Displacement maps in maya ??? help????

[leigh]

Please post software specific questions in the appropriate apps forum - we have Maya forums for this type of thing.
I'm moving this thread but please remember to post here next time.
Thanks.

[Stormy151]

I'm just a student, but here's what I know:

A displacement map is similar to a bump map, but a displacement map actually deforms the geometry, while a bump basically "fakes" it at render time. You can use a bump and a displacement map at the same time. I believe there is a tute on Alias' website with a brick wall that covers this.

You can actually convert a displacement to geometry in the Modify> Convert menu.

You have to create a displacement node in the Hypershade and link it to a material. Then you map a file to the displacement like you would a file texture. The displacement works off of gray values in the mapped file, 50% is no displacement. 0% (white) is max raised, 100% (black) is max pushed in (max is whatever the displacement value setting is, like the bump value when you do a bump map). You position it the same as a texture map. You won't actually see the displacement until you render (unless you convert to geometry) so what I do is use the displacement map file as the color map in the material also, so I can see where it is as I'm positioning it, moving UV's whatever- then at the end I go in and break that connection.

Displacements eat up a lot of CPU cycles at render (especially using Maya's default renderer), so use them wisely.

[Slimz]

so do i make the displacement map in lets say photoshop just like a bumpmap ?

how do i add the displacement node in hypershade ?
or do i do the same :-
select material attributes>go to color>click the checker box ?

is there a displacement option in there ?

[tuna]

is there a displacement option in there ?

Sure, in the attribute editor bring up the shader you wish to add displacement too, then click the ঄> button (to the left of the 'presets' button) then click the checkered box next to the 'displacement' section (or mmb drag a material into the box).

[Slimz]

hey ...
i did as you said but i applied the displacement map to a lambert shader but it did not apply to the object ....
sorry to ask so much questions but i am pretty new to this applying maps ,etc ....

so if someone can explain exactly what steps to do ..

also do i have to apply somethign like a bump ( the black and white alternative ) ?

thanks
Slimz

[misterdi]

displacement shader node will be applied to ShadingGroup (SG) instead to material node.

Either you drag MMB texture to material node and choose displacement map, or create a displacement shader and open the SG Attr Editor and drag n drop the displacement shader to displacement mat slot.

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