Master Creating Realistic Glass Shaders With Arnold

Both new and seasoned users can stumble on realistic glass rendering. There is a lot that goes on to create glass that looks right in renders. from plate-glass windows, to mirrors, to drinking and beer glasses. Throw into the mix a brand new bundled and standard rendering engine in an application like Maya, and you can be left fighting on your own.

Glass happens to be the next subject in Lighting TD’s Arvid Schneider’s free introduction to rendering with Arnold in Maya series. Using a render from Dusan Kovic as inspiration, Arvid runs through putting together glass materials in Arnold. You might already know the work of Dusan, who rendered an incredibly realistic scene with glass that can be seen on the alShaders homepage.

Arvid works to create wear on the glass using image maps to break up the surface with dirt, finger prints and dust, with bump maps to create imperfections in the glass.