Shimmering Crystal Shader

This is a complex stylized crystal shader. It has 4 different variations. It uses parallax occlusion mapping to create the illusion of an internal translucent structure. This effect is also used to simulate a bright brilliance when facing a light source as well as an animated emissive shimmer. The material, other than the baked normals and curvature highlights, is mapped to the mesh's UV's but scaled and panned according to the mesh's scale and world position respectively. This creates a uniform material scale regardless of the scale of the mesh. It also means the same mesh of the same scale will have different positioning of the texture, allowing for a less repetitive look.
The crystal meshes themselves were sculpted in ZBrush and retopoed in blender. Normals and curvature were baked in substance painter and used within the 4 different variants of the shader. The 4 crystal materials were created in substance designer.

Closeup

Closeup

Animation demonstrating the shimmer of the crystal material.

Animation demonstrating the
use of parallax occlusion mapping for creating an internal translucent structure. The effect is also used to simulate a gemstone like brilliance.

The 6 available meshes with default shader selection.

The 6 available meshes with default shader selection.

The 4 shaders variants.

The 4 shaders variants.

Demonstration of how material is scaled based on mesh scale. This maintains a consistent texture scale between meshes. Notice curvature highlights are independent from the rest of the material.

Demonstration of how material is scaled based on mesh scale. This maintains a consistent texture scale between meshes. Notice curvature highlights are independent from the rest of the material.

Video demonstration of how object location is used to pan the texture to reduce repetitiveness.

Lighting Detail

Lighting Detail

Image clearly showing the sculpted normals baked onto the meshes.

Image clearly showing the sculpted normals baked onto the meshes.

Mesh layout.

Mesh layout.