Create realistic 3D glass: 4 top tips

I regularly create 3d art materials using the Maxwell Render plug-in for SketchUp, and you can also use Maxwell Studio, but for more complex materials requiring a higher degree of realism I use the Advanced Material Editor (MXED). MXED also allows for the quick editing of materials from the vast materials library found in the Resources section on the Maxwell Render website.

Before you start, it’s important to study the characteristics of the material you want to replicate. Here, you need to get familiar with the reflections and refractions in a wine glass in real-world scenarios. Another important element to consider is the lighting setup in the scene, as this will have an impact on how the reflections on the glass will appear.

In the final rendered image, you can see that environment lighting was used to clearly illustrate the reflections on the glass. Careful consideration was given to the positioning of objects in the vicinity of the wine glasses, and objects were deliberately placed behind them to demonstrate how objects viewed through such glass appear distorted. This increases the realism of the scene.

Before you start, it’s important to study the characteristics of the material you want to replicate

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Anita Brown creates photoreal 3D images, specialising in providing a 3D visualisation service for the interiors, weddings and events industries.
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