Just trying out DCG's WireframePro. Has anybody used it to add damage or paint flaking to edges. (painted metal shader is one of Litst's). Sometimes it shows the facets... depends on the modeller I think. -- I tried Veloute's perterbation but it had no effect to Wireframe that I could see..., and it doesn't know the difference between inner/outer edges so grooves are worn when they wouldn't be.... Interesting possibilities tho =)

hdaggers I'm a bit dense when it comes to shaders (but I'm trying to learn) so, could I ask you to explain in detail how you'd user Wireframe Pro to create the effect in the picture above? Thanks Mike

Um. I will try to write a tutorial. I guess it would be helpful.... But it will take a little time... Here is the very simple version: Make a new shader with a MIXER in the color channel. Add the WireframePro shader as the MIXER's control. This is how it looks at default settings:

Lower the EDGE IN DEGREES parameter until there is no more grid, just edges.... This looks pretty bad and you can see a lot of facets. Lower it until it looks particularly "chunky". you want the edge damage to be uneven.

Ok, here I lowered EDGE IN DEGREES some more based on the scale I think my object is (chesspiece or statue?) and how worn the edges are. I changed WireframePro's space to Global bacause it seems "crisper" that way, but play with the Falloff options, too. I dunno, I'm just experimenting. Lastly, take down the SIZE until you are left with scetchy lines (not facet triangles). Keep going back and forth between SIZE and EDGE IN DEGREES until you have something that looks like edge-damage.

Here's the hard part. In your shadertree click on the top box that says MULTIPLE SHADER. Select COMPLEX SHADER --> MULTI CHANNEL MIXER Drag the WireframePro shader box down to the blender. Now you have two MULTI CHANNEL shaders that you can just drop complete shaders onto. I use an aluminum shader and a metalic paint shader.... OOPS! They are reversed so I check INVERT and I'm done.

Hey, it didn't take that long afterall. I hope this helps! Holly

Holly,

I saw the thread title and thought "Oh man, Holly found a bug", but this is great stuff! I actually have a tool under development now that expands upon wireframe pro's technology to build a dirtying shader. It's a bit stalled right now as I'm completely distracted by making new lighting models for Shaders Plus, but I hope to get back to it after another Shaders Plus update and a Wireframe Pro update currently under construction. You're the first person that saw the same potential I did.

Regards,
Eric Winemiller
Digital Carvers Guild
3D plug-ins for Carrara
http://digitalcarversguild.com

Eric Winemiller
Digital Carvers Guild
Carrara and LightWave plug-ins

Holly, Way good stuff! I've been working this type of look in PSP as a texture map but a procedural shader is so much easier and looks MUCH better. Thanks mike

Indeed this is exciting! I have been looking for a way to do this for YEARS! Looks like Eric gets more of my money!

Yes, this is great. Thanks for the tutorial! (Have to get out that bit of plastic again, just got Shaders Plus and Toon!) Now what I would REALLY like to see is a way to shade the grooves in an object separately from the surface. That would make some cool metal effects. :-)

I was trying to do this kind of stuff in Photoshop with the help of Baker, but a procedural rust/dirt/damage kind of thing would really help. The folks that made Robots did it that way... Go Eric!

Nice work,
good thinking outside the box
(box with damaged edges of course)

mdc

Message edited on: 04/11/2005 19:55

Outstanding!

I just had to play with this one. I wouldn't have thought of using WirePro like this in a million year. Here is a way to make the edges more organic...

falconperigot on 4/11/05 17:03 "... Now what I would REALLY like to see is a way to shade the grooves in an object separately from the surface..." How about if one built the model with shader zones named outside the grooves one thing and inside the other? Then create a 'Layer' shader tree with your different shders seperated out? Don't have time to try it myself here at work right now... but do any of you gurus see a problem with this? (Besides having to do the extra shder zone editing?)