How would you handle large metal surfaces?

[jgjYRRKE]

Hi All.

I am curious about your workflow when working with large metal objects?

How to avoid the perfect, flat look of the metal?

Add some realism?

I use 3DS Max 2025 and the Arnold renderer.

Lighting is a HDRI skydome.

When I make something viewed up close, it looks kinda ok-ish (still have much to learn)

But I am not sure on how best to handle stuff like this big enclosed freezer?

Steel Enclosure and mainstationPLC ok-ish

[mbreidt · Accepted solution]

To me, it looks like your material is good - but your environment might need more detail (so there is something to reflect). Maybe your HDR environment is too low-contrast?

[jgjYRRKE]

How do I know? Fix that?

I used this:

https://polyhaven.com/a/modern_buildings

Would you use dirt maps? Layershader?

Or just focus on getting enviromant reflected?

[mbreidt]

Both renderings use the same HDRI? And if you place the smaller "System Cleaners" box next to the large one, it starts looking dull again?

[jgjYRRKE]

Yes. They actually do.

I can get reflections with low specular roughness, but they look to much like a mirror then. Too shiny.

Not like the attached random reference photo.

Iwas wondering what people do in a case like that?

Add dirt? Dents? Imperfections etc.

I get better at 3DS Max all the time, but still have so much to learn.

Thx for helping me out.

[jgjYRRKE · Accepted solution]

Well I did not learn about peoples workflow, but ended up with a solution I can live with.

Properbly not the "pro" way of doing it tho?

For any other n00bs interested, here is what I did:

* I played around with reflection, but the HDRI reflection was too big.

* Made 2 boxes with .jpeg from a poultry process plant as material and used them to reflect the image on the side and front of the enclosure. (adjusted exposure to get desired look)

Added Arnold properties mod to them and disabled shadows+primary rays, so only their reflections are visible.

* Used Layer shader material with different level of specular reflection to make the metal imperfect.

I considered adding displacement to the enclosure, to break the perfect straight lines.

But it felt like overkill for this project, where the inside of the enclosure is the most important thing.

SetupResult