I have a question.

I put a cloth plain into a box and added a texture to it that looks like a rich top soil.

However when I render it looks like a flat plane that is textured like top soil, LOL   There doesn't seem to be any "interaction" with the box at all IE: the shadows which are visible in your coffee cup/ball example.  I don't have that effect and the result is pretty flat and unreal looking.

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi