Fake SSS/translucency with shader nodes

Game Engine Game Engine Resources
#1

I found a very nice video for a (blender internal) shader setup for fake SSS. With a bit of modification its quite easy to make this work in BGE. To make it work you need an additional b/w texture that defines the depth of the SSS effect. In my case, i have 3 RGB files: 1 color, 1 normalmap and 1 file with the specular map in the red channel, AO map in the green channel and subsurface scatter depth in the blue channel. I use a separate rbg node to get the different channels separated.

The video:

my node setup for diffuse and SSS (spec is separate and just added on top of this output):

fake SSS.jpg1445×943 239 KB

#2

There is actually a really simple and fast way of doing this. No nodes, just one texture. You can check it out on my Alien model on the forum here or on my blog.

Edit:
You should post some results of your shader. Its hard to imagine how it looks like by looking at the node setup.

Edit 2:
I just noticed that you use the invert normals technique, that gives better results than what I originaly thought you are doing.

Nice node setup !

#3

one sunlamp from the top left and slightly behind, two weak hemis for fill.
Added a standard shader for comparison (color, normal, spec, ao) same textures.

some wireframe boxes in the background i forgot to hide >_>

Attachments

SSS.jpg642×972 118 KB

#4

While it works great for translucent backscatter, like on her ear, I don’t see a whole lot of SSS going on an the shading line across the middle of her face, where you would expect to see it the most. It’s actually quite cool though. It’s just not the method I would use for a face. A hybrid technique that combines this method with other SSS approximations would be awesome.