Reflecting an irregularly shaped object

[Ampa]

Today's challenge was to create an artificial reflection beneath an irregularly shaped object.

In the past I've been asked to add reflections where the reflection is simply a plane that cuts horizontally across the entire object (example 1), and where the object to be reflected is skewed (example 2) - both operations are pretty straight forward...

Example 3 is the object (a duvet) to which I had to add a floor reflection. I did come up with a solution, which I am reasonably happy with, but would love to see what methods other people use! I guess my attempt is OK because the texture and shape of the duvet is fairly forgiving!

Do you have a better method for these irregular floor reflections?

Example 4 is perhaps the trickiest I can imagine as the entire object is curved and the texture uniform so a bodge job will be very obvious!

Perhaps this can't easily be done in Xara - I imagine it could be painted in a bitmap package or rendered with a 3d package... or photographed with a reflection in the first place!



Xara file here -> IrregularReflecions.xar

[gwpriester]

How about this?

[Ampa]

If only it were so easy - I'm afraid your reflection is the wrong way up!

Although the angle is correct, the rim of the pot in the reflection MUST be touching the actual rim of the pot (since this is the place where the pot is touching the ground).

Here is a very crude render from Sketchup.



As you can see the reflection is actually quite a different shape to the original as the perspective continues beyond the reflective plane - this is why I fear it might be a very difficult task to achieve in Xara.

[Ampa]

Another (more forgiving) angle on the render...

[guyke]

Here are two methods I use occasionally

[ODdOnLifeItself]

Guy, the method you shared is cool, but still, it doesn't look like the objects are sitting on the surface, they look like they are balanced on the tip. This is what the OP was trying to avoid...

Ampa,

Here are a couple of images (made in Xara & Blender) for reference (using a similar shape)... [Note the fore-shortening in every case]





Since the viewing angle of the object and that of the object through the reflection are different, for many irregular objects it will be virtually impossible to make a "quick" reflection in the normal manner. Only through ray-tracing or photographing the object with reflection, will it be possible, normally.

For basically planar objects, or other objects where you're looking virtually straight-on at the object, the easy method should work... For most other angles, in Xara, you'll have to draw the object and you'll have to draw the reflection.

Hope this helps!

Good luck!

James

[gwpriester]

Well, Ampa, there is one way to get it correct and that is to take the time to draw it. Not everything in life is easy. Nor should it be. If it were we would never learn anything would we?

[Ampa]

@Gary - I agree! It seems to me that it is not a trivial task and that there are only two really good solutions...

1) Model the object to be mirrored in 3D and allow a renderer to do all the maths and create the reflection.

2) Build up the correct reflection using Xara's drawing tools (or possibly by painting it in a bitmap application) based upon artistic talent and real life experience.

I just wanted to check that I wasn't missing a trick!

@James - A nice set of reference renders, thanks. You confirmed what I felt to be true, but used all the right words in the right order! Much clearer than my attempt to explain

[Mike Bailey]

I draw this as 2 cylinder shapes, then flip it on the vertical axis. I sliced up the original object to fill in the spaces.