NO you use the map in the "maps" section of 1 material. The normal map has to go in the "bump" slot, using a "normal bump" which uses the actual normal map. I would use AO as a base to create my Diffuse map painted in Photoshop or whatever :) and apply that in the diffuse slot.
One crit I have for the Human Revolution scene, it seems there might be a little too much noise in the diffuse of your textures, human revolution for memory kept most of its subtle details in the specular channel, with relatively clean diffuse. This made most of the high frequency detail quite subtle.
Have you built the static lighting using Lightmass? Also, I love the style, but I think you are going a bit overboard with the scratches in the Diffuse. Perhaps shifting that detail into the Specular map and making only a subtle change in the Diffuse map would make it seem more true to life.
This is looking good, brother. Tip top so far, in fact. I agree with basing the fur on your diffuse, we pretty much always do that anyway. Usually just a soft sculpt for nice mass then diffuse controlled normal stuff. Anyway, keep banging on it. It's great so far.
Okay Joopson, here's the diffuse/spec for the GP30 so far (still wip). I'd put less emphasis on the diffuse and more into gloss if I had one, but STALKER can't handle that stuff so it's a little engine specific. If you want more, just ask (especially something in particular)
Just go for a bright color on the diffuse and make a nice specular map and use high glossiness values on your shader. That is, assuming you're going "next-gen", with specular and normal maps and such. If you're aiming for old school diffuse only I don't know what to recommend, really. ;T
Sorry I'm too lazy to read the whole thread at the moment. That link Lee3dee posted looks like what you want. Even though no diffuse is showing at this stage, that looks very close to the SF4 screenshot I think. Stop short at that point and see what it looks like with Diffuse.
My Sci-Fi crate project as I've promised. I've modelled and rendered it in 3ds Max 2014, 586 tris low poly model. AO baked on diffuse, normal, glosiness and specular map. 512x512. Diffuse (AO baked) AO Normal Gloss Spec Any critique, tips and help much appreciated :)
Oh ok, I thought it was used like a normal map where you blend it together with the diffuse. So this is just to improve the look of the diffuse texture by blending it it for the extra details... Interesting. You think there'd be a way to just assign it to another material slot and have it auto blend like a normal. Thanks…
man! thats a rad design! I am weary on the diffuse, cause it;'s looking pretty hand painted. Like Borderlands. If thats the design you were going for, you knocked it out of the park, but if you are going for more realistic, I feel like you may need to work on the diffuse a bit more.