Materials, Lights and Effects

Materials

In the context of 3D modeling and design, a material is a set of properties that define how the surface of a 3D object interacts with light. These properties determine the appearance of the object when it is rendered, affecting its color, texture, transparency, glossiness, reflectivity, and more. Materials are crucial for adding realism and depth to 3D scenes, as they simulate how real-world surfaces behave under various lighting conditions.

Premade Library

The Material Library offers a swift method for initiating your project with an array of ready-to-use materials. Select the necessary category, incorporate it into your scene, and tailor it according to your requirements. The library encompasses hundreds of exquisite materials, ranging from realistic to stylized.

Applying Materials

The Material Library can be accessed through the Material Asset Browser. To apply a material, first, select an object within your scene. Then, click on the four dots adjacent to the "Material" option to open the library. Subsequently, click on your chosen material to apply it to the selected object. It is important to note that a Super subscription is necessary to unlock the complete library of premade materials, offering an extensive range of options for enhancing your project.

Customize Materials: Each premade materials is fully customizable, click on the settings icon next to the material to see its layer.

Layering and Saving Materials: Add new materials by clicking the + sign. Experiment with the layering order for different effects. Save your custom materials for future use by clicking the four dots icon next to the material name.

Home Base Materials

We will utilize premade materials from the Spline library for our 3D base.

• Base layer: use Glass Noise 01 from the Transparent category . For the
• Base Border layer, use Metal Color & Shiny 03 from the Colorful Metal category

Please note that these materials are accessible with a Super subscription. By opening the practice file provided, you will have the opportunity to copy the specified material.

Import House Model

From the assets folder, open the file Official Smart Home House Only.

• Copy the house model and paste it onto your 3D base
• Select both the 'House Base' and 'House' groups, then apply center alignment along the x and z axes
• Adjust the position of the house model by dragging along the y-axis upwards."

Integrating Lighting

Proper lighting is essential for bringing your scene to life. It affects how materials look and adds depth to your environment.

• Make sure that 'House Base' and 'House' are grouped together, then rename this group to 'Smart Home'
• Position this newly named group at 0 on all three axes

• From the toolbar, click on the + icon and select Directional Light and add the following settings

• Add a second Directional Light with the following settings

• The final result should look like this

Free Library

Spline library offers two types of free 3D models: Scenes and Objects.

3D Objects: Designed to accelerate your scene-building process, these objects can be seamlessly integrated into your projects. They offer flexibility for customization, allowing changes to colors, materials, and even geometry.

3D Scenes: These provide inspiration and learning opportunities from fully built environments on Spline. Explore and learn the techniques for achieving specific material styles, animations, lighting, and more.

Exercise your creativity to enrich your 3D scene by adding objects that complement the house. Remember, you have the flexibility to scale these objects, alter their colors, and modify existing elements to create new ones.

Post-Processing

Post-processing introduces global effects to enhance your scene's overall appearance. To activate post-processing effects, begin by deselecting all objects, which reveals the default sidebar on the right. Within the 'Scene' section, locate the 'Effects' panel, where post-processing effects can be enabled. To adjust the settings for each effect, click on the settings icon.

Be mindful that utilizing numerous post-processing effects can affect the performance of your exported scene. It is advisable to apply these effects judiciously and refrain from activating multiple effects simultaneously to maintain optimal performance.

Here, you can notice a subtle effect on the right that significantly impacts the overall look and feel of your scene. Make sure to experiment with the effects!

Conclusion

We have now completed the design of our smart home scene. Next, let's explore states and their application in creating animations.