texturing mini tutorial.

[amade]

So... wait, I thought that displacement mapping is the one that alters the geometry (polygons). Bump/Heightmaps only the lighting? And since normal mapping affect lighting only doesn't it also make it a bump map?

I shouldn't be relying on sources from wikipedia but it's the best I could find for now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heightmap

 

[Sheriff-murder]

A map that makes bumps doesn't make it a bumpmap.

Deja, i was just wondering, comparing a normalmap to a bumpmap.
I have noticed that bump maps seems to make the object look glossy in a way, that the lighting is slightly extruded from the mesh.
Do you think the normal map fixes that? It could just be the games though.

 

[rorschach82]

Specular map mini-mini tutorial

1. copy your diffuse texture, then flatten it, and rename it, preferably with a _spec.dds postfix
2. in photoshop, go to image>adjustments>Brightness/Contrast, and set brightness to +25 and contrast to +50.
3. save the texture, and you're done!

NOTE: only works for metals.

you could also do that for other colored materials. just don't forget to lower the saturation to zero and adjust brightness/contrast.

btw. what texture map size do you use for armors? normal ones seems to fit fine with 1024. but i used larger sizes for more detailed ones.

i also haven't tried uvmapping two or more items into one uvmap. how do you do that?

 

[amade]

A map that makes bumps doesn't make it a bumpmap.

The reasoning behind this escapes my understanding.

rorschach: When you UVmap a model, arrange the islands so that you leave enough space for other models. Export the layout, then when you want to unwrap another model load the UV layout you just exported and you can arrange your new layout so that it shares the same texture sheet.

 

[rorschach82]

A map that makes bumps doesn't make it a bumpmap.

The reasoning behind this escapes my understanding.

rorschach: When you UVmap a model, arrange the islands so that you leave enough space for other models. Export the layout, then when you want to unwrap another model load the UV layout you just exported and you can arrange your new layout so that it shares the same texture sheet.

thanks amade. i'll try to fit a full set armor (including helmet, boots, gloves) set into one texture sheet next time.

btw. which is more efficient? having a large texture sheet for a full armor set? or having multiple (smaller) texture sheets for each
individual item?

i'm still figuring out which is better... one large texture sheet with alot of items? or multiple small texture sheets for each item?

 

[amade]

thanks amade. i'll try to fit a full set armor (including helmet, boots, gloves) set into one texture sheet next time.

btw. which is more efficient? having a large texture sheet for a full armor set? or having multiple (smaller) texture sheets for each
individual item?

i'm still figuring out which is better... one large texture sheet with alot of items? or multiple small texture sheets for each item?

That depends really, reading this thread tells you a bit about texture sizes and memory usage.

I tend to put items of a set or similar shader settings together into one sheet. Usually I just take the lazy way and cram whatever I'm working on into a sheet I've available (usually I give them not much difference in material settings ). The minimum resolution I use is 512x512, and that'll fit one item for decent resolution and usually with some space to spare wasted. When I use 1024x1024 I can fit in 3-5 items, and sometimes I can make one item take up more texture space while still sharing the same sheet with 3 other items than it would if it had its own 512x512 sheet - so I think there's less wastage there.

 

[rorschach82]

thanks amade. i read thru the thread from that link. i guess 2048 will be the max size for textures. i'll experiment to see if i can fit in a full armor set with that.

anyway, my main concern is for example. i used a glove and it's texture map is included in a large texture map along with other items.
i know you'll save alot of resources by piling separate items into a single texture map. however, what happens in-game? will it increase loading times
since the texture for even small items like gloves, boots, scabbards are part of one large map?

would that texture map need to be loaded multiple times for each item? or would it be loaded only once?

ie: 2048 texture map for gloves, 2048 texture map for boots, 2048 texture map for armor, etc..
instead of 512 texture map for gloves, 512 texture map for boots, 1024 texture map for armor, etc..

i'm really concerned 'coz it might affect FPS and loading times..

 

[amade]

I've often wondered about that myself, so someone more graphics savvy will have to answer that. But it looks like they're loaded once during the ini load up (I'm just guessing in the dark).

 

[Septa Scarabae]

A map that makes bumps doesn't make it a bumpmap.

Deja, i was just wondering, comparing a normalmap to a bumpmap.
I have noticed that bump maps seems to make the object look glossy in a way, that the lighting is slightly extruded from the mesh.
Do you think the normal map fixes that? It could just be the games though.

I go out to dinner, and you guys crap up this thread. Shame on you. Bump mapping is a general term, that lumps different types of maps together. I think a lot of the confusion comes from the progression of bump mapping. It's a technique, one that has come to include things such as normal and parallax mapping.

 

[amade]

I don't know what to believe anymore :\

Well, I guess I'll just stick to using specific terms rather than using bump map when referring to anything. At least I'm on firmer ground with there.

 

[Septa Scarabae]

I don't know what to believe anymore :\

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s46SgIBpQ-Q

 

[amade]

 

[Sheriff-murder]

Bump mapping is a general term, that lumps different types of maps together.

People may call everything that makes bumps for bump maps,but there is a specific map called a bumpmap.

I don't know how i can prove it to you other than posting wikipedia links, but i have been using bumps map for a while now. Trust me, they are there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_mapping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_mapping

As you can see, parallax mapping is not a "subcategory" of a bump mapping, but an enhanced version of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
And a normal map uses a 3 points, usually in the form of RGB. A bumpmap uses greyscale.

You are mixing the general term of a bumpmap with the specific term of a bumpmap.

 

[amade]

In this link it refers to normal mapping as a type of bump map.

http://http.developer.nvidia.com/CgTutorial/cg_tutorial_chapter08.html

I'm casting my net wider and asking the folks in CG-centric forums. Probably won't get a straight answer there either, but with any luck a conclusion can be reached.

 

[dejawolf]

regardless, bump map, normal map, displacement map, and parralax map, are all sub-categories of per-pixel lighting.

 

[Septa Scarabae]

People may call everything that makes bumps for bump maps,but there is a specific map called a bumpmap.

I don't know how i can prove it to you other than posting wikipedia links, but i have been using bumps map for a while now. Trust me, they are there.

I know what you're talking about, mate. That was just the original form of bump mapping, which is now obsolete and has been replaced by normal mapping, which is more precise.

 

[Sheriff-murder]

I guess we got an understanding then.

 

[killop5]

Following this tutorial and using Gimp.

I made a trial one, I was just woundering if its any good

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41605107@N05/3923252311/

Also prior to this I had no graphic experence

 

[dejawolf]

dunno, how does it look on your model?

 

[killop5]

't aint finished yet, hehe I'll show you in a sec.