Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Vraciu on September 16, 2018, 10:59:43 AM
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So... I have not been optimizing my skins for Reflections On. The reasons are manifold, primarily the fact that to get the skin to look right when not in direct sunlight (a lighter shade of gray) it winds up looking bad in the dark and against the ground. The wings wind up looking like a mirror.
To tone down the mirror effect you have to go to a darker E map which then causes indirect light to flare the metal to a ridiculous degree (it turns almost white).
What is the answer here?
Am I supposed to tone down the S map?
The reality is the E map has been a bone of contention for other skinners, too. I am at a loss. (I did not shrink down the images.)
Here is a light to medium gray E map. Note the metal looks shiny but not flared.
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=394616.0;attach=30801)
Here is one with a dark E map trending toward black. The metal flares up like crazy to the point of being almost pure white. In indirect light rolling away from the sun it does the same thing. The wing is almost obliterated by white. This does not happen when using a light gray for the E map, which I can't quite figure out.
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=394616.0;attach=30803)
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If I tone the E map down to look good from the external view then this is what happens to the wing...
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=394616.0;attach=30805)
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Massive flare up with an almost-black E map yet with a light gray it looks fine. :headscratch:
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=394616.0;attach=30807)
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So this begs the question... How do I fix this?
Skins look great with reflections off and they look bad with them on. :headscratch: