Adding shadows and reflection to 3D plot

Question

I would like to make the surface of my 3D plot have reflection and shadows, like in this plot:

(from here).

Is there any way to do this with Mathematica? If not, what software can make plots like these?

Answer 1

Here is an example based on the answer alluded to in my above comment. I will create some fake data of Gaussian's for illustration purpose and apply Textures, Specularity, and Point Lighting.

f[x_, y_] := E^(-x^2 - y^2)
Plot3D[1.5 f[x, y] + f[x + 2, y + 2] + f[x - 2, y - 2] + 
  1/2 (f[x + 2, y - 2] + f[x - 2, y + 2]), {x, -4, 4}, {y, -4, 4}, 
 Mesh -> 10, ImageSize -> 400, Ticks -> None, PlotRange -> All, 
 TextureCoordinateFunction -> ({#3, #3} &), 
 PlotStyle -> 
  Directive[Specularity[White, 50], 
   FaceForm[Texture[ColorData["SouthwestColors", "Image"]]]], 
 Axes -> False, Lighting -> {{"Point", White, {4, 0, 8}}}, 
 MeshFunctions -> {#3 &}, PlotPoints -> 50, Boxed -> False, 
 ViewPoint -> Top, PerformanceGoal -> "Quality"]

To investigate directional lighting we can borrow and adapt the code from the Wolfram U course Advanced 3D Graphics in the Wolfram Language to create a nice dynamic visualization.

Manipulate[
 With[{pt = 
    6 {Cos[θ] Cos[ρ], Sin[θ] Cos[ρ], 
      Sin[ρ]}, center = {0, 0, 0}},
  Show[
   Plot3D[
    1.5 f[x, y] + f[x + 2, y + 2] + f[x - 2, y - 2] + 
     1/2 (f[x + 2, y - 2] + f[x - 2, y + 2]), {x, -4, 4}, {y, -4, 4}, 
    Mesh -> 10, ImageSize -> 400, Ticks -> None, PlotRange -> All, 
    TextureCoordinateFunction -> ({#3, #3} &), 
    PlotStyle -> 
     Directive[Specularity[White, 50], 
      FaceForm[Texture[ColorData["SouthwestColors", "Image"]]]], 
    Axes -> False, Lighting -> {{"Directional", color, {pt, center}}},
     MeshFunctions -> {#3 &}, PlotPoints -> 50, Boxed -> False],
   Graphics3D[{
     Specularity[White, 50],
     Dynamic[
      If[show, {color, 
        Style[Cylinder[{pt, 1.05 pt}, .5], 
         Lighting -> "Neutral"]}, {}]],
     Opacity[.1], Sphere[center, 6]}, 
    Lighting -> {{"Directional", color, {pt, center}}}],

   dirplane,

   Graphics3D[
    Dynamic[If[
      show, {Gray, Dashed, 
       Line[N@Table[

          6 {Cos[t] Cos[ρ], Sin[t] Cos[ρ], Sin[ρ]}, {t,
            0, 2 π, (2 π)/50}]]}, {}]]],

   Graphics3D[
    Dynamic[If[
      show, {Gray, Dashed, 
       Line[N@Table[
          6 {Cos[θ] Cos[s], Sin[θ] Cos[s], Sin[s]}, {s, 
           0, Pi}, {s, 0, 2 π, (2 π)/50}]]}, {}]]],

   PlotRange -> {{-6, 6}, {-6, 6}, {.5, 6}}, PlotRangePadding -> .5, 
   Boxed -> False,
   ViewAngle -> .283, ViewCenter -> {{.5, .5, .5}, {.5, .6}}
   ]
  ],
 {color, LightBlue},
 Delimiter,
 "Direction",
 {{θ, 0}, 0, 2 π}, {{ρ, π/4}, 0, π},
 Delimiter,
 {{show, True, "show light"}, {False, True}}, ControlPlacement -> Left,
 Initialization :> {
   Clear[dirplane];
   dirplane =
    ParametricPlot3D[{x, y, 0}, {x, -4, 4}, {y, -4, 4}, Mesh -> None, 
     BoundaryStyle -> Gray, PerformanceGoal -> "Quality"]
   }]

Attempt at a Banded Custom Color Map

The sample image provided in the OP has a color map that as far as I can tell is not in the ColorData collection. The colors in the image seem to go from Purple->Green->Yellow similar to the perceptually uniform Viridis color map. The following workflow shows how to create a custom ColorData["xxxx","Image"] function using a color map you like from the web and create a banding effect by brightening the colors. By using MeshShading, one can alternate between bright and normal colors creating a banding effect.

(* Create Viridis ColorFunction *)
img = ImageCrop@
   Import["http://makie.juliaplots.org/stable/assets/viridis.png"];
dims = ImageDimensions[img];
colorrgb1 = {ImageData[img][[IntegerPart@(dims[[2]]/2), All]]};
(* Brighten Slightly *)
colorrgb2 = 1.1*{ImageData[img][[IntegerPart@(dims[[2]]/2), All]]};
(* Look at InputForm of ColorData["SouthwestColors","Image"]*)
cmfn = Graphics[{Raster[#, {{0, 0}, {1, 1}}]}, 
     {ImageSize -> 250, ContentSelectable -> False, 
     AspectRatio -> 1/8, 
       PlotRange -> {{0, 1}, {0, 1}}}] &;
(* Create ColorData suitable for textures *)
cmimg1 = cmfn@colorrgb1;
cmimg2 = cmfn@colorrgb2;
(* Create Test Function *)
f[x_, y_] := E^(-x^2 - y^2)
fs[x_, y_] := (6 f[x, y] + 4 (f[x + 2, y + 2] + f[x - 2, y - 2]) + 
    9 (f[x + 2, y - 2] + f[x - 2, y + 2]))/9
(* Alternating FaceForms for Mesh *)
ff1 = FaceForm[Texture[cmimg1]];
ff2 = FaceForm[Texture[cmimg2]];
(* Plot the function *)
ParametricPlot3D[{x, y, fs[x, y]}, {x, -4, 4}, {y, -4, 4}, Mesh -> 25,
  ImageSize -> 400, Ticks -> None, PlotRange -> All, 
 TextureCoordinateFunction -> ({#3, #3} &), Axes -> False, 
 Lighting -> {{"Directional", White, {{10, 5, 10}, {0, 0, 0}}}}, 
 MeshFunctions -> {#3 &}, PlotPoints -> 75, Boxed -> False, 
 ViewPoint -> Top, PerformanceGoal -> "Quality", 
 MeshShading -> {Directive[Specularity[White, 80], ff2], 
   Directive[Specularity[White, 80], ff1]}]

Update Using Custom Color Maps Following @JM's Advice

This Thread contains a number of custom color maps including those of the Vidiris family. Here is a workflow using color map that goes Red->Blue->Green->Yellow that appears to match the colors better.

(* Create Viridis ColorFunction *)
ClearAll[MPLColorMap]
<< "http://pastebin.com/raw/pFsb4ZBS";
colorrgb1 = {MPLColorMap["EricsRdBuGnYl2"] /@ Subdivide[1, 50]} /. 
   RGBColor[x__] :> List[x];
(* Darken Slightly *)
colorrgb2 = 0.85*colorrgb1;
(* Look at InputForm of ColorData["SouthwestColors","Image"]*)
cmfn = Graphics[{Raster[#, {{0, 0}, {1, 1}}]}, 
     {ImageSize -> 250, ContentSelectable -> False, 
     AspectRatio -> 1/8, 
       PlotRange -> {{0, 1}, {0, 1}}}] &;
(* Create ColorData suitable for textures *)
cmimg1 = cmfn@colorrgb1;
cmimg2 = cmfn@colorrgb2;
(* Create Test Function *)
f[x_, y_] := E^(-x^2 - y^2)
fs[x_, y_] := (6 f[x, y] + 4 (f[x + 2, y + 2] + f[x - 2, y - 2]) + 
    9 (f[x + 2, y - 2] + f[x - 2, y + 2]))/9
(* Alternating FaceForms for Mesh *)
ff1 = FaceForm[Texture[cmimg1]];
ff2 = FaceForm[Texture[cmimg2]];
(* Plot the function *)
ParametricPlot3D[{x, y, fs[x, y]}, {x, -4, 4}, {y, -4, 4}, Mesh -> 25,
  ImageSize -> 400, Ticks -> None, PlotRange -> All, 
 TextureCoordinateFunction -> ({#3, #3} &), Axes -> False, 
 Lighting -> {{"Directional", White, {{10, 5, 20}, {0, 0, 0}}}}, 
 MeshFunctions -> {#3 &}, PlotPoints -> 75, Boxed -> False, 
 ViewPoint -> Top, PerformanceGoal -> "Quality", 
 MeshShading -> {Directive[Specularity[White, 80], ff2], 
   Directive[Specularity[White, 80], ff1]}]