Textures
by Ben Immel · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 05/29/2007 (5:22 am) · 8 replies
I've been looking at other peoples works, specifically Ben Mathis', and I came up with a question. When you add a specular map, are the details in the texture, or are they modeled in? Thanks!
About the author
#2
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/3d/tri_severin.jpg
Where you have it lined up and it goes from Smooth Shaded to Normal and Specular, are all the extra details (lines in shirt, etc.) in the texture, or modeled in.
And thanks for the reply!
05/29/2007 (11:47 am)
Yea, Im gonna post a link to an example:http://www.poopinmymouth.com/3d/tri_severin.jpg
Where you have it lined up and it goes from Smooth Shaded to Normal and Specular, are all the extra details (lines in shirt, etc.) in the texture, or modeled in.
And thanks for the reply!
#3
05/30/2007 (2:59 am)
Ah, you confused me with your initial question about specular. The extra details are coming from the normal map. Read up on how normal map works, but in a nutshell they provide fake detail using a shader.
#4
05/30/2007 (1:27 pm)
The only thing I'm still confused about is, is the normal map made from a texture, or do you need a high poly model to make it?
#5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_map
05/30/2007 (1:35 pm)
Normal maps are made specifically for adding detail without all the polys. example: You could have a flat ground that looks bumpy...etc. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_map
#6
05/30/2007 (2:25 pm)
Very very sorry if I still dont get it, but I think I do. I read everything on wiki about normal map and bump mapping, and what I think I got from it is it is a texture is given a height map, which makes the details light diferently depending on the heightmap, which makes the details seem like they were modeled into the mesh? Very sorry if I'm still wrong, but I am trying to figure this out. Thanks a ton!
#7
It sounds like you're getting the idea. Normal maps are special 'textures' that can be built by comparing low poly and high poly versions of the same model (or similar models). The normal map generally aligns to the detail texture map (diffuse) of the low poly model.
A good free normal map generator is nVidia's MeLODy. It crashes from time to time, but it's pretty easy to figure out. If you can get an old version, it will even decimate and triangulate meshes for you. Not bad for free.
Of course normal maps can be crafted by hand in Photoshop, but that's a whole 'nother can o' triangle strips.
:)
05/30/2007 (2:52 pm)
@Ben I.It sounds like you're getting the idea. Normal maps are special 'textures' that can be built by comparing low poly and high poly versions of the same model (or similar models). The normal map generally aligns to the detail texture map (diffuse) of the low poly model.
A good free normal map generator is nVidia's MeLODy. It crashes from time to time, but it's pretty easy to figure out. If you can get an old version, it will even decimate and triangulate meshes for you. Not bad for free.
Of course normal maps can be crafted by hand in Photoshop, but that's a whole 'nother can o' triangle strips.
:)
#8
EDIT: I was checking out a resource and noticed for GIMP, they use a texture to create a heightmap, then use a pluggin to make the normal map. Is that the same as using a High Poly model to make a normal map?
05/30/2007 (3:07 pm)
Ah, so I can go the route of doing it myself by hand or making a high res model. Well, that clears a lot of confusion up for me, thanks guys!EDIT: I was checking out a resource and noticed for GIMP, they use a texture to create a heightmap, then use a pluggin to make the normal map. Is that the same as using a High Poly model to make a normal map?
Torque Owner Ben Mathis