simplest way to create a normal map is with the PS nvidia filter (download from their site) you just convert a greyscale into a normal map.
i think maybe some nice scale like panels would be nice.
if you want to see whats possible with game art textures etc have a browse through the game art WIP thread.
OK, i am understanding what a normal map is and a bump map ( do people use normal maps instead of bump maps for game models?) and a colour map, but would someone be so kind as to tell me in a little more detail what the following means:
2048x1024 colour , specular and normal maps - (does this mean 3 maps of this rectangular size, or all on the same one?..at what resolution? etc)
2 materials allowed, one with reflection cube map …etc (?)
If anyone would be so kind as to tell me what all this means I would be greatful, then I shall never darken your door with such silly questions again! Everyone has to learn somewhere though…right?
Thanks in advance. I am using Lightwave if that helps!
2048x1024 colour , specular and normal maps - (does this mean 3 maps of this rectangular size, or all on the same one?..at what resolution? etc)
= 1x 2048x1024 colour map
1x 2048x1024 specular map
1x 2048x1024 normal map
2 materials allowed, one with reflection cube map …etc (?)
= you can assign parts of the model (polys or elements) a shiney reflective material utilising a reflection map. then you can assign other parts a material which isnt shiney and reflective (say tyres)
Thanks Shepiero, thats a big help.
So, to get this sorted - I have attached the following colour map I did last night:
Am I right in thinking that through baking them on or whatever techniques necessary I need to get all those surfaces (materials) listed down to just 2? And those surfaces can contain a colour+alpha, specular and normal/bump map picture each of up to 2048x1024 pixels? Si?
Also, if it is possible to bake reflections onto the model what is the need of a speherical/cube relflection map? Is that so that when the model is turned its reflections also change?
Questions questions questions!!
yep your only allowed 3x 2048x1024(col, norm and spec), 1x reflection map, and two materials, how you link the maps into the materials is up to you
OK, question number 2034: As UV textures maps are square - why are the texture maps rectangular (2048x1024)?
I think that’s the total area, as in, you could have 2 1024^2’s, or 1 1024^2 and 4 256^2’s and so on, but don’t quote me on that, I could well be wrong…
If you want to use a texture with an aspect ratio of 2:1 you need to unwrap all, scale all pieces to 50% in width and allign all those pieces into the square (don’t rotate the pieces anymore).
Here is an example:
UVs: 
Texported: 
OK, I am getting somewhere now!! I am understanding the colour and reflection maps and the 2 materials limit - all fab and groovy.
I am not quite done with the questions though and I hate bother you all but at least I won’t have to ask these questions ever again!!
The question is about the alpha channel. This may be different in Lightwave (are there any LWers out there?) but can someone explain the best way of doing this.
My present understanding is that in Photoshop I click in the CHANNELS tab and add an alpha layer. This I fill in with various shades of grey depending on how transparent I ant that area to be. Then I save the document as a .png file and use this as the colour map for my vehicle.
I have had a few tests with this and am getting nowhere fast! Any advice for me on best format to save pics in or how to get the transparency to show up?
Thanks again in advance.
\m/
about the mapping, in next gen games, they use bump, specular, texture, reflection, and normal maps to get the most out of lowpoly models
the size of the maps is because alot of game engines dont understand textures with non-binary dimensions. any size will do as long as each side is a binary figure
Yo!!
Looking good there Mr Vee! Can I make a suggestion on the vehicle design?
I thought that the original design with it’s “organic” look had a bit more going for it… I liked the 20,000 leagues feel - or maybe something like the amphibious vehicle Qui-gon and Obiwan use in Episode I… but I shall shut up about that and comment on your current design…
I think that by the time this vehicle would be ready for production, tyre production would have developed too - so maybe you should replace the big old phat tyre that’s there at the mo for something a little lower in profile… and maybe is some kind of polymer/alloy/rubber amalgamation… like the bird in T3 but with more rubber…
And I don’t belive that the DVLA would allow such a spear to be on the front of any urban vehicle… Imagine the mess during the school run, when in his excitement to get to the paper shop to pick up his Beano comic and a Mr Freeze, Jimmy runs out into the road and you end up with a Jimmy/Mr Freeze Kebab! Nasty!
And er… lose the flames on the wings… This ain’t Margate sea front… The last thing we need is Über-Urban Chavs sticking neons and go-faster stripes on their Supersexyshiny 1.4 Tdi… Let’s keep it Chavless!
Just my tuppence’th
Lets Rock!
TheTon
Well, here it is, the final masterpiece that is the FLYING FISH!
I have seen about all I want to of this little fishy. I has been a learning struggle but I feel much better for having done it and look forward to doing better on the next one. I have posted the pictures of it on the submissions thread which can be found here:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=363238
I hope you like it. I was going to do detail on the cockpit and the little man that actually is sitting inside there believe it or not but my heart is no longer in it. I do actually like the end result and I love the morphing poses o fland, sea and air so maybe I will get some points for originality?
1 Bump, 1 Alpha, 1 Colour - all 1024x1024
plus one spherical hdri map called campus_probe wich can be found here:
http://www.debevec.org/Probes/
ENJOY! And good luck to all you pro’s who will no doubt blow this lil fishy out of the competition water!
See the submission thread for the fancy pics!..well, here is one:
The model is looking good but theres something odd about the reflections…maybe a UV
problem…you might wanna fix that…
-Pdude
Cheers PDUDE, i wouldn’t have a clue where to start with that though!
I have 2 materials, one reflective, one not and the reflective one gets a hdri spherical image with a bit of blur on it uniformly across the untire UV - so I wouldn’t really know what I can change! Have you seen the pics in the submission thread - i think it looks OK - for a first attempt!
I don’t see how odd reflections can be caused by a UVproblem, I think it’s just the intensity of the reflection map which take the detail away and that is what is distracting. For more natural reflections use fresnell reflections. I don’t know they can use this type of reflections in games but for this purpose it will help showing your work a little better.
I think you have a decent model and good texture for a first try. GJ
Cheers for the advice and kind remarks.
I will have to have a little Google to see what you are talking about!
