3D Mechanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A guest tutorial designed by Alex Lindsay demonstrates combining

You may already be familiar with the techniques of rendering separate diffuse, specular, and reflection passes to later mix inside After Effects, or adding some “grunge” to your surfaces to make them more realistic. In this tutorial, master 3D modeler Alex Lindsay of dvGarage takes these concepts to the next level, focusing on details you might not have

ever considered, but which contribute to making a photorealistic image. Not every 3D job you have will require this much planning and thought, but it’s good to at least be aware that these issues exist.