Maps Issue( All in One) :'(

ageless

Hello there guys,

I recently came across a problem, my client asked me to include spec map, shadows and highlights all inside my diffuse map of 1024X1024 for a particular asset and i was a bit perplexed on how to do it.As afar as shadows are concerned i can take it out through my xnormal but what about giving my asset some highlight and specularity??

No normal map no bump maps only 1 diffuse map of 1024 X 1024 containing everything.

As a start i think i can imagine a light source and have a direction of light falling on my asset, so that i can shape up my highlights and specularity.

Would love to hear more on this workflow from you wizards.....

thanks a lot.

DeadlyFreeze

Make your diffuse as your normally would, do a quick spec map just to control the general spec of things and apply it to a standard material(tweak as you see fit).

Set up your lighting so you get shadows/spec that you like and just bake out a complete map with render to texture.

... or just do it in a bunch of different passes (spec/shadow) and combine them in PS.

JamesWild

I've had to work with diffuse-only pipelines recently and the way I've been working is multiple bakes with different settings (a base diffuse, base AO, then with a material that's specular only various spotlights to add static highlights)

If it's for a mobile platform it's quite expected that shaders would be too expensive or totally unavailable.

On the other hand, I don't really understand why it'd have a 1024x1024 texture in that case.

Older engines/mobile platforms might do specular really crudely - just added on top without modulation with a texture.

Guy123

Could always store the spec map in the alpha channel?

ageless

@Guy123 - you are talking something like this

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVMjnb6Rz0"]CE3 Tutorial, Creating Diffuse Alpha specular maps - YouTube[/ame]

@JamesWild - No.It's not for mobile platform.

@Perna - I am not asking the client because to put it bluntly, it will make me look bad....:P

Also i posted this here cuz i wanted to learn more on this technique as i have not used this workflow.

@deadlyFreeze - That was quite helpful.Though i am currently using maya and i think render to texture equivalent in maya is "Transfer maps" so will do R&D on that...hope to get some result soon.

Cheers mate.Thanks again.

Justin Meisse

For diffuse only stuff I model the low poly and paint the texture in photoshop - modeling a high poly and doing bakes seems like a lot of trouble to go through. I'm typically expected to turn around a character in 4 days.

It's always a good idea to ask for an explanation immediately if you don't understand something - it only looks bad when you wait.

ageless

@Justin_Meisse - hello there!!

can you tell me how do you handle your specularity map within diffuse??

How do you include shadows and highlight within your diffuse??

do you hand paint everything??

Please excuse my nooby questions as i am quite new to this - "Include everything in diffuse map stuff"....

Justin Meisse

well, there's the issue, does the client want you to paint specular into the texture itself or include a specular map in your diffuse? You can put a black & white specular map into your alpha channel, for instance.

when you are painting textures with light information into it, it's the same as illustration or concept art. Here is everything you need to know about painting in photoshop: PSG Art Tutorial