Help! how do I render a floor like this?

[pyroluna]

Does anyone know how to render a floor like this? I've been looking all over for good images, tweaking settings, but it just doesn't do it justice... amd a deadline is breathing down my neck :-s

help?

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[andybot]

Can you show what you have so far? I would suggest finding a really good set of materials that includes diffuse, specular, and bump maps. Having high resolution textures will go a long way to getting a realistic look, and then having mapped semi-glossy reflection can get you all the way there.

[valerostudio]

Start here
http://www.arroway-textures.com/catalog
I would look at Wood Floor 40 as a start - Its only 6 Euros, so not bad and the thing is super hi res. Then you will need to add some grunge to the diffuse if you are looking for that worn look. Also, you will need to edit the bump map a little so that it has more imperfections and variation in the boards.

If you are not sure how to go about making your own bump and specular maps, there is a good video here : http://www.aleso3d.com/tutorials/Creating%20Bump%20and%20Specular%20Maps%20in%20Photoshop%20and%203ds%20Max/Creating%20Bump%20and%20Specular%20Maps%20in%20Photoshop%20and%203ds%20Max.mp4

[sirricharic]

Bump and Displacement Maps

Mainly a Displacement Map that looks like the segments of the floor, it works best if it is a black and white image. Then set the displacement to something like .05 then it should come out similar.

[pyroluna]

Thanks for the tips guys.
I couldn't (and can't) post an image of the final result, since there's some secretkeeping of the design involved for now. Perhaps in a few months.
Anyway, the biggest problem in this story was mainly the guy who commissioned it didn't quite know what he wanted and inadvertently took it out on me, telling me every time I had rendered something, that it looked wrong.
Finally we settled for using a really plain, modelled plank, just plain colour and a simple groove.

Thanks for the link Valerostudio, to that arroway thingy. I'm sure it will be useful in a later project I knew the site of course, but I just found out this time around that they have downloadable samples. Quite a handy thing, especially with the people I work with... always changing their minds...

As to the creating of bump maps etcetera; I'm quite adept at that already, but it's a nice video to watch nonetheless. Always a pleasure to see someone working at something they're good at.