Tips on surface properties for global illumination

The following tips on surface properties are useful if you want to render transparent and mirror-like materials using the Global Illumination method.

Transparent, glass-like materials

• For transparent, glass-like materials, the Object color should be a color between gray and white and the Color of luster should be white. For colored glass, you are advised to set the Object color to the hue you need and the Color of luster a touch lighter.
• The more transparent the glass, the higher the Luster / smoothness: for transparent glass, use a value near the maximum of 16,000; for matt or sandblasted glass, a value of 20 or 30 is sufficient.
• Thick glass panels require a Refraction of 1.5. For normal glass panes, such as Allplan's smart window symbols, it is enough to set the Refraction to 1.0.
• For water, you are advised to use a Refraction of 1.5.

Bright, metallic materials

• As with transparent materials, set the Object color to the color of the material. The Color of luster should be a touch lighter than the color of the material, e.g., white for chrome.
• The greater the mirror effect of the material, the higher the Luster / smoothness: use a value near the maximum of 16,000 for chrome; smaller values are sufficient for bright materials.

Coated, vanished materials

• Materials like polished plastic or vanished wood consist of the bright coat (Color of luster) and the layer beneath (Object color). If the material is to dominate, the Object color gets the higher value. If the focus is to be on the coat, the Color of luster is given priority.