Ice Shader UDK

SnakeDoctor · Oct 2011

Hey guys currently having some trouble with making an ice shader in UDK.

this is sort of the effect I want.
http://pixdaus.com/pics/1222389968Nsim3rt.jpg

As of right now I am using a fresnel and plugging that into a square root node. I then blend that node with a heighmap and plug into my diffuse. I tried opacity but it makes it so you can see the other side which isnt the effect I am going for. I am going to work right now and will provide screenshots of my material set up when I return. In the meantime does anyone have any ideas on how to approach this problem?

Brendan · Oct 2011

I frankstein'd an ice shader for Unity once. The trick is to find a fake SSS shader, that supports a coloured ramp and a fresnel effect.

Then find a good reference pic (the pic you've got looks like it's been changed a fair bit), and work out the ramp. The fresnel effect can be eyeballed in-engine easily enough, as can any SSS values you can work with. If you can afford reflection/refraction, toss that in as well.

Another, more ghetto way to do it is with a water shader, but this can have problems with transparency.

I guess the biggest part of the shader though is the normal map and the mesh. If it looks like it's got the right structure and form, then people tend to be more forgiving if it doesn't have perfect fresnel or something. If it doesn't look like an icy shape, then people just ignore it as some average cgi ice.

Vailias · Oct 2011

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86095&highlight=ice

Same ref pic even.

Why would you squareroot your fresnel term? Just use a lower exponent in the fresnel node itself.

Ace-Angel · Oct 2011

You should also look into using Bumpoffsets to create floating effect of ice on parts ofyour model. Also, if you have access to Max, use the Texture panel to render out a dirty SSS map, and tweak that as your SSS map to be used alongside the Transmission slots.

SnakeDoctor · Oct 2011

Vailias wrote: »

Why would you square root your Fresnel term? Just use a lower exponent in the Fresnel node itself.

Ya that didn't make sense sorry. I am really new at the UDK material editor so I apologize for that.

Ace-Angel using the Sub Surface Scattering was exactly what I was looking for. I think that improved my original material tenfold. Below is some pics I took of the final shader. I added with some rocks that I did after watching Virtuosic snow blending up vector demonstration and I think the effect is great. Still got some tweaking to do but I am happy with the results.

Wonkey · Oct 2011

Here Snake, see if this helps at all

Ace-Angel · Oct 2011

I don't recall you being able to have Opaque objects in Translucent material, how did you do that, mind me asking?

Or are they separate ID's?

Snader · Oct 2011

Those are two separate meshes. You could however, probably simulate a thin layer of ice in one material, by offsetting textures.

Hellfire · Oct 2011

my ice shader

my mattree
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5439/icematerial.jpg

thread

bugo · Oct 2011

You could do a really good effect with BRDF. Check google for it, see if anybody did something for UDK.

Bryce Vandermoortele has one for Maya. I would give it a try.

Wonkey · Oct 2011

Sorry, ace, that is two meshes.

Hellfire, DAMN that is a nice effect! I will have to play with it!

Ice Shader UDK

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