Many years ago, when first using DazStudio, there was a need for a relatively decent index of refraction – this is the equation that explains the movement of light through an object. A perfect vacuum being 1.0. This index covers any transparent or transluscent object. At some point, somebody decided that the same should apply to metals, which do not allow light to pass through, but rather reflect it. Each metal reflecting to a different degree. Some clever spark determined the algorithm necessary to measure this, and away they went, measuring everything they could.
What this means for us poor schleps down here at the hobbyist level of rendering is that some extremely intelligent people have done all the work for us. I used to share a list, not a complete list, but comprehensive enough for the majority of things found in Daz or other Poser models. I have now found something much better. A very nice person decided to alphabetise and organise a great many materials into a database.
There are two that I have found which are extremely comprehensive, and cover a great many chemicals, materials and substances.
The first is found at the Filmetrics website Refractive Index Database. Just select the letter that leads the material you want to know, and you should find it in the ensuing list. Then click on it’s name which will take you to a page explaining the material and it’s index – please note that some of the database deals with film that the company produces.
The second, and far simpler database is found at the Pixel and Poly website. Index of Refraction Database. This likewise is organised alphabetically and covers a great many materials, a number of which are commonly used for models that are used in Studio and Poser and other rendering systems.
Hopefully this will provide some assistance to people stumbling across my website who are interested in such things.
