How to texture a rocky landscape with tilable textures AND overlay custom per-model details?
polycounter lvl 3
I am making a massive rocky mountain scene straight out of the Lord of the Rings movies in ue4 and i want to use a cool texturing technique i learned from a youtube tutorial to give various rock faces a varied look using, lets say 4, different rock textures, parts of each masked out from world space normal map selections. However but i've only done basic prop modelling so i only have a foggy idea of what to do.
The results from the tutorial are excellent and i really want to achieve that kind of detail. I highly recommend watching this tut here if you want to see a killer way to get some great variance in your textures in general. It is just awesome IMO. The author actually doesn't use this technique anymore and prefers substance now, but i like to try this so long as i can use the 4 textures for most of the scene. It a snowy scene, so a lot is going to be covered in snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbxLB5uEOkU
The basic idea i have is to texture the diffuse/spec/normal of each rock texture with masks. So 3 masks for each model at a minimum for cliffs and rocks. Then one custom edge highlight/ao/misc detail diffuse texture for every model overlayed over the tileable textures. I would have about 9 different rocks and 8 different cliff face models. The scene is a hidden mining entrance tightly fitting into and adjacent to large cliffs and rock formations.
My questions so far are:
1. Is this even possible?
2. Is it worth it performance wise to try to make them semi-tileable and not custom maps.
3. How do i deal with texel density using that tutorial with fixed map sizes, but various sized models with custom maps?
4. Can shaders provide unique rock details other than detail texture overlays?
5. Why am i doing this to myself?
Sorry for such totally noob tube questions, but i am so confused.
The results from the tutorial are excellent and i really want to achieve that kind of detail. I highly recommend watching this tut here if you want to see a killer way to get some great variance in your textures in general. It is just awesome IMO. The author actually doesn't use this technique anymore and prefers substance now, but i like to try this so long as i can use the 4 textures for most of the scene. It a snowy scene, so a lot is going to be covered in snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbxLB5uEOkUThe basic idea i have is to texture the diffuse/spec/normal of each rock texture with masks. So 3 masks for each model at a minimum for cliffs and rocks. Then one custom edge highlight/ao/misc detail diffuse texture for every model overlayed over the tileable textures. I would have about 9 different rocks and 8 different cliff face models. The scene is a hidden mining entrance tightly fitting into and adjacent to large cliffs and rock formations.
My questions so far are:
1. Is this even possible?
2. Is it worth it performance wise to try to make them semi-tileable and not custom maps.
3. How do i deal with texel density using that tutorial with fixed map sizes, but various sized models with custom maps?
4. Can shaders provide unique rock details other than detail texture overlays?
5. Why am i doing this to myself?
Sorry for such totally noob tube questions, but i am so confused.