How to Make the Floor in Poser Reflective

This is one example of how the floor can be turned into a reflective surface.

Turning the ground plane or floor in Poser to a reflective surface is a great way to add a little character to your Poser renders. You can use this technique to turn any surface into a mirror making it a really nice special effect that you don't have to go to another software to create. While not a particularly difficult effect to produce you do need to have been using Poser for awhile and know your way around it.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Poser software

Instructions

1. Choose a 3D human figure that you will want reflected on the floor. While you can use any object, many people use this effect for pin-ups, although it can be used for just about any type of render.

2. Add whatever clothing, hair, skin or textures to your 3D human figure.

3. Put your figure in the pose you want him or her to be.

4. Go to the Display drop down menu, and then select "Guides" and "Ground Plane," this will make your floor visible.

5. Go into the Material Room by selecting the tab marked "Material."

6. See a series of small drop down menus in a smaller window. From the Object drop down menu select "Props," and then "Ground." Then make sure Preview is selected in the Material drop down menu. This will bring up the Poser Surface window.

7. Change the Diffuse Color, the Specular color, the Ambient and the Translucence colors to black by clicking on them and using the color window provided.

8. Create a new node by right clicking somewhere there isn't one of the smaller windows. Then select "New Node," "Lighting," "Ray Trace" then "Reflect." Now you need to attach this Reflect window to the Reflection Color on the Poser Surface window. You do this by clicking on the small socket icon next to Reflection Color, move your mouse to the right and you will see a cord coming out, attach that cord to the plug icon on the Reflect window.

9. Change the Background color on the Reflect window to white by clicking on it and using the color window provided. This will ensure that the floor appears as a clear mirror. Also make sure the Reflection color is white.

10. Return to the Pose Room and go to Render drop down menu then select "Render Options." In the Render Options window select "Production," "Firefly Renderer," "Use Displacement Maps," "Raytracing On" and "Smooth Polygons."

11. Render your image and you should now be able to see your figure's reflection in the floor. Now you can save your file.

Tips & Warnings

• If you would like the floor to be another color change the Background color on the Reflect Window by clicking on it and using the color window to change it, and then changing the Transparency Falloff value in the Poser Surface window to .20.

• This effect is only possible in Poser 5 and up.