*All attachements removed and updated in my 'version 2' post below. Thanks for all the downloads of the original file!
V.2 is far superior in terms of control and ease of usability.* Here's the shader that I was messing about with in
this thread then.
The nodes are pretty simple;
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I included a transparency shader, incase it is needed for glass as well, just swap the input to the 'final inputs shader'(at the bottom) as it's needed(good idea, Henry.
).
To see the effect better, open up the settings for 'displacement shader' and move the small shader preview window around with the left mouse button;
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The functions and the displacement shader make repetitive 1/4mm lines across the surface. You can change the direction of the repeat by using a different one of the 'convert scalar' nodes. Default is set up to 'Z to scalar'. This means that if you look north/south, the lines will run horizontally. If you're looking east/west, use 'X to scalar'. For vertical surfaces, use 'Y to scalar'.
A couple of things to know;A good detail level in the renderer is required because reflections are extremely optimised in TG2. Render detail '1' will give only '0.25' reflection detail. A render detail of '4' would be required for full quality reflections. Keep in mind that if you do that, render times will sky-rocket AND final GI detail will also be multiplied. If you use detail '4' with GI relative detail of '2', this will, in turn, become a GI relative detail of '8'. Take care!
High AA will help but it won't solve any problems relating to reflection detail. Free version users should use AA=3 with non-adaptive sampling for best effect.
The current scales work best at about eye-level. My tests in the other thread were about 1/4m above the ground, I've edited it since to work best from a 2m pov from the surface it's used on.
It will work best from a glancing angle to that surface. The narrower the angle - the less the affect is visible.
This preview has a camera 'X rotation' of '9' degrees. Lowering the angle will lower the effect/raising it will heighten it.
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You can adjust the index of refraction, reflectivity, colour, etc. I've left the reflective shader at nearly default settings, with the exception of 'specular roughness', which is reduced, on Matt's advice.
I don't believe it will work on raytraced objects because no actual displacement is applied to them, only bump. Matt's RTO description states that;
QuoteDisplacements applied to these objects are not seen by the ray tracer, but the displacement information is interpreted as bump to affect shading.
I don't know how that should be interpreted with this reflective shader as it relies on tiny displacements, I haven't tested this yet. Will do later.
That's about it, use it in the same way as you would any other reflective shader, that is, input/output between the desired shader to be made reflective and the desired object surface or, as child layer of a surface layer to have more control over distribution/constraints.
Have fun!
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