Chromed Objects Effects Making of Suggestion!!!

[tuxkartdriver]

Hi Everyone!

My brother and I, recently submitted the Las Dunas track, as also 3d objects for add-on repository. And some of the used objects in this track, contain a very cool chrome effect, that I added. Specially for the " Tv Van ", " Monster Truck ", and also for the big " STK Team Truck ".

So, if you want to use the TV Van or even the Monster Truck in your track, I suggest that you download the 3d objects my brother added. Because these objects already have the newest effects I included on this recent release of Las Dunas Track.

You can find these 3ds objects here on this topic my brother "GeekPenguinBR" created. See the links:

http://forum.freegamedev.net/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=6934

TV Van: http://forum.freegamedev.net/download/file.php?id=9753
Monster Truck: http://forum.freegamedev.net/download/file.php?id=9751

Obs: All these 3d models already have their textures and a gloss map texture for each 3d model is also applied to their materials. But I also added to these models another texture to simulate a chrome effect for their metalic parts as I mentioned above.

For this effect I used the STK's own material called " Reflection Sphere Mapping ", for creating a very nice "chrome effect" simulation for some metalic parts as truck and cars bumpers, grills, suspension coils, truck exhaust pipes or any other metalic objects.

In my opinion this effect gave to each object a very cool effect than just using a simple texture to simulate metal.

And how, I did that?

1°- I duplicated the "same texture" I used for texturing the these objects, and gave it a name "any_name_chrome.jpg"
2°- Then I created another material specially to apply this " any_name_chrome.jpg " to all the metalic parts I wanted.
3°- With the selected object. In Edit Mod, I opened the UV Map Editor and added the "any_name_chrome.jpg" only to the pieces I wanted to simulate the chrome effect
4°- And after that, I added the STK material called Reflection Sphere Mapping to the any_name_chrome.jpg texteure

Obs: Duplicate the same texture you use for your model, and rename it for example as "yourname_chrome.jpg or .png", because using a copy of your texture, you will simulate a most realistic chrome effect, since the object will seem to be reflecting the same color that your object has.

The cool thing of using this reflection material is that you can simulate a chrome material to your 3d objects on STK tracks, since STK materials have not yet a specific material for creating chrome.

This chrome suggestion I explained, gives the impression that when you approach your kart near to the object that uses this material, you can see the reflection changing according the position that your kart may be. Cause the reflections always change, looking to receive differents shines, acting the same way a chromed object does.

See below the settings for that material:

[Auria]

Hi, the effects look nice, good work

[tuxkartdriver]

Hi Auria, thank you very much This effect is really interesting and nice.

[Arthur]

Yep, looks very good and is a good way to show what the engine can do with some tweaking.

[tuxkartdriver]

Hi Arthur,

Thanks! I agree with you, the stk engine and these new scripts for 9.0 got really better. These new STK scripts could allow us to create a very interesting atmosphere with dynamic lights and shadows and shaders / materials like this one, that I used for creating this chrome effect.

I am sure that having interesting scripts such as for material as for lights, allow you to make objects look even nicer. And it is very important for making new generation tracks! And and once having them, all we need to do is making our imagination and ideas to flow.

[samuncle]

Hi

I don't understand why you can't use gloss map and specular to simulate chrome. It's perfectly possible without the chrome shadder which is deprecated.

We use an unified shading model for solid materials which can simulate everything solid like metal, wood etc

Sam

[tuxkartdriver]

Hi Sam,

I don't understand why you can't use gloss map and specular to simulate chrome.

Yes, I know. Indeed, in the early I used gloss maps for TV Van and Truck. But, the look wasn´t enough good for my liking. So I preferred to make this way. It seemed to me more realistic than the gloss map. Eventhough, I know this stk shader still have some limitations! But the important is that it looks good as you can see!

You know, in order to get a good gloss map shine, you have to waste some time to find the right color tone for it. And, this method I used in these renderings, was more faster to get the effect I wanted.