KeyShot Ice Cube Tutorial

Robert Voogt

23 Aug, 2012 01:40 PM

And here the ice cube tutorial.
(http://grabcad.com/questions/how-to-correctly-render-ice-cubes-with-keyshot)

1. Step 1:

   First, we are going to look how it can be done (wrong). Three methods again, and the differences are quite obvious.
   The approach per method is the same as the previous tutorial about the liquid, showing how wrong you can get if you stick with the wrong method.

   The left one has the ice cubes placed in the liquid, but as can be seen it occupies the same space as the liquid.
   The middle one has cut out the ice cubes first, so in the liquid there is space for the ice cubes, after using the split feature and delete feature the original ice cubes were scaled down with a factor of 0,999. This way there is no contact between the ice cubes and the liquid. (same as how the liquid is positioned compared to the glass, see my other tutorial, link above).
   And of course, the third method is the best and surprisingly the fastest.
   

   

2. Step 2:

   And here how the different methods look in keyshot
   

   

3. Step 3:

   Reference for ice cubes.

   Note: these are clear ice cubes, made by cooling boiled water.
   

   

4. Step 4:

   So, how to do this?
   First design an ice cube
   

   

5. Step 5:

   And place the ice cube in the glass by using "move/copy body"

   Make it realistic looking, and try to avoid clipping as much as possible.
   Clipping is when 2 bodies go through each other.
   

   

6. Step 6:

   Because the third method is the right one, we will only focus on this third method.

   Select "surface trim"

   Select the face of the ice cube as trim tool and the liquid top surface as keep selection. I had to do this twice, for I had 2 ice cubes sticking out.

   Note: this step is only necessary if you have ice cubes sticking out of the liquid.
   

   

7. Step 7:

   Now you are ready to go to keyshot and import the model.

   Once in keyshot give every part the material you want (for the liquid and glass that is).

   The ice is a special material and very important to the quality of the final render.

   Please use these setting.

   I used the Gem material because ice is neither glass nor liquid.
   It also gave the opportunity to enter some special values, these values are correct for ice (abbe number and refraction index).
   

   

8. Step 8:

   Now it is time to start rendering.
   I used the settings below, and they are my personal settings. However, one thing is very important. The rays need to be at 13.
   For me, with 14 or more keyshot crashes. If you manage to get more it is great!
   Or if keyshot crashes with 13, try lowering the rays.
   

   

9. Step 9:

   The end result.
   note, the dark sections which in reality are there as well. Further, there is a bit of frosting on the sides of the ice cubes.
   

   

10. Step 10:

    How to make it more frosty,
    Play with the roughness and glossy samples, making them higher.
    

    

11. Step 11:

    This is how it looks when it is more frosted.
    

    

12. Step 12:

    If you want to know what the settings for the liquid are.