Cycles is Blenders production level render engine and today we are going to learn how to use many Cycles shaders. We’ll learn about Diffuse, Glossy, Anisotropic, Toon, Subsurface Scattering, Add, Mixer and Glass shaders. We’ll also learn how to import HDRI panoramic background images, create cartoony textures, simulate skin and create beautiful diamonds.

The finished file is here and the cheat sheet follows the video below. This was fun to make 🙂

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Cheat Sheets

Left Light

Location : -2, -1.5, 1.8
Rotation : 180, -65, 25
Scale : .5, .5, 1
Emission Str 5 White

Right Light

Location : 1.8, -.8, 2
Rotation : 180, -53, 166
Scale : .5, .5, .1
Emission Str 8 White

Back Light

Location : 3.2, -3.6, 2.7
Rotation : 180, -65, 135
Scale : .115, .5, .1
Emission Str 14 White

Camera

Location : 2.6, -5.9, 3.7
Rotation : 62.4, -1.2, 26.6
Scale : 1, 1, 1

Left Ball

Location : -1, -1, .5
Rotation : 0
Scale : .5
Color B3B0E7

Right Ball

Location : 0, -.5, .5
Rotation : 0
Scale : .5
Color B3B0E7

I. Basics tut6samp4.blend

	A. Nodes have Input and Output sockets
	
		1. Blue : Represents 3 coordinates like RGB
		
		2. Green : Sockets for shaders
		
		3. Gray : Grayscale input
		
		4. Yellow : Except RGB, Textures and Vertex Colors
		
	B. Diffuse  BSDF Shader
	
		1. A dull texture that looks softer the higher you increase Roughness. 			Roughness 
		
		2. You can use a Normal Map, which can be applied to a surface to alter 			its appearance
		
	C. Glossy BSDF
	
		1. Simulates metal and mirrors
		
		2. Roughness determines light scattering
		
		3. Ashikmin-Shirley is more accurate, while Sharp is best for 0 roughness
		
	D. Setting a World Environment Background
	
		1. Download an HDRI image by searching for hdri on Google image 			search
		
		2. Add image -> World -> Surface -> Click Use Nodes -> Color click dot 			and Environment Texture -> Open your file
		
		3. Mix Shader with Diffuse and Glossy
		
			a. Diffuse + Glossy -> Mix Shader
		
	E. Anisotropic
	
		1. Simulates brushed metal 
		
		2. Anisotrophy changes how light stretches and rotation rotates the 				direction of reflections
		
	F. Toon
	
		1. Produces a cartoony look which is less smoothing between light 				reflections on the surface
		
		2. There is a diffuse and glossy option. The glossy differs from other 			glossy options in that reflections are more stretched
		
		3. Higher sizes smooth reflections
		
		4. Use 1 light to enhance the 2D look
		
		5. Enhance cartooniness
		
			a. Use 1 Small Sun light
			
			b. Turn on World -> Ambient Occlusion Factor .1
			
				i. Ambient Occlusion simulates a global light while enhancing 				shadows in a more stark way
				
			c. Turn off everything except camera under World -> Ray Visibility 
			
			d. 0 out and uncheck everything except shadows in Renderer -> 				Light Paths
		
	G. Subsurface Scattering
	
		1. Light enters the surface and some scatters, while other exits
		
		2. Thick areas absorb more light
		
		3. The Radius options are for changing what percentage of RGB values 			leave the surface. If these values don't match the assigned color you'll get 			a lot of noise.
		
		4. Skin Texture
		
			a. SS / Christen : E73F36 -> Rad .9, 0, 0
			
			b. SS / Christen : E7BF77 -> Rad .5, 0, 0 
			
			c. Mix Shader .5
			
			d. SS / Christen : E7E4D0 -> Rad .5, 0, 0 
			
			e. Mix Shader .5
			
			f. Diffuse : E7CCA1 Rough .1
			
			g. Mix .1
			
			h. Glossy: white Rough .2
			
			i. Mix .1
		
	H. Glass 
	
		1. Simulates Glass and water and it does show reflections
		
		2. IOR 1 Clear
		
		3. Create a diamond
		
			a. Diamond Shape -> User Preferences -> Add-ons -> Search for 				extra objects Mesh -> Saver User Settings
		
			Create 4 Glass Shaders : 100% Reg, Green, Blue and White
			
			Combine above with Add Shader and then Mix Shader. The add 				shader adds properties of all inputs making the final result brighter

		4. IOR Values
		
		Air : 1.000
		Bubble : 1.100
		Liquid methane : 1.150
		Ice : 1.310
		Water : 1.333
		Clear Plastic : 1.400
		Glass : 1.440 - 1.900
		Light glass : 1.450
		Standard glass : 1.520
		Heavy glass : 1.650
		Obsidian : 1.480 - 1.510
		Onyx : 1.486 - 1.658
		Acrylic glass : 1.491
		Benzene : 1.501
		Crown glass : 1.510
		Jasper : 1.540
		Agate : 1.544 - 1.553
		Amethist : 1.544 - 1.553
		Salt : 1.544
		Amber : 1.550
		Quartz : 1.550
		Sugar : 1.560
		Emerald : 1.576 - 1.582
		Flint glass : 1.613
		Topaz : 1.620 - 1.627
		Jade : 1.660 - 1.680
		Saphire : 1.760
		Ruby : 1.760 - 2.419
		Cristal : 1.870
		Diamond : 2.417 - 2.541