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It's time for me to learn how to make reflection

iSeeThisiSeeThis Posts: 552
edited May 2014 in New Users

Today I've downloaded Deco Mirror ( http://www.daz3d.com/deco-mirror), hoping that I don't have to do anything but put some subjects in front of the mirror and there will be a reflection automatically after rendering. Sad. Nothing happened. I wonder why DAZ shows the sample pix like it can reflect things while it 100% can't. I've read its readme file and it says nothing about reflection. Incredible. Hence, frustrated, I guess I have to learn from you guys how to make a reflection manually. Thanks in advance.

Post edited by iSeeThis on

Comments

  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    It works fine for me.

    Change your 'Max Ray Trace Depth' in Render Settings to more than '1' I set mine to '2' and it works perfectly. Remember that the side of the figure facing the mirror has to be lit by something, the default light wont do it, you need to create a light pointing at the surface you want to appear in the mirror.

  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,298
    edited December 1969

    It's very important to use the proper lighting for mirrors turn out properly. Do as Jimmy suggested with your lights

  • iSeeThisiSeeThis Posts: 552
    edited December 1969

    JimmyC_2009 said:
    It works fine for me.

    Change your 'Max Ray Trace Depth' in Render Settings to more than '1' I set mine to '2' and it works perfectly. Remember that the side of the figure facing the mirror has to be lit by something, the default light wont do it, you need to create a light pointing at the surface you want to appear in the mirror.

    Thank you a million times JimmyC. DAZ 3D will spread wider if they hire you to write user manual. Really don't understand why they don't write anything about this in read-me page. http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/18326/start

  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    Glad to help, mirrors catch us all out in the beginning.

    There are some useful thread on the forum here on mirrors, as it does crop up every now and then. Here's one I found using Google search : http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/30534/

    Mirror settings really need a sticky I think.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited May 2014

    Here is another TIP: Any item in a scene can be turned into a Mirror. It is fully controlled by the Surface settings. Here is what I have done with my favorite mirror settings, Silver, older and such, I select the Surface of the Mirror in the Surfaces Tab. I then do Save As>Shader Preset. I can then apply that shader to any other items Surface Zones. This only works for Mirror's that have No loaded texture files, they must be made with only Surface settings (colors and numbers) to be saved as a Shader.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    It's also more difficult than it looks to have the mirror properly angled so the reflection is visible to the camera you're using. Lots of tweaking and test renders may be needed. And don't forget to have a scene behind the camera so it's visible in the reflection. Been there, done that, couldn't see the t-shirt... :red:

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    SpottedKitty said:
    It's also more difficult than it looks to have the mirror properly angled so the reflection is visible to the camera you're using. Lots of tweaking and test renders may be needed. And don't forget to have a scene behind the camera so it's visible in the reflection. Been there, done that, couldn't see the t-shirt... :red:
    Yep. There must be something Reflected from the mirror to the camera to ever show. That one also caught me the first times I tried a mirror.
  • NoName99NoName99 Posts: 322
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    Here is another TIP: Any item in a scene can be turned into a Mirror. It is fully controlled by the Surface settings. Here is what I have done with my favorite mirror settings, Silver, older and such, I select the Surface of the Mirror in the Surfaces Tab. I then do Save As>Shader Preset. I can then apply that shader to any other items Surface Zones. This only works for Mirror's that have No loaded texture files, they must be made with only Surface settings (colors and numbers) to be saved as a Shader.

    Will this work on sunglasses and helmet visors? As in, to make them appear like Mirror Shades?

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    dinopt said:
    Jaderail said:
    Here is another TIP: Any item in a scene can be turned into a Mirror. It is fully controlled by the Surface settings. Here is what I have done with my favorite mirror settings, Silver, older and such, I select the Surface of the Mirror in the Surfaces Tab. I then do Save As>Shader Preset. I can then apply that shader to any other items Surface Zones. This only works for Mirror's that have No loaded texture files, they must be made with only Surface settings (colors and numbers) to be saved as a Shader.

    Will this work on sunglasses and helmet visors? As in, to make them appear like Mirror Shades?Yep as long as you have a mirror shader you can do the lens and visors.

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    dinopt said:
    Will this work on sunglasses and helmet visors? As in, to make them appear like Mirror Shades?
    Yep as long as you have a mirror shader you can do the lens and visors.
    One gotcha: make sure the shiny/reflective bits of the sunglasses or helmet or whatever are set up properly as separate materials. It is still possible to do it right if the whole object is just one material, but it is tricky and might take a while to set up exactly right.
  • macleanmaclean Posts: 2,438
    edited December 1969

    SpottedKitty said:
    It's also more difficult than it looks to have the mirror properly angled so the reflection is visible to the camera you're using. Lots of tweaking and test renders may be needed. And don't forget to have a scene behind the camera so it's visible in the reflection. Been there, done that, couldn't see the t-shirt... :red:

    Here's an example of what you're talking about. It took me dozens of tests to get the 3 mirrors showing what I wanted. And they're ain't no shortcuts! Argh!!

    (Also, note the bevelled edges on the mirrors. A little modelling trick I discovered which I think is quite nifty!)

    mac

    HObedroomPop01daz3d.jpg
    1000 x 1300 - 196K
  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    maclean said:
    SpottedKitty said:
    It's also more difficult than it looks to have the mirror properly angled so the reflection is visible to the camera you're using. Lots of tweaking and test renders may be needed. And don't forget to have a scene behind the camera so it's visible in the reflection. Been there, done that, couldn't see the t-shirt... :red:

    Here's an example of what you're talking about. It took me dozens of tests to get the 3 mirrors showing what I wanted. And they're ain't no shortcuts! Argh!!

    (Also, note the bevelled edges on the mirrors. A little modelling trick I discovered which I think is quite nifty!)

    mac

    See how you are? You tell us about a trick and don't share it?

  • macleanmaclean Posts: 2,438
    edited December 1969

    AidanaWillowRaven said:
    See how you are? You tell us about a trick and don't share it?

    Well, it's a modelling trick, so I didn't think people would be interested.

    But if you are....... it's all to do with the Split Vertices angle. Depending on what angle you use, you can get get anything from a wide-angle mirror (the one in my Jail is an example) to a bevelled mirror. The lower the angle, the better the bevel.

    See! I don't keep my tricks to myself!

    mac

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,905
    edited December 1969

    If you want a handy reference, my Art Studio reference links section has quite a bit of the good stuff from the forums. In nice, easy to find categories.
    Reference Page
    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/28138/#418498

    This is from that page: (It's from the archives so takes a bit to load. Sometimes it times out, depending on your server.)
    Mirror Tutorial By Maclean http://forumarchive.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=16922

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