I've been playing around with this for awhile in Poser but just can't get a good look, so I thought I'd ask you.

How would you go about using a texture of lettering over chrome..see above image.

Thanks for any help you might toss my way.

Use the BBGlossy shader.

I assume you have a mask (black and white) for the letters?

You want to modulate the IOR. A very high IOR will make chrome. A low IOR (between 1 and 2) is normal shiny material that is not metallic.

So if you want the letters to have IOR of 1.4, and the chrome to be over 50, you can set the PM:IOR to

Subtract

Value_1 = 51.4

Value_2 = 50 ----> Mask

This is assuming the letters in the mask are white (on black). Thus, the IOR will be 51.4 - 50 * 0 = 51.4 where the mask is black. Where the mask is white, the IOR will be 51.4 - 50*1 = 1.4.

If you your mask is the other way around, then set PM:IOR to

Add

Value_1 = 1.4

Value_2 = 50 ----> Mask

Thus where black it will be 1.4 and where white it will be 51.4.

For color, you can use a Blender node. Where you want chrome, should be white. Where you want colored letters, should be the letter color - could be a constant - could be a texture. The same mask can drive this Blender.

Here I pulled down the PM:IOR and PMC:Color nodes and wired up a blurry text mask.

Thanks Baggin,

I hadn't been keeping up with these shaders for awhile and I just found the BBGlossy shader. I'm going to have to do some reading and playing with it to possibly understand it.

Quote - Bagginsbill,

I've been playing around with this for awhile in Poser but just can't get a good look, so I thought I'd ask you.

How would you go about using a texture of lettering over chrome..see above image.

Thanks for any help you might toss my way.

Funny...  To me it looks correct for a decal.  I'd follow BB's suggestions with the chrome itself, but I wouldn't expect the actual lettering to look any different over chrome than it would over paint, if my automobile memory serves me...

In some cases, the lettering would actually be applied at paint time, while the chrome trim is off the car to be reinstalled once the paint had hardened.

I guess it depends on whether you are going for painted letters or an applied graphic.

Quote - > Quote - In some cases, the lettering would actually be applied at paint time, while the chrome trim is off the car to be reinstalled once the paint had hardened. I guess it depends on whether you are going for painted letters or an applied graphic.

 

Early 1950's race cars were used straight from the dealer with lettering painted on, sometimes right over the chrome.

I also have my lettering on a white background texture and have a transparancy map for the same lettering (white lettering on black background).

Quote - > Quote - > Quote - In some cases, the lettering would actually be applied at paint time, while the chrome trim is off the car to be reinstalled once the paint had hardened. I guess it depends on whether you are going for painted letters or an applied graphic.

 

Early 1950's race cars were used straight from the dealer with lettering painted on, sometimes right over the chrome.

I was thinking that they generally brushed on a lead-based sign type paint which would appear opaque when applied to the chrome, rather than a candy gloss or other spray paint which would allow the chrome to show through. 

I am not sure why my reply is italicized, but was unable to fix via editing or in the repost.

I will try this tonight