I really must admit I try to understand the shader gurus here but math stuff just eludes me, can someone help me please? It would be most appreciated.

Ok, I am not too clued up, but the first thing I can tell you is that the refraction and reflection values are wrong. These two combined should equal 1 or less.

For example, if the value is 1 on reflection and 0 on refraction, then the glass will be 100% reflective.

If it is 1 on refraction and 0 on reflection, it is 100% transparent.

0.5 on each will be 50% reflective and 50% transparent, sort of, it is not as simple as that, but just simplifying it for explanation.

So if the combined values are over 1, then it is wrong and you are going to get something you don't want.

Also, decide why your index of refraction is set to that value. Air is 1, i think, water, 1.2, and glass 1.5. So why do you have 2.418?

Start with the basics, and once those are correct, then everything else is easier to adjust.

First of all, is there anything in the scene to reflect because it looks like there isn't. You want to surround the glass with something like my environment sphere, so there's something to see reflected in the glass.

Helgard is right about the sum of those two values should be no more than 1.

You should not be using translucence - it is the same as ambient. (Trust me). You should not be using transparency either - that's what the Refraction is for. The transprarency is just going to give you a double image of the interior, because the refract shows you a refracted (turned) image and the transparency shows you things exactly where they really are behind the glass.

Turn off Reflect_Lite_Mult and Reflect_Kd_Mult. Never ever leave those on. I won't bother explaining why - trust me they cause trouble and have no basis in reality.

To make the glass look green, you should set a green color in the Refraction_Color input value.

The actual ratio of reflection to refraction is not a constant with glass. It depends on the viewing angle. As you look at the glass from different angles, you should see the amount of reflection change - from 4% (.04) when viewed straight on, to 100% when viewed on edge. This is the Fresnel effect.

The proper IOR for glass is indeed about 1.5, but the effect IOR for thin glass is very different, because the light enters one side (bending it) and leaves the other side after traveling only a short distance (which bends it back to the original direction, but from a slightly different position than if it had not encountered the glass.)

Usually to accomplish that we use an IOR close to 1, usually about 1.03 for thin glass. For thicker glass, maybe 1.06.

We have other issues as well. Unless this is a separate prop, it is going to cast a shadow. (Poser isn't smart enough to notice you're making a refractive material and light should be able to get through.) Which means that you have to play some tricks, like maybe sticking a weak point light inside the cockpit. Actually that's probably a good idea anyway. I'd go with a slightly blue color on the point light.

Also, unless you're doing this with Poser Pro and using render gamma correction, things will still not look real unless you put some more nodes in to gamma correct.

Blah blah ginger. You want the easy way out?

Go to my web site and get my Orb prop - it comes with a bunch of gamma corrected glass shaders. One of them is thin colored glass. !! Just what you need. It is 100% physically accurate.

http://sites.google.com/site/bagginsbill/free-stuff/orbs

When you load the material onto your prop, it has a sort of watermelon color by default. Look for the first node - it's a SimpleColor node. Change that to a green of your choice and you should be all set.

Don't forget to have something to reflect. Even if you just put a couple boxes nearby for testing at first. But ultimately you want a full environment.

http://sites.google.com/site/bagginsbill/free-stuff/environment-sphere

For earthly images to use with that, google equirectangular images, or search for equirectangular on flickr.

For space images, you might be able to find an equirectangular space panorama, but you probably could get away with just about any star field.

Oh and later we'll deal with this lighter/darker edge thing you talked about. Let's get you something decent first.

BM.

I am working with PoserPro, there is now a point light inside the cockpit at 10% (light blue), and there is a sphere just out and up of the cockpit window, it's just about as big as the whole cockpit.
Thanks for the links to your shaders BB, they are most excellent and work as one would expect...perfectly. However, this is for a project and I won't be so forward to assume that I can include your shaders with my ship. Anyways, the 2x4 needs to learn this sooner or later.

1- I am not sure how to use the env sphere. I know with Max when I create a enviroment dome the whole dome surrounds the objects, encompasses them.
2- I don't see the sphere in my window.
3- I do have some modeling detail inside the cockpit (you can see that) maybe that is interferring with the reflection?
4- I tried to create a sense of light slightly spilling out the cockpit window (increasing the point light) but with no luck.
5- You can see I have an edge blend ready to go for the window color, i think this node is what I would want (?) but am unsure.

I have started over with stock reflect, refract and anisotropic.

If you are using BB's enviroment sphere, you need to load an image_map of a panorama scene.

My Environment sphere is a prop, an actual sphere, 1500 feet in diameter, so it also surrounds your objects. You want to load something into its shader. I provided procedural gradient shaders for simple stuff, a normal image shader for panoramic images as is, and an effects image shader for manipulating how skies look. Did you read any of the sub-links? There is a step-by-step how to use it page, a page of examples of the special sky effects, and a page of links to resources where you can find thousands of equirectangular images that work on it.

Unless you plan to make thousands of dollars on this item, I'm fine with you distributing my Orb Thin Glass shader included with the item. Just give me credit for the glass shader in the product notes.

(Someday - not today - I'm going to make some money off this stuff heheheh)

(Someday - not today - I'm going to make some money off this stuff heheheh)

You mean... we can make money doing this?!?!?!? That can't be right. making money is not supposed to be fun...

Okay, I've got the sphere encompassing my ship, tried the Panoramic effects with no luck. I don't see the main material panel at all, even when I try and adjust the size of the material panel it won't let me (???). When I dial up 1 on the Majesty factor the PoserSurface still shows white. Obviously I am missing something here. And yes, this time I did read your instructions (this time).

Now you know why I don't even bother with this stuff (nodes), I have more fun hitting my head. :blink:

Ummm. OK I'm going to sound like an ass, but I need you to pay attention. I'm not trying to be mean - I'm trying to be explicit. You must read and understand every word I say or you will fail.

*repeating what I said above, because it didn't sink in

*"For earthly images to use with that, google equirectangular images, or search for equirectangular on flickr.

For space images, you might be able to find an equirectangular space panorama, but you probably could get away with just about any star field."

and later I wrote*

My Environment sphere is a prop, an actual sphere, 1500 feet in diameter, so it also surrounds your objects. You want to load something into its shader. I provided procedural gradient shaders for simple stuff, a normal image shader for panoramic images as is, and an effects image shader for manipulating how skies look. Did you read any of the sub-links? There is a step-by-step how to use it page, a page of examples of the special sky effects, and a page of links to resources where you can find thousands of equirectangular images that work on it.

**You need to read the instructions on how to use the environment sphere here:
**
http://sites.google.com/site/bagginsbill/free-stuff/environment-sphere/environment-sphere-instructions

In particular, you have skipped the MOST IMPORTANT STEP. You have to actually load a panoramic image into the shader that uses panoramic images. I do not supply any since they are all copyright, but free for your own use if you get them yourself. Read the section on that page ### Using an Image (LDR or HDR, but HDR in Poser 7 only)

Now let's try a panoramic image. Poser 7 comes with an HDR image for a pond. Look in RuntimeTexturesHDRVFX and see if you have HDRVFX_pond_01_v_002.hdr.  Of course you can try other images.

Go into the material room.

Select the Environment Sphere.

In Poser Materials, navigate to the EnvSphere folder. You should see several environment sphere icons. The default material is the EnvPanoramic material. When you first load an EnvSphere, it has this material on it. If you have done one of the gradient materials, you'll need to reload the EnvPanoramic material onto your environment sphere.

If you want to use special effects, load the EnvPanoramicEffect material instead.

  Now you load your image into the shader. You can't load an image into complex shaders in Simple mode.  If you are in Simple mode, switch to Advanced mode.

In Advanced mode, load a panoramic image in the "Panoramic Image" node.

You can load HDR images or LDR images.

Here I have chosen an HDR image - the pond image that comes with Poser 7.

Above the Panoramic Image node is a node called Gamma In. You must tell the shader how to gamma correct the incoming images. Ordinary photos require Gamma In = 2.2 (usually) but HDR images are already gamma corrected. For HDR set Gamma In to 1.0.

Again:

HDR Image -> Gamma In = 1.0

LDR Image -> Gamma In = 2.2

When you set the Gamma In correctly, the Image preview (at right here) will still be wierd, but the final preview should look normal.

One such as this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erik-nl/273934733/sizes/o/

You do not need the special effects shader, the one you loaded, unless you want special effects.

Quote - Now I am getting some nasty results with the window, regardless of the refraction/reflection
settings. It has nasty green triangles there and my edge blend doesn't even seem to register.

Now you know why I don't even bother with this stuff (nodes), I have more fun hitting my head. :blink:

You plugged a bright green color into Alternate_Diffuse. Here is what you told Poser to do:

TAKE THIS GREEN AND DRAW IT

Don't do that. Unless you know what you're doing, you're just going to make a mess of it.

Quote - I'm trying to get this cockpit windown to have a computer interface type look to it, that's about the best description I can come up with. I want a greenish type window that is emitting a slight light, and I want the perimeter edges of the window to be a different lighter shade of green that falls off to the main darker green.:

You mean a type of a monitor as a light-source, right? If yes, is a transparent material really what you need? Maybe I'm wrong, but the monitor in front of me isn't transparent, as far as I can see.

First - my simple result ( Thrifty Person's HUD fx ).

I used Diamont's 3D brush pack to create the notional graphic on the screen.

And this is my very very simple Material Room setting for the effect.

I am using a simple plane and applying my shader to it.

Nuts - too big to image upload here.  Hang on - will upload to my deviantart account and post link in separate message in this thread.

OK -

see image of my shader settings here:
http://ibr-remote.deviantart.com/art/Shader-for-HUD-effect-122053259