Problem with bump, specular etc.

Hi everyone, any idea how to create proper bump, specular, multiply or add textures? This is an example what I get if I use this kind of textures... Looks really bad, doesn't it?
I save pictures as .dds, checked DTX 1, 3, 5, mipmaps, probably all posibilities...
Does not mater what is on the image, even blank - any color
I'm using DDS Converter 2. My Photoshop CS2 does not want to use dds plugin.
Textures like these work fine for roads only, not for terrain. Please help, I'm getting crazy of trying in the darkness :)
 

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Thank you Eric, you've made me to check what was wrong with my Photoshop - I had never specified the plugins folder there, so NVidia DDS plugin didn't work (how stupid I was!). Now I have this plugin switched on, read your tutorial (thanks #2)...

... the same thing as in the topic...

I will go back to the problem later, now I need to finish my track (license valid probably till tonight ;) - fortunately I'm not planning to use such textures in there.
Best regards, Marcin
 
I've found a solution - I had Height Source (in Normal Map Filter) checked to alpha channel, looks like it has to be "average rgb" or something else form "alternate conversions". I'm speaking of NVidia DDS plugin for Photoshop. DDS Converter probably looks for alpha... So, It's fine now :)
I have Eric's Tutorial in memory, but what about Multiply and Add textures? I just take them from Default XPack and they work...

Any clues how to make Multi and Add? And what about scaling? (I looked at the settings for Default's grasses and it tells me nothing ;)

More: I know that bump and specular textures have some effort for performance, but without them roads or terrain are a little blurred, even with MIP maps set to -4. The textures I use are mostly 512x512 for roads and terrain. The blurring effect I see also with bigger diffuse-only materials like roads and terrain...
Thanks!
 
Hi Martinez
I did a bit of experimenting with road textures a while ago & I found this gave pretty good results.

I make my diffuse texture at 2048 x 512, Scale 1 x 1, MIP -4
In BTB it displays as square, not rectangular which is what I wanted. (effectively stretched 4 times along the length of the track).
This way I can get good detail across the track & the detail lost in the forward view is not noticable as it is viewed from a low angle.

Bump texture is at 512 x 512, Scale 8 x 8, MIP -4
This way you don't need a huge bump texture but it spreads over the track with good detail.
Your texture must be seamless.

Spec texture 512 x 512, Scale 1 x 1, MIP -4
The spec doesn't need high detail as it's only showing reflected light.
You could probably get away with less MIP

You can check my track here
http://www.racedepartment.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=2139
to see the results.

I wouldn't do this for grass textures as they are not really the main focus when you are driving.
I pretty much stick with the way BTB grass is set up by default.

More info on Multi & Add here
http://www.racedepartment.com/bobs-track-builder/18156-add-multi-images.html
& here
http://www.racedepartment.com/bobs-...-what-should-multiply-add-images-consist.html

Cheers
 
Thanks Eric, I'll keep it in mind.
Your track looks spectacular, unfortunately I don't have fRactor, since I like rallies better :)
Maybe RBR displays textures in some different way, then for it's purposes I think so large textures could be unnesessarily big? But a diffuse map like 2048x512 could be nice to have more random view without "repeating" visual effect when driving fast.
You've mentioned that BTB thinks of it like square - what about setting "material change" for more than 12 meters (which is default). I will check it later :)
For my track 512x512 textures work fine in RBR. The screenshot does not say all, but this view in very nice at 1440x900 (max resolution for my laptop/NVidia 8600M GT) - road textures don't have much detail in distance, but they are not blurred. For me this looks natural.
The road on the picure is:
- diffuse texture is 512x512, MIP -3 scale 1
- bump map is 512x512, MIP -2, scale 1
- no specular map.
The grass is 512x512, multi and add taken from default grass01 (settings probably the same, don't remember exactly - I'm sure this needs some more work)

IMO 256 textures are too small to get nice and detailed road surface.

Thanks also for the links - very helpful to understand more of multi and add. For rallies I think some good looking distant terrain is also important thing then I think multi/add maps are worth of experiments. This is very sophisticated topic for me and takes much time and many tries to get nice effects... Grass looks much more interesting IMO (still not this one on picture ;)

And there is really much work with terrain shape on my track... I will probably never finish it ;) It's from that W.I.P. Kormoran 2003 (objects are not rendered for testing). Going back to dig in there, thanks!
M.
 

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I agree that 2048 x 512 is probably excessive for a rally track as rally roads are generally more narrow than dedicated race tracks.
Basically you want to use the smallest texture you can get away with.
Sounds like you are on top of it.
Cheers
 
Thanks, I'm just still learning :)
One more - on Specular Color... RGB 220,220,220 is set as default when adding a new Material in XPack and I believe it is a neutral color (the sun or shadow does not have an effect on the object's material in the game). Or, maybe the neutral is 128,128,128?
If I'm not right, please enlighten me.
But what exactly means the other - Emissive color?
 
The specular colour is just the colour that is reflected from your object.
Both 220 & 128 are both neutral in that they are grey & the colour reflected will also be neutral.
ie: not green or blue or red etc..
220 is just lighter than 128.
Go mad & try 0 255 0 & you will see the result.
I have always just left it at the default & altered the GDB file to get the ambient lighting a different colour.
(But of course that is RF & you are an RBR nut.:) )

Emissive is just the colour emitted from the object.
Again try an "out there" colour like 255 0 255 to see the result.
 
I see. I was just wondered if there's any gray color that does not take any reflects from the sun. Thinking of 220 - it ain't. No problem. So, if I need some very accurate sun reflection for the very single object placed at some exact angle, I have to set the specular color experimentally/manually - since the sun power in RBR can not be changed. Thanks!
An RBR nut :D :D :D
 

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