Getting Realistic Looking Metals in Keyshot (Newbie)

[Baroche]

Hello All

I am building a website for my business but have found that I can get better quality Images within the appropriate context using renders rather than commercial photo libraries. I am looking for as realistic a result as I can get.

The image on the left of the metal and solar panel was rendered in Modo using HDRI (notice the metal does not reflect the HDRI). Although the metal is exactly the desired result, I am rendering against a backplate and the final Modo results are too sharp and unrealistic.  The image on the right is a more complex render with an array of solar panels using Keyshot where with the "Pixel Blur" I am getting more realistic final results that blend with my backplate.

The problem is that I cannot for the life of me get the metal to look like the result from Modo.  The default "Metal" materials in Keyshot initially reflect like a mirror so perfectly, that even if I increase the roughness, I still end up with dark looking metal textures with too much HDRI environment reflection. Using "Advanced" and "Anisotropic" (tried even "Plastic") material types in Keyshot without maps, result in dull looking grey without the "pop" of the Modo render. Please how can I get metals that "pop".  I have tried so many lighting environments, I cannot get the metal to look right which was so easy in Modo with the right environment. I am using photographs for my reference and except for the dull metal look on my frames the Keyshot render of the panels is spot on for realism. I do NOT want the HDRI reflections in the metal, so what settings should I be using to get the right look with Keyshot metals?

Thanks a million for any help!




link to full size:http://postimg.org/image/44phg3s8l/full/

[Ed]

Baroche -

You'll have many more options in KeyShot 6 (about to be released).  At the moment I would try each of the following techniques:

1) Try silver metallic paint as your metal.  I've done this on cars where the metal material was too sharp and reflective for the lighting I used.

2) If using the metal material, add a normal map to the material's Bump Texture to make it rougher, rather than using the roughness slider only (set map to repeat).  You can pick from several normal maps in the library such as "brushed".  This will make the metal less reflective without making it darker.

3) Try using a photograph of a metal sheet (look in Google images).  Add an image of a flat rectangle sheet of metal to the material's Color Texture (set map to repeat).

4) Finally, you can render in two passes and combine in Photoshop.  Use an HDRI that works best for the metal and render.  Use an HDRI that works best for the remainder of the scene and render.  Render a Clown Pass so you can make selections in Photoshop.  Combine the desired areas of each pass in Photoshop.

Ed Ferguson

[Baroche]

Hi Ed

I tried the "Metalic Paint" material but not that much luck there. I will try the other suggestions and see what works. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond - much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Esben Oxholm]

Hi Baroche.

It sound a bit weird that you're not able to lower the amount of reflection to a desired level using the roughness slider.
Is it possible for you to share your scene as a .ksp? I'll be happy to take a look at it.

Best regards
Esben

[Robb63]

Baroche, I usually find that if I make the roughness somewhere in the .03  - .06 range I get a good amount of diffused reflection. When you are adjusting the roughness be sure to increase the roughness samples too. I typically set the samples to 32 then bring the number down if I want to increase the noise slightly.