Creating a cool neon sign
Here I will show you how to model and texture to get a really cool looking neon sign which could be used in a veriety of ways.

 

 

 

 

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1.      First create a yellow teapot. To do that  use max teapot to help you.

 

 

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2.      Draw basic lines like this:

 

 

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3.      Attach white and red line and delete this segment and weld  4 vertex. You should get something like this.

 

 

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4.For all this shapes check Enable in Render, and Enable I Viewport in rendering parameters.

 

 

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5.Using shape create this little hook that will hold all these lights.

 

 

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6. Copy it many times and place them as you wish. This is my example.

 

 

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7.Now create text shape something like this, and of course you can use any font you like.

 

 

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8.Again check Enable in Render and Enable in Viewport and place hooks, and rotate the teapot as you wish.

 

 

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9.If you are going to render close ups, apply shell modifier to all neon lights, because when it is off state final renders will be nicer.

 

 

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10. Now create shape like this, it will present prevent cage for neon lights.

 

 

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11.Apply shell modifier.

 

 

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12.Convert this object to an editable mesh and delete front polygon and again apply shell modifier. You should get something like this below.

 

 

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13.Using same modeling methods from past steps  create the rest of the scene.

 

 

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14.This is the material for teapot white neon off state .For yellow neon just change white diffuse color to yellow.

 

 

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15.These are settings for neon lights on state.

 

 

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16.Go to render, in Global switches uncheck default lights, turn on indirect illumination and set up light cache for secondary  bounces.

 

 

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17. I use Mitchell Netravali antialiasing filter, set up Adaptive subdivision min. rate to -1, and max. to 2.

 

 

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18. In Irradiance map set current state to low to reduce render time, HSph. Subdivisions to 30, and Sample lookup to very good/fast.

 

 

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19.In VRay Environment set skylight to white color and 0.4 multiplier. In reflection  section set multiplier to 1.0 and place some night HDR map that you have.

 

 

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Click render and enjoy.