Have you been wondering how to get the most out of the Shininess Material? This book, based on the popular lectures that Robin gives at Builder's Brewery, will tell you everything you need to know!
You'll find out how to enable Advanced Lighting Model, so you can see Materials. You'll learn about the role that the Shininess texture plays, and how the Alpha channel is used for Environment Reflection, not transparency, in Shininess Textures.
There are examples included, with screen shots of the actual textures used, to get various effects from gold on a varnished card, to realistic pop cans, to a little bronze dragon statue with titanium wings, to a soap bubble.
You'll also find out how to make Shiny Transparent surfaces.
Everything you need to get per-pixel control of the highlights (hot spots) and reflections on your objects, whether they are regular prim, sculpts, or mesh, is in this book!
All the instruction is based on Photoshop®, since that's the only raster graphics program Robin uses, but you can probably extrapolate the instruction to your own graphics program if you use something else. (Do take a look at it before you buy, though, to make sure you can.)
If you hesitate to buy books sight unseen, come to the Texture Library at Livingtree (113, 97, 25) and check out the book before you buy it. You can read the whole thing, and then decide.
See item in Second Life- Learn how to use the new Shininess Material SL from Robin Sojourner
- 32 page THiNC book
- Richly illustrated
- All the material presented in the lectures at Builders Brewery, and more!
- Demo book available in world
This is great
Robin is a treasure to the SL community. Her texture tutorials were immensely helpful back when I was first starting graphics, especially how to remove halos around transparencies! This book has been thoughtfully put together and is very helpful at explaining the principles of specular reflection in SL for both the new and advanced user.
excellent book
This is an excellent reference for those tackling materials for the first time. Text is written in a plain English format that doesn't bog down the reader's comprehension with overly technical details.
My only criticism is that the book could have provided more information on the use of emissive masks. Perhaps in an updated volume?
Highly recommended.
