I wanted to come up with realistic looking tile. I ended up tossing in glass objects for a small scene. Can someone tell me is it better to model tiles or just apply an image texture (as was done here)? I wanted a better raised look, but I’m not getting it using a bump map.
your pic looks good!!! 
I think it looks realistic, the lighting is a bit poor.
you could model the tiles, but I think that a bump map and color map always look better and its faster.
While detailing how to model glass objects, I changed one setting on the scene above ( I changed the the Alpha seting so the texture would have a negative effect on the objects’ alpha value) and ended up with this (chrome?):
Hoho!!!
Second one is really nice 
Stefano
Thanks. Its weird how changing that one thing ended up changing the whole effect.
yep,the second pic is cool!
cya
Henrik
really cool pics you got there! maybe it would help if you had another lamp somewheer, maybe a spot (that would of course require fake caustics). But what i’m interested in is how you made the glass material. Can you write a tutorial or send me an email with the material values? Bout the tiles, see the “wall” WIP post, same advice, beveled cubes, set a little above a white plane. at least I think it looks better. I’ll try it and post it here. I’ll also try to model the glass, but I don’t think I’ll be able to.
For better bump mapping on the tile you could try converting the tile texture to a gray scale pic then apply it in the second texture channel, apply it with out ‘Col’, with just ‘Nor’ selected. Nice picture, I like the lighting.
adyus (I also sent you a PM)
This from the ‘Wall’ post
To make glass:
Model your desired object(s) and scene. (I have 4 spots in this scene, one using energy value of 1.000, the others equaling 1.000. They all use 1.000 for edge softness, and 8.00 for Samples and Softness.)
Apply a new Material (F5). Do not set up any vaules at this point.
Apply a new Texture (F6). Select Blend, then Halo.
Return to your Material.
-FIRST COLUMN OF BUTTONS-
5. Set the Alpha slider to 0.000 ( I set it between 0.000 and 0.200 if using an env map so it will show up on the ‘glass’)
6. Set Spec, Hard, and Sp Tr to the maximum value.
7. Add, Ref, Emit and Amb are all set to 0.
-MIDDLE COLUMN OF BUTTONS-
8. Set Ztransp to on, its just to the right of the Ref slider.
9. Set the Nor to on to use it as your texture cordinates set up in step 3.
10. DISABLE X and Y scaling (this is key).
-LAST COLUMN OF BUTTONS-
11. Set only Alpha to on so your texture affects the objects alpha value.
(I set Alpha to negative for the chrome like effect above)
I tried this and it does ‘raise’ it a little more. Another adjustment would be to play with settin MipMap, Anti, and Interpol on or off.
I think I’m going to started modeling more details like floor tiles and insets, for example.
Wow!!!
Very beautiful renders mate!!! Those are 100% Blender??? If so, I BEG OF YOU, please write a detailed tutorial!!! hehe 
Great stuff man!!!
Matt
Blend on, and blend well!!!
Thanks.
The only thing that is not from Blender is the floor tile, its a bitmap I threw together in Photoshop (I should try gimp…)
The steps above lead to the effects you see in those renders, try them out.
LoL,
Didn’t even see 'em there, but then again it’z 7:30am here, been blending all night and me eyes are starting to fall down…
Thanks for the info there dude, moochly appreciated!!!
Matt
Blend on, and blend well!!!
very cool! i especially like the chrome stuff there. but the tiles really need some work regarding the bumpmapping. but otherwise really cool!
Wow!! Both pictures are really well done. I have been working with glass for awhile now, and can’t even get close to what you have achieved. Thanks for posting the settings tut, I can’t wait to try it out.
…more.
Chrome Chamfer Box
