Handling light refraction through materials in 3D models is primarily done by setting material properties (e.g., refractive index) and using rendering techniques like ray-tracing or physically based rendering (PBR) to simulate light bending between materials.
- **Set refractive index (RI):** RI determines light bend angle. Common values: glass ~1.5, water ~1.33, air ~1.0. Assign RI in material settings to define refraction strength. - **Use rendering techniques:** Ray-tracing traces light paths through materials; PBR leverages real-world physics—both enable accurate refraction simulation. - **Adjust software settings:** In 3D tools, enable refraction in render settings, assign RI to the material, and tweak glossiness/opacity to refine effects (e.g., glass, water).
This process mimics real-world light behavior, creating realistic transparent/translucent material effects in 3D models.