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Custom Shaders-BumpMaps and general How to...?


themacguy
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I dunno.... I keep hacking away at trying to figure out how to make a "custom shader" from Scratch...

And get some very interesting results---but NOT anything like the finished works shown in the Gallery..

(I'm NOT talking about models... just the texturing of "stuff"...)

Specifically, How do you construct a bump-map and specularity-map, etc... so that a particular image you are using for the MAIN texture image will have a nice, suitably "raised" appearance?

---also, does this sort of bumped texture ACTUALLY change the shape it's applied to, (during the render) so that the mesh-geometry being renders is REALLY displaced "out from the surface"?

NOTHING I've tried has given that effect, or even the "2-D" simulation of that effect... I believe there's something called "Z-displacement" that SOME shaders have, that DOES do this... Such that, if you applied a "pebbly" texture to a smooth sphere, and cranked up the Z-axis displacement, the rendered sphere would have a "bumpy" silhouette, indicating REAL deformation of the mesh...

I've tried working with a 1024 x 1024 TGA image---a matrix of black polka-dots on a white background (and a "negative" version of this, white dots on a BLACK background---and worked with filling the dots in with various colours, to see if/how that would affect the results....

I'm really just bashing around in the dark, I don't know what "technically" I'm SUPPOSED to be doing.... or even if it's "do-able" in 3D-Coat...

Here's a link to my current "shader trial" project---I'm serving it off my webserver, so I don't waste storage here on the Forum...: http://www.ihelpmac.dyndns.org/3dcoatstuff/

--Help yourself... (help ME!!) if there's something "obvious" I'm overlooking, let me know...

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I dunno.... I keep hacking away at trying to figure out how to make a "custom shader" from Scratch...

And get some very interesting results---but NOT anything like the finished works shown in the Gallery..

(I'm NOT talking about models... just the texturing of "stuff"...)

Specifically, How do you construct a bump-map and specularity-map, etc... so that a particular image you are using for the MAIN texture image will have a nice, suitably "raised" appearance?

---also, does this sort of bumped texture ACTUALLY change the shape it's applied to, (during the render) so that the mesh-geometry being renders is REALLY displaced "out from the surface"?

Those shaders aren't really meant to do that. It seems that you are trying to texture your objects by using shaders like you might in a rendering program.

If you want bumps, you either need to model them on, or paint them on in the paint room. If you are not using the paint room, you are really missing out on all the fun.

Bring your object into the paint room, pick a material or a mask or load in your own. make sure the purple sphere is active, and paint on some bumps from your image.

Also try out the fill tool. it's the paint bucket under the snowflake. Make sure you pick something under modulation type, and make sure the purple sphere is active. this will give you all the bumps you can handle.

Tom

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Those shaders aren't really meant to do that. It seems that you are trying to texture your objects by using shaders like you might in a rendering program.

If you want bumps, you either need to model them on, or paint them on in the paint room. If you are not using the paint room, you are really missing out on all the fun.

Bring your object into the paint room, pick a material or a mask or load in your own. make sure the purple sphere is active, and paint on some bumps from your image.

Also try out the fill tool. it's the paint bucket under the snowflake. Make sure you pick something under modulation type, and make sure the purple sphere is active. this will give you all the bumps you can handle.

Tom

Hi Tom...

Thanks for your reply! I'm STILL missing something in the translation.. :-? I create an object ,starting with a primative cube, sphere or whatever. "release" it from the Gizmo by hitting ENTER or RETURN...

Sometimes this works, and sometimes, when I then reselect the released object with the "Pick" tool, it just vanishes---the Gizmo is acting a bit "flaky" for me... even after several "trash everything and Re-Install" tries...

Anyhow. assuming I have an edited block of Voxels, and have selected a Shader (say, shiny Red Plastic for this example) The object DOES show up in the Render Room, but NOT in ANY of Retopo, UV, Sculpt or Paint room...

When I go back to the Voxels room, the edited block of Voxels--my "object" DOES show up there....

So... EXACTLY, COMPLETELY SPELLED OUT, IN GREAT DETAIL....(in words of one syllable, or less!!!... ;-}}} **How** do I get my voxel object to show up in these other rooms... and where do I switch on (????) this purple-sphere..???

And what do I do with it, then?

Thanks for (hopefully...) a much amplified, point-by-point response....

It would be SO nice to have a highly detailed "workflow" video, with detailed audio commentary, SPELLING EVERYTHING OUT....

Step by step by step, using a very simple "object" like a cube, with a few minor edits---and "take through all the steps in the workflow....."

---but I haven't found it yet! :-/

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Your object needs to be a mesh object before you can use it in the paint, sculpt or uv rooms. voxel objects don't work in there. your voxel object will work in the retopo room.

Before you even mess with trying to get your objects into the paint room, Start simple and just start a new scene and use a sample object and learn how to paint on those for now.

Start a new scene, go to microvertex paint and pick an object.

the purple sphere is in the paint room. it lets you paint displacment, the green sphere is for color, the black one is for specular. you can turn them on or off in any combination.

Start off with the paintbrush, pick a color and start playing. try different brush types. try different transparency settings. try all the tools and see what they do.

Tom

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