Materials Bazaar (II) update
by Apparatus · 12/07/2008 (7:19 pm) · 6 comments
I spent a few more minutes on the Material Bazaar this weekend. For those still in doubt about the name of this thing, just translate the term bazaar with library. I started with something commonly used around in projects, i.e. metals. This library segment calls for more attention to specular and normal map control. Also, with just one diffuse source a variety of materials can be created to suit more areas of your game by simply adjusting either the specular map, the normal map or the material settings; not to mention the world editor options but those are still simple.
The Bazaar is what you might call an actual library without the walls, the books or, for that matter, the librarian :) An interior floor was created with rows of 20-30 cm tall 'stands' or whatever the term for that kind of thing is in exhibits.
These shots also feature SSAO from UbiqVisuals so don't expect your dts shapes to look the same without SSAO.
Nice specular areas only where the material is scratched up;
The specular color turned red by modifying the material settings;
The best way to see a nice material with specular areas is to either move a light around it or move your camera around it.
That means I'll have to youtube something pretty soon : )
#2
Thats the idea in any case; A LOT of good work here (code in particular) quite often has that unfinished / coder art shade to it and it's a shame. The Bazaar will hopefully address that.
12/07/2008 (8:42 pm)
Err, i knew i shouldnt hurry up w the post; but i was to lazy to set up all the shapes w animation in a script; the ambient animation sequence doesnt seem to work so i dropped that; but i have the sequence and the rotation in there already so... : )Thats the idea in any case; A LOT of good work here (code in particular) quite often has that unfinished / coder art shade to it and it's a shame. The Bazaar will hopefully address that.
#3
12/07/2008 (9:20 pm)
This looks very useful to me... materials are not my strong suit, but I find myself still being the one to set up most of our datablocks. Keep up the good work! 
#4
thanks
12/08/2008 (6:47 am)
Looks great I think i will have to purchase. do you have anymore news on the middle east pack? Will you have a terrain or a FPS starter pack when you release that pack?thanks
#5
12/08/2008 (2:55 pm)
you know i was looking at this, tie this in with the plastic games tweaker, and you can try to do live materials altering. I beleive this was a request from alot of folks, similiar to a showtools for materials. Maybe you could streamline it to be greatly effective as a varient of the Showtools family, the request for a TGEA upgraded version has been asked for. just have a 3 part tab on it. the material library, load a DTS and then a load a DIF.. that would effectively shut down alot of complaints about that valuable mission tool.
#6
the specular map is to bright and the object is way too shiny in contrast with the texture 'story' (decay painted metal)
problem solved with a controlled specular map and added blueish tone to the specular color.
the normal map is reversed; scratches have height instead of depth; commonly seen everywhere nowadays, usage of normal map 'as is';
normal map fixed.
the same base material (left) with custom ambient light set up in editor can give multiple choices; get away with cheaper materials budget; the specular color here is heavily over colored but it does the job it was created for.
the material used on the tank model;
I will also make a video when the library is complete (metals);
12/08/2008 (10:40 pm)
A small update, or how to go really crazy about detailing your materials' settings :)shot 1
the specular map is to bright and the object is way too shiny in contrast with the texture 'story' (decay painted metal)
shot 2
problem solved with a controlled specular map and added blueish tone to the specular color.
shot 3
the normal map is reversed; scratches have height instead of depth; commonly seen everywhere nowadays, usage of normal map 'as is';
shot 4
normal map fixed.
shot 5
the same base material (left) with custom ambient light set up in editor can give multiple choices; get away with cheaper materials budget; the specular color here is heavily over colored but it does the job it was created for.
shot 6
the material used on the tank model;
I will also make a video when the library is complete (metals);
Associate Michael Hall
You could possible create each cube as an item so that it rotates automatically - that way you could see the interaction of the specularity and bumps with the lighting. If the SSAO codendoesn't "shadow" the item class you could make them staticshapes instead and rotate them incrementally in script once they're added to the scene.