Getting an embossed effect with intricate designs on hard surfaces?
I am designing some custom calligraphy in Illustrator, which needs to be embossed on the cap and glass of a bottle in Max. I want it to be a part of the model, which is why I don't want to use a bump map.
So I export the design as a spline, weld some rogue lines and increase the interpolation. However, I can't get the emboss effect quite right since I can't select the edges and then chamfer or bevel them (since the interpolation adds too many segments, and it's not working).
I tried to increase the subdivision and then smooth the result, which produced a less than okay result. Any help is appreciated as I am a newbie. This is an example of what I am trying to achieve:
Replies
Side benefit, you can use the same map to mask other material properties like metalness.
Check the resolution of the printer, see how small a detail can be reproduced before you put too much effort into things that won't be seen.
If the details must be in geometry, then Zbrush or another sculpting app is the way to go, using the design as an alpha.
Usually embossed labels are made using lithography or similar printing techniques, which use 2d vector art, not 3d triangles.
3ds Max is primarily a visualization tool, making pretty images that convey the style. But aren't used to make physical product.
Anyhow, Zbrush is up to the task, look into subdivision and projection methods.
See this: https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/36343/how-to-create-a-realistic-bevel-effect-on-text-in-photoshop
With different settings you could end up with something like this stupid golden text effect...
...but instead of fake ugly reflections you go from X height to 1 height. Play with the ramp settings.
I used to do that when I wanted knurling on my baked normals, or when I was too lazy to make a pattern follow a compound curve, like on this revolver grip.
Granted, here I baked the heightmap from a tileable texture i modeled, but the same could be done in photoshop:
----
Nowadays I'm way into modeling every single detail into the model. It's not for a production workflow though. It's slow, and if you don't love it it's tedious af, but if you want total control of every curve and crave a perfect result, there is no better way of doing it.
Here's a chamber for an OZ9 I'm working on to relax before bedtime, as an example of the amount of work that goes into doing it this way.
It looks pretty complex but it's actually fairly simple:
1. Model out every cutout as if I'm planning a CNC operation. For those rounded squares, I just make a box, chamfer it's edges, then move it as far into my model as I want.
2. Boolean subtract
3. Clean up some stray verts, and insert the faces of the flats inside the cut and the surrounding faces to generate supporting geometry
4. ????
5. Profit.