" i tried that. ended with patches of dull lines and patches of mirror lines.... very interesting but i never own a mirror like that so that patches are kinda moot." This sounds like the raytracer isn't getting enough samples. Try: --Increasing the bucket size --increasing the pixel samples --decrease the shading rate post an example of what you're getting, along with the parameters you're using. Raytrace reflection is, as you know, a very compute expensive proposition. A cheap "fake", when you don't need to simulate reality perfectly is to do a panoramic render of the room, without raytracing on. Then take that image and fisheye distort it in Photoshop (or whatever). . . Now use this distorted image as the environment map for your reflective surface. This will always need a little tweeking, but works well for un-demanding scenarios (if your character is going to reach out and touch the mirror in an animation, obviously this approach won't do. . .but for a still life its fine)