Procedural Marble Shader
I utilized node-based shaders to procedurally generate cracks and blend shaders together. Using a stucco, an aiStandardSurface, and multiple aiRange nodes, I generated a pattern for the cracks while controlling the contrast, depth, and displacement. I blended all the shaders together using an aiMixShader node, where the procedural cracks served as the blend mask for the gold and marble shaders.
Autodesk Maya, Arnold
Shader Breakdown
Procedural Cracks - I generated realistic cracks on the surfaces of the chess pieces. The process involved creating a stucco node, which serves as the foundation for generating the cracks in the shader. To make the cracks more prominent, an aiRange node was used to adjust the contrast levels, increasing the difference between the cracked and non-cracked areas. A second aiRange node was added to the aiStandardSurface shading group to control the depth of the cracks. By manipulating this node, you could vary the intensity of the displacement to create a more defined cracked surface.
Marble Shader - I employed procedural tactics to create the marble shader. This shader was implemented using an aiStandardSurface node with a combination of albedo and roughness texture maps. Notably, I utilized triplanar nodes to avoid creating UVs on the model, streamlining the process while maintaining high-quality results. Additionally, an aiRange node allowed me to precisely control the roughness, fine-tuning the marble's appearance.
Gold Shader - In order to achieve a realistic gold appearance for the inside of the cracks, I utilized Arnold's aiStandardSurface node and leveraged its gold preset. From there, I adjusted the specular levels to decrease the reflection and create a more dull look.
Blending - Bringing everything together, I blended the three shaders I created using an aiMixShader node. The procedural cracks shader acted as a blend mask, seamlessly blending the gold shader and the marble shader into the final material.