All about Materials and Textures

[ScorpyX]

propose to discuss the theme of textures and materials only here

my question is
- why Specular map have 3 channel?
(and it is not standart rgb \ something different..)



ok red channel looks standard
but that is green and blue channel have?

- Look \ height_map looks like a green channel of spec_map + some blur



its some paint tricks ? :]

- Can I use RGB color specular_map like a Gears of war?



i try this in amnesia material editor but specular transform to white :[

- how i can create height_map? just paint grey color?

[Igroman]

I am also interested to learn about specular map.

[Bek]

- how i can create height_map? just paint grey color?

If it's anything like a normal height map which I'm assuming it is, generally full white will be 1 and black is 0. (Or the otherway around) Any shade of grey affects the height to a different extent. Basically white is the heightest it can go and black is the lowest.

You'd paint the heightmap yourself most of the time, using the UV's if it is for a 3d model.

[Argoon]

The best texturing Tutorials that i know:

http://features.cgsociety.org/story_cust...678&page=1

http://www.game-artist.net/forums/spotli...nting.html

About the specular map, it is the map that tells the engine how shiny a surface is, it is needed to make wood look like wood and metal look like metal, the specular map don't need to be gray scale it can have color on it, for example you can give a tint of blue to a metal specular map to give the highlights a blue look, the rule of thumb of a spec map is that more brighter is the spec map more shiny is the material, so the flesh thing on Amnesia use a bright spec map to give it that wet and fleshy look.

[Thomas]

The specular map handles the specular intensity and power for each pixel. The intensity uses the R channel and the power in the G channel, the B channel is not used and shall be black. Intensity sets the amount of specularity applied to a pixel, the higher value of the channel, the higher intensity. Power sets the sharpness of the specular highlight, a low value give a dull and diffuse look, while a high value give a shiny look.

[Thomas]

Added a tutorial with more info on wiki:

http://hpl2.frictionalgames.com/tutorial...loutsource

[ScorpyX]

Thank you very much, Thomas =]