Orange-Green specularity?

**WALP** · 09-23-2012, 12:54 PM

Hello.
I am trying to learn about specularity mapping but i have run into a problem.
I have been searching the internet but it seems that unlike most games, that use a black and white image for specularity maps, amnesia uses a orange-green image.
So can anyone tell me anything about specularity in amnesia
how it works?why it works like that?links to information?programs for creating the specurality maps?
any information would be good.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx** · 09-23-2012, 04:42 PM

It looks like that because HPL uses combined gloss and specularity maps. So the red channel of the image is used for specular and the green channel is used for gloss. (Or the other way 'round - you can find it in the Wiki) I'm not exactly sure why, but I guess it improves performance. In order to create such a map you simply copy your (black and white) specular and gloss maps into the respective channels of a new file. Its pretty easy to do in Photoshop. Smile

**WALP** · 09-23-2012, 05:25 PM

I seem to have overlooked the topic of gloss maps entirely, thank you for the reply Smile

**crisosphinx** · 09-24-2012, 05:59 PM

I'm actually surprised I haven't noticed the orange-green spec maps in the HPL engine...

Hey Hirnwirbel, if you add a spec map to your character in Maya, does it mess with the spec maps in HPL? I don't think it does, because my model's have ended up looking right in the engine... Gloss in Maya (blinn) is linked to eccentricity, correct? And in Maya (Phong), it's linked to cosine power?

I don't think I've ever messed with them, aside from adjusting their values... (Oh god, I'm a horrible modeler! SOMEONE SHOOT ME)

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx** · 09-24-2012, 06:43 PM

Actually I've only ever linked the diffuse texture in Maya so I don't know...In order to preview my models while I'm texturing I use the Xoliul Shader in 3ds Max not Maya. Materials look pretty messed up in Maya's viewports anyway...

Anyway, it worked fine on export this way...seems like collada only freaks out if there's no texture on the model whatsoever ^^

**Your Computer** · 09-24-2012, 08:06 PM

Unless you export the specular map for the HPL2 engine to use for your model, then adding one in the 3D modeling program shouldn't matter.

**crisosphinx** · 09-24-2012, 08:52 PM

(09-24-2012, 08:06 PM)Your Computer Wrote: Unless you export the specular map for the HPL2 engine to use for your model, then adding one in the 3D modeling program shouldn't matter.

Pardon me for explaining this (if it seems like I'm going over any boundaries).

Hirnwirbel and I found that if you didn't link the model to the the texture in the modeling program, when exporting as a .dae, the model would not recognize any other file attached to it. Thus, if you want a diffuse, spec and normal, load it up in Maya/ Max/ Blender then export.

This is how we found it: models, not only from Hirnwirbel, but the community, too, were not showing up in the HPL2 Engine's Model Editor. If you attached a .mat to it, it would show sometimes. If you place your model + textures in the same folder in the entities folder, it still would not recognize them. Until she linked the textures to the model in Maya, the model showed up invisible.

----

Now, it may not be the same for everyone, but that was a problem we happened to figure out. If I'm wrong, please let me know (I've been trying to find solutions for huge problems in the community, thus far, I think I'm doing a decent job). :]

**Obliviator27** · 09-24-2012, 08:59 PM

(09-24-2012, 08:52 PM)crisosphinx Wrote: Pardon me for explaining this (if it seems like I'm going over any boundaries).

Hirnwirbel and I found that if you didn't link the model to the the texture in the modeling program, when exporting as a .dae, the model would not recognize any other file attached to it. Thus, if you want a diffuse, spec and normal, load it up in Maya/ Max/ Blender then export.

This is how we found it: models, not only from Hirnwirbel, but the community, too, were not showing up in the HPL2 Engine's Model Editor. If you attached a .mat to it, it would show sometimes. If you place your model + textures in the same folder in the entities folder, it still would not recognize them. Until she linked the textures to the model in Maya, the model showed up invisible.

----

Now, it may not be the same for everyone, but that was a problem we happened to figure out. If I'm wrong, please let me know (I've been trying to find solutions for huge problems in the community, thus far, I think I'm doing a decent job). :]

I've never had that issue.

I've found that as long as you link the diffuse in your 3d modelling program, and name your .mat file the same as your diffuse file, HPL will read the .mat with all of the other maps applied(Be it alpha, specular, normals, cubemap, whatever)

My process is to export the model, create the .mat in the material editor, THEN load the mesh up in Modelview or ModelEditor.

So I think you only have to link the diffuse at the very least. But that's what works out fine for me.

**Statyk** · 09-24-2012, 09:14 PM

Is it wrong to use greyscale specular maps if they work how you want them to? Or is it more of a "standard" to do the RG channels?

**crisosphinx** · 09-24-2012, 09:44 PM

(09-24-2012, 08:59 PM)Obliviator27 Wrote:
(09-24-2012, 08:52 PM)crisosphinx Wrote: Pardon me for explaining this (if it seems like I'm going over any boundaries).

Hirnwirbel and I found that if you didn't link the model to the the texture in the modeling program, when exporting as a .dae, the model would not recognize any other file attached to it. Thus, if you want a diffuse, spec and normal, load it up in Maya/ Max/ Blender then export.

This is how we found it: models, not only from Hirnwirbel, but the community, too, were not showing up in the HPL2 Engine's Model Editor. If you attached a .mat to it, it would show sometimes. If you place your model + textures in the same folder in the entities folder, it still would not recognize them. Until she linked the textures to the model in Maya, the model showed up invisible.

----

Now, it may not be the same for everyone, but that was a problem we happened to figure out. If I'm wrong, please let me know (I've been trying to find solutions for huge problems in the community, thus far, I think I'm doing a decent job). :]
I've never had that issue.

I've found that as long as you link the diffuse in your 3d modelling program, and name your .mat file the same as your diffuse file, HPL will read the .mat with all of the other maps applied(Be it alpha, specular, normals, cubemap, whatever)

My process is to export the model, create the .mat in the material editor, THEN load the mesh up in Modelview or ModelEditor.

So I think you only have to link the diffuse at the very least. But that's what works out fine for me.

Hm... That's good information, I've been linking everything up before I export to be on the safe side. Can't hurt, right? :]