I wasn’t sure if this should go here or in the Artwork section, so I’m trying here first. I have tried to do one small project in Blender to get more understanding of using the software. Eh, I need a little help in getting it to work. I’ve attached the file (I think) for review.
What I want to do is make the inner edges of the text shine with a light that fades in and fades out. It would be like a line of light traces the edges of the text from one edge to the other. I was trying to accomplish that with a plane that passes by the text. Alas, it didn’t work.
I got the background I desired, and the text color is just about right. I was going for a gold color, and the one I got is somewhat acceptable.
I’m not sure if I need to use a glossy shader to allow for light reflection, or just work with the passing plane to provide the light. I saw one of Andrew Price’s tutorials and thought of trying to make the text have a reflective property, but that seemed like a lot of work that maybe I didn’t need to do.
It sounds like you want a highlight that passes over the surface of the text? Yes, you can do this. It’s a very good choice for a beginning project, by the way, not too ambitious, not too unambitious.
You’re correct that you’re going to want a glossy shader. Right now, you’re using a diffuse shader, which won’t really ever get a highlight that’s strong enough to notice.
These kind of highlights are often called “specular” highlights which might help you if you want to read more.
Probably what you want to do is select the text material, open a new view and switch to the node editor, and enable nodes for you material (either in node editor, or in material tab of properties view.) Then you can shift-a add a glossy shader and replace the default diffuse shader. You’ll want a low roughness for your glossy shader, something like 0.1 or 0.05.
Also, I think it’s interesting that you’re reflecting the light here. It’s not a bad idea. But you can animate the rotation of the lamp just as easily as you can animate the motion of the reflecting plane. However you want to do it is fine.
forte.blend (440 KB)Thanks for that information and help, bandages. I tried to follow your instructions. Blast, I always seem to have trouble getting that Node Editor to work. I think I got the shader to happen by using the Properties tree. Attached is what I have so far. Eh, I wanted to attach the AVI file I made from it, but it won’t let me upload that.
Well, the highlight isn’t what I was after, but it is a start. I wanted the light to trace the inner edges of the text. I duplicated the text to give that slight “edge” to the text. I want the light to trace the edge of the “inner” text. Does that make sense?