Gloss Map and a Gloss Value?

jeremiah_bigley

So this is more or less my first time working with a gloss map...
If I have a solid white (value of 1) in the map it should be the tightest it can go correct? So why would I need a value that still dictates the gloss level?

I can take the same gloss map and pull the gloss level way down and get a very wide effect. Why would you want this instead of just using a darker value in the gloss map?

I have become confused now as where the happy medium is.
So are all gloss levels relative? Is there a gloss value I should try to stick to when working with a map?

Thanks in advance guys

passerby

what engine are you making the glass map for?

in most a value of 1 is still a very wide highlight, and it gets tighter as you can onto higher values like 80 would be a very tight highlight.

because you cant represent values like that with a image that can only give you 0 to 1, there is usually a multiplier on it, in in UDK a lot of people hook in to values to a lerp and use the map as the lerps alpha.

jeremiah_bigley

Working in either Marmoset or 3point atm.

I guess I am just used to Max? You plug a gloss map into the glossiness slot and it controls the tightness of the highlight to as tight as you would need it. The value becomes useless as the map overrides it.

In Marmoset the specular sharpness has a range from 0 to 256 which is the same as a single 8 bit color channel. Which also is a 0 to 1 value... So why would you need to have your map at a white and then also be able to set it in Marmoset to 256 which btw creates a freakishly intense gloss level.

jeremiah_bigley

So is what you are telling me...

...that they are relative?

If I have marmosets "multiplier" set to let's say 50... and that is what I am making my gloss map to... then that gloss map may not translate very well to another engine. It could potentially be a lot brighter overall because I am painting it to a low gloss value/multiplier.

passerby

you can genrally set similar multipliers, i use xoliul shader in maya and set it up with a lerp in udk and can get similar reuslts between the 2 with the same map.

also my experience is from xoliul shader and UDK never tried it with other viewport shaders or toolbag.

jeremiah_bigley

I guess what I was getting at was is there a certain value/multiplier to use? or does it even matter?

Marmoset defaults to 10
3point to 25

passerby

jeremiah_bigley wrote: »

I guess what I was getting at was is there a certain value/multiplier to use? or does it even matter?

Marmoset defaults to 10
3point to 25

wouldnt that be a case per case thing raise it higher if you need a tighter highlight lower if you want a wider highlight.

it's more or less controlling how intense the map is.

jeremiah_bigley

I feel like I needed a picture...

Which is right?

r_fletch_r

The sliders are setting the maximum potential value of each attribute. this is then modulated by the spec/gloss map. I set the spec to 1 and the sharpness to 256 and rely on my maps to control the values.

jeremiah_bigley

Awesome! Thank you! I had also work with a specular set to 1... don't know why I had it messed with there.
>.>
<.<
But that was pretty much what I was looking for. I was even starting to stumble across it myself. Because I noticed in Marmoset it also controls the reflection blurriness. At a gloss of 1 and gloss value of 256 you get the sharpest reflections marmoset can get. If you don't have the value set at 256 you will never get solid reflections (or as solid reflections as marmoset can get). So you almost need it set at 256.

This is probably not the case in 3point shader as you can control the glossiness reflection blur off of its own slider. So not realistic really... but more artistic control? Because in the real world you can't have a blurry reflection and a sharp highlight from a light source.

Thanks you for the input guys.