complete newbie question

[Dusan]

A specular map? What do you mean? That is a term used by 3D applications, but not by Photoshop...

If you simply want to convert your truecolor image to grayscale in PS, use Image > Mode > Grayscale.

[berniebernie]

If you want to take one of the RGB channels, open up you base image, go to the 'channels' tab, right click the channel you want to use, select duplicate (then 'in new document')

convert it to grayscale (and to rgb or whatever you need) and voila.

I don't really get what you want to do though, isn't it a simple as turning a color image into grayscale and tweaking it ?

[Tallacus]

its as simple as that.....okay what about a refelction map....is it just a extremely map....im sorry for putting this here, its just there is no really good books that really cover texturing in detail with photshop,

Thanks again for the help.....I appreciate, you just helped a little brother

[lokki]

I think you'll get better response if you ask questions about how to accomplish a particular effect in Photoshop. What you are asking is how to do something that is not native to PS, and not really in the realm of what 2D artists deal with. The mechanics of creating your maps will depend on the 3D application (some are pretty general) to define the requirements.

Photoshop pretty much has color and transparency channels, while things like bump and reflection are solely in your 3D app... they can be created in PS, but there's nothing that makes them any different than a simple texture or image.

[aldog]

I'm sorry I don't have anything to add. But I'd just like to say that this is so FAR from a noob question. I'm a bit tired, but reading your post I just felt like an idiot, not understanding most of what you said.

[JuddWack]

Most map's for 3D aps are grey scale. The only I can think that aren't are Color and Normal maps.

However, it's not just as easy as converting it to greyscale if you want it to look good. You got to think of what area's you what to shine more and which not. A grey scale of your color map will techniqually work and very well may work visually, but most likely wont.

Hopefully you havn't flattened your color map and have your details painted on different layers. This way you can convert each detail to greyscale individually and adjust brightness, contrast and other levels until you get the desired effect. If you want the area to shine more make it closer to white, if not make it closer to black.

Since this is a 3D related task you can post in the textureing forum if you have similar questions.

[-NG-]

Most texture maps created for 3d in photoshop are grayscaled (or desaturated) images wich the 3d app uses to determine the values of specularity, diffuse, reflection enz enz.

So for example you have a B/W pattern like a checkerboard mapped on a plane for the use of a bump map, the black parts of the map will bump it down and the white parts will bump it up, and every %color thats between b/w will bump it that %. Ussually gray is 0% bump, probarly 128 128 128 color values in rgb model. But mayby different apps work different with that.

Same goes with the other maps, to get certain parts to appear more specular you paint those areas whiter(or you use the dogde/burn tools for it)

If you want detailed and accurate maps i would suggest to work on your painting skills, as ussualy these maps are created in a paintprogram, or with the help of photographs or procedural maps.

Hope this helped a bit. :)

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