Texture creation workflow

(def46) #1

Howdy

This is a question to the mappers here that create their own textures, assuming you create a texture from scratch, in which way to you make them ?

a) Do you model it first (for the normal map), then “renderbumpFlat” (or use a similar tool) ?

b) Or do you create the diffuse map first ?

In case -a-, do you import the normal map in photoshop and use it on a layer or do you create the diffuse map completely separate ? Or do you use the diffuse map output by renderbumpFlat with the vertex colors as a guide for painting it?

In case -b-, I assume you use the diffuse map as a ‘billboard’ in your 3d package, for modelling the details for the normal map render ?

I have a more technical question that I was unable to get an answer yet:

  • Is there a real use to getting the diffuse map through renderbumpflat, and if so, could someone give me a the header of a actual working .ASE file that will out put the diffuse map with renderbumpflat ? I tried everything, long path, short path, ‘\purgatory\purgatory’, with and without extensions, in the BITMAP tag, in the material name, in the MAP name, to no avail :frowning: (ps: I can get textured models imported in the editor as ASE files, by using the \purgatory path, but I cant get textures with renderbumpflat)

Thanks

(Zanuff) #2

Theres a really good tutorial on this stuff at the doom3world.org forums.

Heres the link.

http://www.doom3world.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=2659

BNA! rules

(def46) #3

I already read all of that, and it doesnt answer my questions :frowning: sigh

PS: and I already asked on d3w, I’m trying my luck here.

(CptnTriscuit) #4

For non-organic, non-rock, base wall type textures, I’ve fallen into pretty efficient system using just photoshop - no modeling at all.

First I’ll make a greyscale (though the doc has to be RGB…) heightmap of the surface, then from that, build my diffuse, specular, and normal maps.

For normal maps, nVidia has a real nice photoshop plug-in for download: http://developer.nvidia.com/object/nv_texture_tools.html

Making the specular map usually just involves tweaking the heightmap with brightness/contrast and cropping out anything you dont want to be specular.

For the diffuse map, I will overlay some simple texture (metal, wood, stone, whatever) over the heightmap, adjust the layer blending, change the color values to what I want, and maybe brighten or darken this or that.

Then just write a little materials script and your all set.

For a simple example:

Here is the initial heightmap, pretty simple.

Then from that, build the normal, specular, and diffuse maps.


Write a .mtr, and then test it in-game:

(Mr_Tickles) #5

Ok, i’m in Uni at the moment, and talking expletives to the screen. I don’t map for D3… yet. But is that seriously the level of graphics you can achieve? (The last screenie ;)) Admittedly it does look a hell of a lot like a wooden venir, solely because of the glossyness/smoothness, but seriously! Wow!

Edit:

Just had to have another look at that pic… and thought, “Can you get a puddle of oil dripping through those metal grates? That would be gorgeous!”

(def46) #6

Yes, and it’s a flat polygon too :stuck_out_tongue: Thats the magic of the Specular and Normal Maps.