Really Dumb Question about Specular Maps in Maya...

ShreddyM

Ok, I've got a confession to make. In my 4 years using Maya, I still don't know how to plug a spec map in! I always just used a Blinn shader, but I wanna go legit with this.

I have a spec map generated from my amboc bake and some hand-painting. But I just don't know where to plug it in! Can one of y'all help me with that? Once I get it working, it is correct that I can just use a standard Lambert shader & my shiny areas will be shiny if the map is plugged in properly? Also, how do you guys go about generating spec maps yourselves? Much appreciation!

EarthQuake

in a blinn material just plug in your texture into the specular color slot, this will feed the color, and intesity of your spec.

ShreddyM

Wait, all I see when I click on the shader is COLOR, TRANSPARENT COLOR, AMBIENT COLOR, INCANDESCENCE and BUMP MAPPING. You're saying put it in COLOR? Isn't that were my diffuse goes?

Secondly, I assumed that you can apply specular properties from a spec map on a Lambert shader. I thought using a Blinn shader is procedural and considered "cheating"...something that wouldn't plug into a game engine the same way. Can you please pontifamuhcate?

kodde

Specular is actually just faking real life reflections in a really cheap manner. It's not a real phenonmenon to being with. So anything non raytraced-reflections to begin with is "cheating" in my eyes, and not in a bad way. Lots of things are cheating when it comes to computer graphics in any field.

Either way.
There is no specular properties for a Lambert shader model. Use either a blinn or a phong to get properties for specular. Blinn is more metallicish and phong more plasticish. Like EQ said, plug your file-node into your blinn/phong with MMB-drag, select "specularColor". It's found under the "Specular Shading" category in your shader if you look at it in the Attribute Editor.

EarthQuake

ShreddyM wrote: »

Wait, all I see when I click on the shader is COLOR, TRANSPARENT COLOR, AMBIENT COLOR, INCANDESCENCE and BUMP MAPPING. You're saying put it in COLOR? Isn't that were my diffuse goes?

Secondly, I assumed that you can apply specular properties from a spec map on a Lambert shader. I thought using a Blinn shader is procedural and considered "cheating"...something that wouldn't plug into a game engine the same way. Can you please pontifamuhcate?

Blinn/Phong/Lambert are simply shading methods, none of them have much to do with proceedurals. You can probabbly plug in procedurals into any of these materials, all you need to do is select "file" when you click on the input and load your image. There really isnt anything different here than what you would do in a game engine.

ShreddyM

Thanks guys. I'll post my progress of the item that stemmed this topic in a few days. One more thing about specs... save them as 16, 24 or 32 bit?

achillesian

to further this line of questioning, is it possible to setup specular maps in zbrush when using AUVmapping? (the weird pixelly indecipherable uv)

ShreddyM

Got another one. Would you guys use a BLINN or a PHONG for the skin? And as for alpha maps, you can put those into your 32 bit spec map, right?

ShreddyM

Anyhow, here's all the work I was doing in mild relation to some of these topics I've asked about. Still having spec/alpha map issues. Tell me what you think in the Portfolio section. And YES, I know the Baroness looks like she needs to wash the 20w50 out of her hair . I'll fix her later.

http://gamegeist.net/shredart/

CheeseOnToast

ShreddyM wrote: »

Got another one. Would you guys use a BLINN or a PHONG for the skin? And as for alpha maps, you can put those into your 32 bit spec map, right?

If it's not intended for use out of Maya, I'd use a "Phong E" material. It's softer and less plasticky than the standard phong, as not as metallic as a Blinn.

verybad

If it's not intended for use out of Maya, Take advantage of Mental Ray and one of the preset Skin shaders, then just plug in textures for the spec etc where you need 'em.

You can still use that texture outside of Maya however, and the presets will give you a good start for skin ideas.