How to create a (faded) window reflection?

DMax

How to create a (faded) window reflection?

While waiting for a product (https://www.daz3d.com/reflection-designer) to go on sale, I am trying to learn how to create a reflection in a window.
This wouldn't be a standard mirror reflection which is rather much easier to create. A window reflection is faded out in its entirety, like in the attached image which is an actual example on the product page.

Q: I have managed to create a mirror image using a script but how do I "fade out" the reflected character (and all his clothes, hair etc)? Cut-out opacity doesn't work.

Paintbox

I'd use the mirrored render to paste and edit it in your image editor.

chris-2599934

Is this for Iray or 3Delight?

In Iray it's easy. Just apply a glass shader to the window, arrange your character in front of it, and shoot. The window will both show a reflection and whatever is behind it because emulating the properties of physical objects is what iray does.

DMax

chris-2599934 said:

Is this for Iray or 3Delight?

In Iray it's easy. Just apply a glass shader to the window, arrange your character in front of it, and shoot. The window will both show a reflection and whatever is behind it because emulating the properties of physical objects is what iray does.

It's for Iray. Funny, I believe the window is already a glass shader because the rest of the items in the render have reflections but my character doesn't seem to have a reflection (he's not a vampire LOL). I will try it again... just having lots of problems rendering because it's the airport island set which sucks up 99.99% of my Mac resources. I will report back! (ps. I have actually painstakingly created a mirror image, translated it to where it should be on the "other" side of the window and tried to apply a cut-out opacity to horrible consequences hahaha)

DMax

Here is another example of a failed simple render. In the glass window, you can see the lights being reflected (I could even see chairs being reflected when I did a render from another angle) but the character does not get reflected no matter what I try. I have even tried putting a spot light shining to brighten his face and hands etc I have run out of ideas... and this guy isn't a vampire! Ah, it's my 3rd day doing this particular scene and these setbacks are starting to become discouraging :(

Paintbox

Have you tried the metallicity shader in a separate render? So two renders of which one is a perfect mirror, the other glass surface.

DMax

Paintbox said:

Have you tried the metallicity shader in a separate render? So two renders of which one is a perfect mirror, the other glass surface.

I just tried "Metal, Aluminium, Brushed" and the reflection showed up. But just so strangely, it doesn't on glass.

DMax

I suspect it might have to do with lighting... perhaps the outside has to be darker for the reflection to show up?

chris-2599934

It looks like the outdoors is more brightly lit than the indoors, in which case you won't get much of a reflection on the glass.

DMax

chris-2599934 said:

It looks like the outdoors is more brightly lit than the indoors, in which case you won't get much of a reflection on the glass.

I am definitely going to try this out.

DMax

chris-2599934 said:

It looks like the outdoors is more brightly lit than the indoors, in which case you won't get much of a reflection on the glass.

So I really darkened the outside (used a sunset HDRI set at 0.2 environment and lighting) and bumped up the spotlight on the character's face and the reflection showed up!! <3 <3 <3
You guys are da best!