I made a ripple B&W mask with a radial expontent + Generated Band + a couple of panners for variation and then converted the ripple mask into a normal with 'Normals from Height Map' node. I can post up my material at a later date :)
In addition to cropping, you might wanna work on displaying your model so it reads clearly if you want feedback. A top light isn't gonna help much. http://wiki.polycount.com/Model%20Presentation?highlight=%28\bCategoryPortfolio\b%29
I would go with A, but thats me personally. If you go with B, I would just kind of keep to myself. If you get too involved your gonna hate it when something bad happens (from experience). Congratz btw!
Option A: Record action masking alpha and run batch on it through photoshop. Option B: Python or Mel tool, heavily leaning to python as it can interface with photoshop. If you can post what you want, I can take a stab at it.
For ring selection, there's a few ways: a) Select edge, ctrl+rmb snap southwest, snap south. (convert to edge ring, convert to face selection) b) Select a whatever, then shift and double click on a neighbor whatever to get a ring or loop of whatevers.
I think you'll get different responses for that question. I like to put my spec map in the spec color slot. I've also seen spec maps come in both b/w versions and muted color versions as well.
B looks like an AO map... R could be for roughness... G? Not sure. If they use vertex colors and use the separate map, could be a shading detail over the vertex colors from the separate map? I dunno? Maybe specular strength?
This is how the zombie's rise up. Anti-depressants and other stimulants get leaked into a river...then one night a major thunderstorm sweeps through a small town the water rises and that contaminated river floods a nearby cemetery...instant ZOMBIE WAR. B
After reading this thread I have a doubt of switching from maya to max, I thought maya 2009 is buggy enough before reading this thread. I'm in doubt switching now. It's quite true after reading this : http://thnkr.com/b/
From what i know you use a lerp for the spec power. The gloss map goes into the Alpha of the lerp then you make 2 constant nodes plugin the highest spec value in A and the lowest in B. I belive thats how it works.