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3D Glass Cube
Hey guys. I’m hoping someone will know how to do this.
It sounds deceptively simple, but I’m trying to make lightly color tinted 3d glass cubes.
I’ve made a few cubes and no matter how I teak lights, opacity, & material options I just can’t get them to look like glossy glass.
Am I missing something? It seems like there should be a way to do this.Nate
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4 Replies
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there’s no raytracing for reflections in ae, so you’ll need to find/create a texture to use for the sides of the cube.
and if the cube/camera is moving then the texture will need to animate to maintain realism.
when you are trying to find/create a texture, think about what parts of your scene will be reflected in the cube… the colors and contrast and event the shapes in the reflections are important.
Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
So there’s no chance of an easier way of faking it?
I’m not lazy, but that actually sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. -
it just comes down to how badly you want/need the effect… if it’s really important, then it may be worth the time, if not, then maybe a more basic cube is fine.
if the cube and camera are static, then the reflections can become easier… but you still need to think what will be reflected… if the cube is outdoors, then find an outdoor shot, clouds, trees, whatever you think would be reflected… you can blur them and adjust contrast and blending modes in ae.
a place to start might be to just add a gradient overlay or ramp to the sides of the cube to simulate some glare. using the gradient overlay layer style will allow you to add several colors to the gradient, so you could add shades of colors for the floor color and a sky color.
Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
Well, thanks for the advice.
I think I’ll rethink and adapt.
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