Side lit acrylic/plexiglas simulation wtih cycles

Support Materials and Textures
1

Hello,

I am trying to simulate the effect of engraved side lit acrylic/plexiglas to have a similar effect as the one from the picture below.

Rainure_plexi.JPG777×777 168 KB

There is probably the need for two materials :

  • one that simulates acrylic and remains transparent (in my attempts the acrylic part is not perfectly transparent)
  • and one that simulates a frosted acrylic surface (where is has been carved or laser engraved) - it is through this uneven surface that light diffuses

It could also maybe simulated by adding micro displacements on the faces that have been carved ?

As you can see from the attached blend I am far from the reality …

Any ideas on better materials to use with cycle to reach a quality close to the picture above ?

Attachments

acrylic_light_test.blend (676 KB)

2

I made something not a million miles away from this a while back - a fibre optic cable.

You could use a similar technique of transparent and emission materials to simulate what you are after

3

See here for a similar question.