How to create a jagged edge (cut) on a metal plate.

[Vizioen]

I'm creating some construction details for a contractor and I'm kind of stuck on creating some finer detail. I have to create a jagged edge on a plate that is glued to a piece of insulation (in some weird shape) and is painted on the other side. I've tried numerous approaches (displacement, scattering and modeling) but all failed miserably. I might be attacking this wrong but it's quite hard. It has to look like it's been cut by a saw and at the same time left some tiny pieces of metal stuck in the insulation. If I model the pieces of metal stuck in the insulation with a plane and then some noise, and I scatter with railclone tiny little boxes to mimic the grooves I don't really get the result I need. Displacement on the edge only via a multisubtex and a face id messes with the side of my panel and doesn't give me the result I need. It's quads and hi poly so it's a good model. Maybe some of you have a better idea? Also I'm not used to studio lighting, this might seem a bit boring, I can't really find any examples of some studio lighting for this kind of subject. I'm using a free studio HDRI I found somewhere.

Here is where I'm at so far (still a lot of work to do)

[dean_dmoo]

I would change the mat id for the top to a metal with the correct kind of bump. And then add some metalsplinters with forestpack. GW had a tutorial how to create an iceblock, technically it has some similarities. Is the "messy" part of the top image (photo) actually metal splinters or is it where the insulation becomes damaged from the cutting? Messing up the edge of the insulation will also have a big impact imo.

[Vizioen]

I would change the mat id for the top to a metal with the correct kind of bump. And then add some metalsplinters with forestpack. GW had a tutorial how to create an iceblock, technically it has some similarities. Is the "messy" part of the top image (photo) actually metal splinters or is it where the insulation becomes damaged from the cutting? Messing up the edge of the insulation will also have a big impact imo.

It's both, metal splinters and damaged insulation. I've handpainted the displacement damage for the insulation. I did exactly what you described at one point but that's what's bothering me. I can't get a good result with a bump/normal on the edge damage; maybe my lighting is too flat to get it looking good. And the results look weird because there's such a difference between the metal edge and the splinters.

This is the hdri I'm using.

[BBB3]

On the metal part, I'd use a fractal noise modifier only in the Z-direction and applied only to the top vertices of your metal model?

[Art48]

I'd paint a quick displacement map for the top, containing the saw lines from cutting and some noise and use that as displacement for only the top.

[Vizioen]

On the metal part, I'd use a fractal noise modifier only in the Z-direction and applied only to the top vertices of your metal model?

I'd paint a quick displacement map for the top, containing the saw lines from cutting and some noise and use that as displacement for only the top.

Thanks for the tips guys. The client started wondering if it had to be so detailed, so for now he abandoned the whole 'dirty' look. Will post an update when it's finished.