I'm looking for theory rather than a package or download. It's one of those "teach a man a fish...." things.

How do I create sparkle paint? Think "low-rider" paint, drum kits from the 1960s, that sort of thing. The base coat and the clear coat are fairly easy, but the sparkles are the challenge. The only way I can think of is a noise applied to specularity which is "activated" when light shines perpendicular to each sparkle "chip". Any ideas? 

Well with Artrage it allows you to paint those sparkles very cool.. Kind of on the Amature side but hey its quick and it works

Artrage looks like a sketching program, which I don't think can help to generate procedural textures. Thanks though.

templargfx has done some pretty cool metallic paint effects.....
Check the following links.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2564237

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2568570

<-insert words of wisdom here->

I have a paint file to send you Replicand I found this in my materials but I dont know how to send it this way I can email it to you?

Quote - templargfx has done some pretty cool metallic paint effects.....
Check the following links.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2564237

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2568570

Here is the link to his car paint materials.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/index.php?user_id=305980

"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

 I feel so stupid. redhawk's link links to a link to the sticky thread at the top of the forum which has 3000 posts about car paint. Thanks for all your assistance.

I down loaded those car mats they are awesome

Attached Link: Dual Materials with Stencils

In case you didn't find it among the 3000, the linked thread discusses decals. It begins with a car paint shader, which happens to have sparkles. Have a look.

The theory is that you need tiny areas that have extremely high specular reflections. A Noise node is great for defining them. In that shader I plugged a Noise node that varies from 0 to 3 into the Specular_Value channel of the material. This causes the specular to be very irregular and very bright in some places - just like metallic paint.

---

Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)