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Color to Depth?


ace63
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Hi everyone,

I'm doing my first 'real' steps in Texturing in 3D Coat for a project at university and I

wondered if there is any way to convert the color information of a layer to its depth (normalmap)

like the 'Color to Specular' option.

Even if it's not the best way to create a normal map it is a good starting point and would speed

up the workflow dramatically - so far I had to export my layers to PS and generate my normal map

with nDo or the nVidia plugins there and then walk back to 3DC.

Any chance of an implementation? Pretty please? ;)

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If you mean importing a normal map, yes you can import it on a paint layer like any other, then look in the Blending Mode drop down for that layer, at the bottom is "Normal map". It will display like depth. I can't test at the moment, but I believe if you just go to Texture > Import > Normal Map, it will automatically do that. You can only edit it with the Eraser to flatten it and Shift key to smooth it. You'll need Color mode switched on, not depth. Any additional depth you want will have to be on another layer.

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No I don't mean importing a normal map - that is what I do at the moment.

I'm talking about a function to convert the color information of a paint layer to depth information.

When you are projecting an Image by loading it under 'Materials' and you have switched Depth painting on you are converting the color information

of that projection to depth information.

I want to do the exact same thing with an already existing color layer, basically a function which would be called 'Convert Color to Depth', just

like you can convert the color to specularity.

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When you are projecting an Image by loading it under 'Materials' and you have switched Depth painting on you are converting the color information

of that projection to depth information.

Nope, the only way to get depth from a material is if it has a normal map imported with the material. So I don't think there is any way to do what you want. When I'm making my materials I usually use a program called Pixplant that will create tilable textures for color, normal, and spec, which can be loaded in as a material.

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Ah yes I hadn't had a chance to test that yet, I didn't know it could do depth. Interesting. It would be handy though if you could just click a button and it would convert a full color image to depth, instead of having to pick a channel. I do like that I can send the depth to another layer with Copy Channels though.

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