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FPSC Classic Models and Media / Specular Map Creation Tutorial by bond1

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bond1
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 20:28 Edited at: 7th Aug 2010 20:33
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Cosmic Prophet had asked me to make a tutorial on how to make specular maps. So I'm posting it here for the benefit of everyone.

Try and watch it in one of the higher resolution modes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gqp4bNJ52M

You've probably heard me stress how important a specular map is, in my opinion it is MORE important than a normal map. In the video, I go through two different examples of specular maps showing some really cool techniques.

If you really want to make the most of the new normal mapping shaders, you owe it to yourself to check this out - I haven't really seen a specmap tutorial that has documented some of these techniques before. Have fun!

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"bond1 - You see this name, you think dirty."
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Johnski
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 20:29
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Nice

Bond 1 pleases again

Your signature has been erased by a mod please reduce it to 600 x 120.
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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 20:33
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Cool!

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charger bandit
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 21:12
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Most awesome tutorial ever. By the way,could you give us a tutorial how to draw scratches on metal etc. in PS? It would really help a lot of people(me too xD).


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Cyborg ART
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 21:18
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Great!

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Nbt
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 21:22
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That was excellent

I never realised how much a spec map can add to a model. I aint got PS myself, but from watching that video just about everything can be done in me old mate Paint.Net woot woot

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Cosmic Prophet
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 21:52
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WoW! That is just too cool! It's amazing how different it looks with the new spec map. And the footprint effect is awesome! Say, can you post the new map so I can study it? I'd like to get an idea of the gray tone values for a reference.

Then I'm going to start from scratch, and make my own.

Thank you so much brother! This is "really" going to help me, and others, more than you know.

For my friend Heltor!
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bond1
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 22:10 Edited at: 7th Aug 2010 22:12
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Here is the specmap CP. The brightness values you usually have to play with a bit - that's why DarkShader comes in so handy, you can see the changes instantly. I usually play with the brightness and contrast till I reach a nice balance and it doesn't "blow out" the highlights to much. But again, it depends on the surface. If it ends up looking too bright or dark in game, just play with the contrast.

You'll start to notice things in the real world a new way too, just walking around and seeing how light bounces off things. For example, shiny laquered wood usually has a bunch of fingerprints that show up when the light hits it. Would be very cool to simulate with a specmap.

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"bond1 - You see this name, you think dirty."
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DonWON
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 22:15
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Quote: "shiny laquered wood usually has a bunch of fingerprints that show up "


Never thought of hiding detail like that. Thanks for both the tutorial and the ideas. Great work.


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Nomad Soul
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 23:07
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Brilliant tutorial

Really interesting and valuable. Thanks

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defiler
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 23:33
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Great tut Bond, kudos.

Limitless Box studios current project: Lost Contact
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Nbt
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 23:34 Edited at: 7th Aug 2010 23:41
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He he he - I'm just so poop, I can't get any effect to happen using the metro shader as in bond1's tutorial

All I get is evil bloom on overdrive, or no effect at all (as if it just had a D2) no matter what spec_normal.fx I use lol

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michael x
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Posted: 7th Aug 2010 23:36 Edited at: 7th Aug 2010 23:59
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nice. hey bond1 are you planning on make a scifi pack? also how do you get a clear nomal map from the texture map?

more than what meets the eye

Welcome to SciFi Summer
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anayar
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 00:06 Edited at: 8th Aug 2010 00:07
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Thanks a lot Bond1. Helped more than you now it

EDIT: Did you ever consider releasing a collection of tutorials (for a price of course ). Im sure many like myself would buy it.

Cheers,
Anayar


For KeithC
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Roger Wilco
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 03:11
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Excellent tutorial, got me thinking about the whole concept of specular maps in a new way.
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Wraith Staff
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 04:57
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Thanks for the tutorial. This will really come in handy! Btw... Did you happen to catch my email yet?

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henry ham
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 12:59
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thanks for the tutorial mate.

can you tell me how you get the plain background in dark shader ?

ive tryed making my own then saving them as .dds but it crashs the software every time it loads in the image .

cheers henry

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Scope
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 13:56
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Excellent tutorial,thanks Bond1.
Scope.
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mgarand
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 14:08
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An awesome tutorial made by a respected man!

Would love to see a tutorial pack made by you, would definately buy it, because you know where your talking about.

BTW. bond1, i have send you an email with a problem i got, maybe you could help me out (see attached picture). I made the maps needed but i get a weird black overlayed thingy



Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.
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bond1
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 15:19
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Quote: "can you tell me how you get the plain background in dark shader ?"


I made it myself, you have to save it as a cubemap dds file. I've attached it here for download. Unzip and place in the DarkShader/Data/Textures/Cubemaps folder. I like working with a plain background when working with object shaders.

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"bond1 - You see this name, you think dirty."
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mgarand
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 15:34
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Bond1, could you please help me with my problem? (see post above)



Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.
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henry ham
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 16:31
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Quote: "I like working with a plain background when working with object shaders."


me to mate its much easyer to see whats going on .thanks for the help.

cheers henry

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Badger Gamer
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 20:13
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@ Charger Bandit

In PS and Paint.net also GIMP

Work with many layers (semi-transparent)

Build up scratches layer by layer.

use dark gray for oldest (ones filled with dirt and grime)
medium gray for sort of old scratches (dust and dirt)
and light gray for most recent ones (shiny new, no dirt yet)

And... get a wacom bamboo tablet,free software(!) because it makes
the job much less work.

System: Core2 quad 2.66Ghz 8gig DDR2 Nvidia GT 9500 512Mb
3x500Gb raid 1+0 21" wide LCD 1680x1050x32bit
FPSC 9 1.17 Beta 6...er 7,soon to be 8
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starmind 001
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 21:54
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Thanks this helps out!

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Red Eye
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Posted: 8th Aug 2010 22:19
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Great tutorial.

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Pirate Myke
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Posted: 9th Aug 2010 00:29
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Man you rule. Excellent tutorial. Solves all my problems.

Thanks

Nothing but coffee in my veins
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KeithC
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Posted: 9th Aug 2010 17:29
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Awesome tutorial! I've subscribed to your channel for future reference; thanks Bond!

-Keith

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Zwarte Piet
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Posted: 10th Aug 2010 08:43 Edited at: 10th Aug 2010 08:44
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Thank you now I understand. Now I don't have to ask how to fish, you have taught me how to fish.

"I would rather make a bad model, instead of pirate a great one" MY DAD
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Nomad Soul
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Posted: 16th Aug 2010 02:47
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@bond1

Please could you do one of these for creating normal maps also?

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