystal  (reflaction with volume(not thin wall).  I suspect, he made crystal with thickness and make hall inside. then locate emitter obj along to the cavity inside hole roughly. 

though I do not know, if it can achieve by shader work with only one mesh,, (may need shader mixer, to make contrast edge dark etc,,  but I do not know )

I tried roughly , not make detail and just use procedure texture for bump things, but actually do mentioned above.

 with blender, almost same thing can be achieved by iray too. I believe.

 

kitakoredaz

mesh is like that. I do not know, if it work better without cavity, simply locate emitter in glass though.

( Then to be frankly said,, actual product is best teacher .,, but  unrotunately, I can not afford to buy everything,which I hope to check and learn,) , or I send PM to vendor (of course after get some product of she) when I really hope to know,,. 

cdpro_2831bbd990

Thank you.  Those are all excellent ideas.  I suspected it was something like what you describe.  I have played with this sort of thing....but have yet to get as good an effect as those crystals.

Member_257874

If you apply the emitter shader to the inner object, you can chose an image as the emitter map. Then just open Gimp or any other image program and paint some white stripes on a black picture and use that as a map, should give you similar results when you apply glass shader to the outer object and maybe some displacement/bump maps

BronzeDragon

Just an amateur to be sure, but I've tried this several times. I just place a point light inside the object. The object must have some translucency to allow the light to escape. By adjusting this value and the intensity value of the light source you can, usually, achieve a decent result. To make moving things a bit better, try grouping the light with the object, that way if you move the group both will move. Sample below. Not exacty what you were after, but another way to attempt creating it.

nonesuch00

They look like they were done with postwork in the OP's original post.

kitakoredaz

One thing I hope to add is, if crystal  surface is perfectly smooth, it may show clear hole  (if you do same way).  actually It is not realsitc at all when I tried it.

Then displacement or normal map for crystal, can show  blur complex reflaction from  inner emitter.  

It is reason,  I made hole . I plan normal and displace ment  work both side of crystal,  if I made crystal, then just locate emitter, displacement effect only circulate about outer surface.  then I  add thickness for crystal. 

I said it may work in iray, because I use principal new cycles BSDF shader. actually it work almost same way, with each texture,  as daz uber iray shader. 

only one thing (it may be difficult with daz uber iray shader,)  I just use prosedure texture, blender auto-generate, but it is only because I do nol hope to make new texrure, and UV just for test^^;

if you make crystal obj,  then uv unrawp carefully,  then add normal and bump, I  think, you can  use one color for emitter withotu texture.

actually I do not use, any texture for emission, but just add bump and normal for the crystal,  then emitter obj is simple emission shader with one color.  of course, I know I can tweak more complex texture for emission, but actually I do not know how I make texture is good to achieve the product photo.  there are almost same you tube tutoriall for blender cycels, but it use cycles shader nodes much,

(color lamp or math nodes), then I can not reproduce them easy in iray,