I thought I'd figured out the mask effect, but clearly I have failed. The luster is supposed to just be on the stockings and the garter belt, but it affects the entire torso/hip areas. (There are no displacement or bump maps yet, for wrinkles or texturing--I'll add those when I finally get this part down correctly.) I'm guessing the mask is in the wrong place, or else a second mask must be added--somewhere. But where? Or am I all haywire here?

This is a simpler effect than the one BB showed me some time ago--I figure I'll make this work first, then go on to some of the more complex things that BB did. I want to get a better idea of how all these nodes in the Mat Room work, and this effort is teaching me a lot.

Your help would be appreciated!!

(And please note I remembered to check the Nudity box this time!)

Well the one thing I see right off is...the mask for the stockings is dark and the rest is white. Should be the opposite...stockings mask white, the rest black.

Laurie

The torso image doesn't look like its got specularity built in so have you tried to simplify the problem by removing the specularity from the torso component (i.e. plug diffuse output directly into Blender input one). If the luster is still there than my guess would be there is a problem with the mask.

Quote - Well the one thing I see right off is...the mask for the stockings is dark and the rest is white. Should be the opposite...stockings mask white, the rest black.

Laurie

Not quite Laurie. First we have to correct the terms here - the image he's using is not a mask. It's an opacity map that shows where cloth is dense (darkest part) or sheer (lighter gray) or non-existent (white). And it's hooked up correctly.

The node called Color_Math is the shader for bare skin.

The node called Color_Math_2 is the shader for 100% dense nylon.

The blender's job is to mix these in proportions based on the Math_Function(s) hooked up to that opacity map. The amount of each is motivated by how nylon fibers are woven, leaving gaps/holes, and how these holes close up as the angle of incidence changes with respect to the viewer.

Since I don't know what your lights are causing, let's simplify and see what is up with the plain skin shader part.

Connect the Color_Math node straight into Alternate_Diffuse - this will bypass all the stocking parts and the mixer.

Render that  - is it shiny? If so, then you just have a lot of light and specularity results.

If that is the case, we should proceed with adjusting lights to a reasonable level, then adjust shaders. Never go straight at the shader until you know your light levels are not insane.

You may find my light meter useful.

https://sites.google.com/site/bagginsbill/file-cabinet

Instructions:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2798745&page=3#message_3627657

Some further thoughts:

The Blinn node is providing the specularity on the skin shader part.

Just so you can familiarize yourself with its influence try:

Set the Diffuse node's Diffuse_Value to 0 so it contributes nothing. Render - observe where you see light - any you see is coming from the Blinn node.

Increase/decrease the Blinn node's reflectivity. Learn to connect cause and effect there.

Set Blinn node Reflectivity to 0. It will contribute nothing. Render - what do you see then?

I notice the color map has lighter regions actually in it - why? Do you expect that the abdomen and under the breasts is brighter colored skin? This appears to be causing some false impression of specularity or shine. This is called burned-in-specular and is a cause of much grief.

Oops, right. Had my head up my ass again. LOL. Haven't used a density map yet...interesting.

Laurie

--I plugged the Color_Math directly into Alternate_Diffuse, for both Skin_Torso and Skin_Hip. This removes the connection Math_Functions to the Alternate_Diffuse. On rendering, the torso is still too shiny. I moved an arm forward so you can see how strong the light is on that skin. It seems ok to me. Lowering the light value darkens the image but doesnt seem to remove the luster from the torso.

The un-rendered image shows legs and torso silvery-white, which means--what? the effect is still being applied to the skin of the legs, hip and torso?

And I see more responses...I'll start playing with the suggestions....

Good first step - so the skin itself is messed.

Now - Diffuse_Value = 0 - render again - what do we see for shine then?

Conversely - Reflectivity = 0 - render again - with no Blinn contribution what do we see?

I just noticed something else very important.

You do not have black in the Built-in specular and you have the value nonzero. This means the surface node is contributing some specularity of its own. That should not be.

Also, you have ambient turned on, and it's not black either. It should be doing nothing.

Disable the built-in specular by setting the Poser Surface Specular_Value to 0.

Disable the ambient by setting the Poser Surface Ambient_Value to 0.

Quote - The un-rendered image shows legs and torso silvery-white, which means--what? the effect is still being applied to the skin of the legs, hip and torso?

I never pay attention to preview. That will take us all day and for no benefit.

The preview renderer is flaky and so dependent on your hardware.

Even more interesting!

Upper right is the skin texture
Lower right is the cloth texture

All the rest is build with nodes.

I let Poser make a B&W from the cloth texture.
I let Poser build and inverted B&W 

Color is very controllable with the blender.
The displacement and specular are also very controllable.

Vilters -

That style (modulated Blinn, modulated color) works for your example because you can use Blinn on both materials: skin and cloth, and because you're not using scattering in the skin, so you can use the built-in Diffuse for both.

The stockings must not use Blinn - instead they have to use Anisotropic - otherwise the highlight will not look right. And a finished version would use Scatter for the skin. So the node arrangement he's using is a better start.

I think we're going to see that the skin color map is significantly to blame here because of the burned in specular.

Yes BB, it is an old example that I use quite a lot to show the working of the nodes.

I should review and rebuild it.

Are 36 hr days in stock?

Quote - Yes BB, it is an old example that I use quite a lot to show the working of the nodes.

I should review and rebuild it.

Are 36 hr days in stock?

DO let me know if you find one. LOL

Laurie

Will do so LaurieA
Happy Posering

Quote - Oops, right. Had my head up my ass again. LOL.

Laurie

Doesn't it hurt when you do that, or are you really just that limber?

I USED to be that limber. LOL :P

I just wasn't understanding what was going on. Again. LOL

Laurie

The skin doesnt have any subsurface scattering or other special effects. At this point I'm trying to keep it simple. But further comments and observations--that would be welcome. I gotta keep learning. And I thank all of you for your help!

I think her skin is still too shiny. And she looks, well, green?

Laurie

She does seem to have a greenish tinge, doesnt she? Well, that is something I can play with, as well as the gloss, when I tackle working with her body skin. For now, since I can see the added stockings can work, I think I'll concentrate on the other stocking details. I suspect my second light added the tinge...all these things to fiddle with......Thanks!

:) Good luck.

Laurie