Several more Photoshop actions you may find useful(combine Nmaps, AO and more)

CodeFather

VIDEO:
http://vimeo.com/14119122

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.vertexbee.com/public_files/vBee_Actions.rar

There is a readme file in the .rar archive with all the instructions for installing and using the actions.

Briefly:
*Nmap_Combine and AO_Combine are very useful if you bake your maps separately.

*AO_Enhancer adds to more AO layers on top of the original one (one is the blue channel from the normal map, the other comes from using the Poster Edges filter), making it a bit richer.

Also included are
* Stack Layers 1.3(byColor) which do this http://vimeo.com/13713886
* Stack Layers 1.3(byName)

Note: The actions are tested only on CS2 so far.

CodeFather

3 more actions:


VIDEO:
http://vimeo.com/15031277


"vBee_StackLayer(byColor)" - aligns one layer to another regardless of their position and size. Just color-code the target layer and execute the action.

"vBee_AO Enhancer++" -batch version of the AO Enhancer action ( see here: vimeo.com/​14119122 )

"vBee_ExplodeToLayers" - action that crops, aligns and export similar images(in this case a set of icons) to separate files.

Eric Chadwick

Pretty cool Actions! Thanks for sharing these.

The normalmap combine one... is it adding a dark border around each layer? Or is that just an illustration to make it more obvious?

CodeFather

If you are asking about the image in the first post - it is just to make things more obvious.
I've updated the link in the first post, it now includes all of the actions and several more .jsx scripts that are very useful. (For example there is this "vBee_DocResizeUp.jsx" that cycles through all opened documents and resize them to match the biggest one.And many more)

Anyway, I'm glad you like them. Bear in mind that they are created specifically for my workflow, I hope they can suit yours.
If there is anything that I can add or change to make them better just say it.

Eric Chadwick

I would take that dark border out then, I interpreted it first as a mistake by your tool, like it was doing something funky to the layer mask or something.

Also I think the saying is "bear in mind", as in "bringing something to bear" or "bear with me."

CodeFather

The action in the video actually leaves darker border, because it uses the select color range command found in photoshop to separates the object from its background (that is why they are rendered on black background as shown in the video). I can edit it to use the image alpha instead, but if the alpha is somewhat not perfect (you know, sometimes after baking the alpha has artifacts, either because the raycasting missed some rays or something else).

Sorry about the "Bare/Bear" thing , my English is far away from perfect.
Cheers!

Eric Chadwick

No problem, I hope you don't mind my mentioning it.

Hmm, the dark border thing. Yeah, if there was no padding in the bake, then that should be fixed, but I think as long as you use padding that prevents this from being a problem.

CodeFather

Oh, nevermind that ,it is OK

A more perfect solution is to rework the action so it uses a clean black and white render of the UVs as a base for the layer masks.
Such texture could be easily created using TexTools


Another possible solution is to add a layer style with "inner glow" set to the default normal map color (128, 128, 255) just to hide the 1pixel dark border.
Again as you mentioned , this is suitable only for bakes that got edge padding.

Snight

Great actions! I completely agree with Eric though, the black border should definitely be fixed. Other than that, awesome stuff!

CodeFather

Here are two more scripts:


VIDEO:
http://vimeo.com/15451754

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.vertexbee.com/public_files/vBee_CycleBrush.rar

osman

Good stuff man, cheers!

CodeFather

10x man, glad you like them

snoops3d

Man these look awesome! can't wait to try them out. Thank you!!

snoops3d

Hey so my dumbassery is showing, how do you load the .jsx file for these actions. Sorry this is embarassing I have looked on line and could not find the answer.

CodeFather

Hi, the guys behind "nDo" has created this guide .Fallow steps 1,2,3,4 , this way you will change the paths for the .jsx scripts and my actions will work then. Also make sure to check the readme file I have included in the archive, there are instructions for installing and using the actions.