In my exploration of Maya's capabilities, I have been testing various effects that seamlessly integrate with Substance PBR textures and layers. One effect that has caught my attention is the application of glitter or sparkle, which offers a versatile and captivating element that can be utilized in numerous ways.
The incorporation of glitter or sparkle brings an intriguing dynamic to the visuals, enhancing the overall appearance and adding a touch of magic to the scene. This effect can be employed in various applications, allowing for alternating and mesmerizing effects. Whether it's applied to objects, surfaces, or even particles, the use of glitter or sparkle in Maya can elevate the visual experience and bring a sense of enchantment to the project.
When combined with Substance PBR textures and layers, the glitter or sparkle effect can truly shine. By utilizing the different channels available in Substance, such as roughness or metallic maps, I can precisely control the intensity and distribution of the glitter or sparkle, achieving realistic and stunning results.
The interplay between light and the textures' reflective properties further enhances the effect, creating a mesmerizing play of light and shimmer.
Through meticulous experimentation and refinement, I have discovered techniques that seamlessly integrate glitter or sparkle effects into Maya, offering endless creative possibilities. Whether used to add a touch of glamour to a product rendering, enhance the ambiance of a virtual environment, or elevate the visual impact of a character, the incorporation of glitter or sparkle opens up a world of captivating possibilities within Maya's versatile framework.
Basic glitter
Using an aiflakes shader plugged in to the normal camera and coat normal of an aistandard surface. Turn the metalness to 1. Play around with the aiflake settings. density , depth, normal randomness, scale. Bump up the AA samples , defuse and indirect in the render settings
Glitter inside glass
Using two aistandard surfaces on metal and one glass . The metal shader will be the colour of the flakes. Plug the two shaders into a aimixshader. The glass into shader 1 and the other into shader 2. Set to Blend. And the flakes alpha into the mix of the aimixshader to create a mask. Assign the mix shader to your object. Play around with the flake setting to get different effects.
Tip #3 - Using a Displacement shader to add an underlying pattern.
Plug in a displacement shader map to produce an intricate pattern texture underneath the glitter shader. texture map > out Alpha to displacement > Into displacement. scale to 0.1
Remember to turn up those subdivisions and use the catclark settings.