Creating maps for parallax/relief shaders?
by Ka Wang Wu · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 11/27/2007 (7:45 am) · 6 replies
I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this in. But it seems to be the only forum where I get replies (yay for Marc).
I'm using the shader found here:
http://www.noolness.com/downloads/nool-shader-pack-1.zip
http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=36211
The supplied bumpmap works well. However when I try to create my own I get a lot of problems. The relief shader borks out completely and I have things going inwards the geometry. I assumed it had to do with sharp edges so I tried blurring the heightmap but it didn't help at all. However it works decently with the supplied bumpmap.
I then tried the parallax shader and it works.. fine but it's barely noticeable and makes everything a lot darker.
This is the texture I've been trying to create a bumpmap for:
[IMG]http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/455/flatwalldd6.th.jpg[/IMG]
I'm using the shader found here:
http://www.noolness.com/downloads/nool-shader-pack-1.zip
http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=36211
The supplied bumpmap works well. However when I try to create my own I get a lot of problems. The relief shader borks out completely and I have things going inwards the geometry. I assumed it had to do with sharp edges so I tried blurring the heightmap but it didn't help at all. However it works decently with the supplied bumpmap.
I then tried the parallax shader and it works.. fine but it's barely noticeable and makes everything a lot darker.
This is the texture I've been trying to create a bumpmap for:
[IMG]http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/455/flatwalldd6.th.jpg[/IMG]
#2
However I got really poor results with it.
But you said the DDS plugin creates normal maps? I basically combined the normal map (RGB) and heightmap (Alpha) into one image in photoshop with the channels and saved as DDS. So I just need to heightmap and save as DDS and it'll create a normal map?
I know there's a normal map filter plugin for photoshop too if that's the one you're refering to.
11/28/2007 (5:37 am)
Oh, well I tried using Crazy Bump http://www.crazybump.com/ to create the height and normal maps.However I got really poor results with it.
But you said the DDS plugin creates normal maps? I basically combined the normal map (RGB) and heightmap (Alpha) into one image in photoshop with the channels and saved as DDS. So I just need to heightmap and save as DDS and it'll create a normal map?
I know there's a normal map filter plugin for photoshop too if that's the one you're refering to.
#3
Its the one that gave the best results so far to me. The other tools I tried normally give poor to plain wrong results from a heightmap.
11/28/2007 (6:40 am)
Yupp thats the plugin I am refering to.Its the one that gave the best results so far to me. The other tools I tried normally give poor to plain wrong results from a heightmap.
#4
Just load up a heightmap. Then use the normal map filter from nvidia and put the heightmap into the alpha channel and save as ARGB dds?
11/28/2007 (7:37 am)
So let me ask you. How do you create your dds files?Just load up a heightmap. Then use the normal map filter from nvidia and put the heightmap into the alpha channel and save as ARGB dds?
#5
11/28/2007 (7:54 am)
Well what I usually do it take and use the DDs plugin to make a normal map in PS and the take that into crazy bump and make a heightmap and save that out and and bring it back into PS. So with both files open select the height map and hit CTRL-A to select all then select the normal map and goto the channels panel and add a new channel "unless there is already and alpha channel, which there shouldn't be" then select that channel and hit CTRL-V now save as a DDS and you will have a normal map with a heightmap in the alpha channel. This has always worked great for me.
#6
11/28/2007 (7:58 am)
Thanks, I'll try that out :) 
Torque 3D Owner Marc Dreamora Schaerer
Gayasoft
The later is far trickier as you can not just click "make normalmap", normally they are generated from high detail and low detail models by using ATI / NVIDIAs tools they offer to generate it from those models. Alternative some use zbrush, 3D brush or Silo 2 to just paint the normal map onto the geometry.
With a texture or heightmap of the wall, a normalmap creation just by a single click might at best work with NVIDIAs DDS - normalmap plugin for photoshop.