This project is an exploration of making a procedural shader in Arnold/Maya. I wanted to first create a convincing shader for a rugby ball, then find a procedural way to make it look older, dirtier, and generally more worn out. The motivation for a piece like this is understanding how I might create a single shader that can be used to make a collection of objects without looking exactly the same, or that can be easily adjusted based on feedback from an art lead.
I began by studying rugby balls, making a mood board of sorts, and deciding what kind of shader I would make.
The attributes that a user can control for this shader includes choosing between two different design patterns (Gilbert or Rhino), changing the color of the design, and using a slider to determine the agedness. The ability to add mud to the ball is not a fully developed feature.
Rhino pattern aging
Gilbert pattern aging
Here's an example of the rugby ball shader in a more composed environment.
For those who might be interested, I've included a portion of the shading network below. This is the network that creates the aged look of the ball. The complete shader has various attributes that the user can control (also shown below) that are connected to various inputs, like the mix value between two shaders.
Part of the network
