Reflect Material Node

Reflect is not an illumination shader in itself - it is a layer that adds reflections (and optional refractions) to an existing material. You typically connect it to a Blinn or Cook Torrance to create a truly reflective material.

The reflected environment must come from an environment map (typically a Sphere Map or CubeMap with a 360° HDRI). Objects in the scene do not reflect each other - this is a fundamental limitation of environment mapping compared to ray tracing.

• Effects Library: Tools > 3D > Material > Reflect
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > 3D > Material > Reflect

• Background Material (orange) - base material that Reflect adds reflections to. Typically a Blinn/Cook Torrance/Phong. 2D images are treated as diffuse textures.
• Reflection Color Material - RGB sets the reflection texture (typically an environment map). It can come from a Sphere Map, a CubeMap, or a 2D HDRI.
• Reflection Intensity Material - the Alpha channel multiplies the reflection intensity. Allows per-area variations (some parts more reflective than others).
• Refraction Tint Material - RGB sets the texture used for refraction (when enabled).
• Bump Map Texture - RGB treated as texture-space normals, to add relief that affects the reflections.

Blinn (base color) ──→ Background Material
Sphere Map (HDRI) ──→ Reflection Color
                         ↓
                    Reflect → Shape 3D (MaterialInput)

Reflection Strength Variability

Two modes:

• Constant - uniform intensity whatever the viewing angle. Uses the Constant Strength parameter.
• By Angle - Fresnel-like, intensity varies with the angle. Uses Face On / Glancing / Falloff. More realistic.

Face On Strength

Reflection intensity when the surface faces the camera. Typically low (0.04 in PBR for non-metals, higher for metal).

Glancing Strength

Intensity at grazing angles. Always high (1.0 or close) - this is the basis of Fresnel behavior: at the edges of an object, you see more reflection.

Falloff

Sharpness of the Face On → Glancing transition. Low = smooth transition, high = abrupt change.

Constant Strength

Fixed intensity (in Constant mode).

For transparent materials (glass, water), enable refraction.

Separate RGB Refraction Indices

Enables different refraction indices per RGB channel. Produces a spectral / chromatic effect (prismatic dispersion). Realistic for diamonds and crystals.

Refraction Index

Index of refraction. Distorts the environment texture seen through the object. Values: 1.0 (vacuum), 1.33 (water), 1.5 (glass), 2.4 (diamond).

Refraction Tint

Filter color for transparent surfaces (e.g. the green glass of a bottle).

• Realistic chrome - Cook Torrance (black Diffuse + light gray Specular Color) → Reflect with a high Face On + Glancing 1.0 + an HDRI Sphere Map. A convincing mirror look.
• Tinted glass bottle - transparent Blinn → Reflect with Refraction enabled (IOR 1.5, green Tint). The environment texture appears distorted through the bottle.
• Subtle Fresnel on plastic - standard Blinn → Reflect with Face On 0.04 + Glancing 0.3. Reflections only on the edges, discreet but realistic.
• Crystal / diamond - Separate RGB Refraction Indices on = colorful prismatic dispersion in the reflections.
• Car body - Blinn (base color) + Reflect (subtle environment reflections) = believable car paint with a clearcoat.
• Human eye - Blinn (iris) + Reflect (environment highlight on the cornea) = a lifelike eye.

• Environment map required - without an HDRI connected to Reflection Color, Reflect only outputs black. Use Sphere Map for an equirectangular HDRI or CubeMap for a cubic skybox.
• By Angle mode by default - always more realistic than Constant. It reproduces natural Fresnel.
• Face On = 0.04, Glancing = 1.0 for any non-metal (PBR rule). For metal, raise Face On.
• Limitation: no self-reflection - objects in the scene do not reflect each other. For true reflective ray tracing, you need an external renderer (Blender Cycles, Arnold, etc.).
• Alt+drag to pick the exact input - an interface trick to get a dropdown menu instead of guessing which input is which.
• Stackable Reflect - you can connect a Reflect into a Ward, or a Reflect into another Reflect for layered effects (a clearcoat on top of a base paint, for example).