First off, I DID use the search. Most of what I found was "sorry for bumping etc. etc." So can anyone tell me the potential uses of a bumpmap (e.g transparency)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bumpmapping

I love lmgtfy!

Oh, so like, if the stormtrooper didn't have a bumpmap would he look kind of flat but retain his 3D properties?

He wouldn't look flat, his texture would though. Stock levels have bump mapping all over, you just have to have your lighting settings on high. If you want a great example, look at the RvB units in Rep's Battle Arena.

Frisbeetarian wrote:He wouldn't look flat, his texture would though. Stock levels have bump mapping all over, you just have to have your lighting settings on high. If you want a great example, look at the RvB units in Rep's Battle Arena.

Or just look at battle arena! the whole place is bumpmapped to some extent.

OH! So without bumpmapping they wouldn't have like those uh... what's the word... that uh, combat look to them?

Bumpmapping gives depth to models through their textures without having the details (or "bumps") to be modeled on.

all things in battlearena are bump and specularmapped
wihtout specularmap you can hardly see the bumpmaps effect (see stockmaps)
but sadly the bumpmap becomes both specular and bumpinput which causes all parts that are dark on the bumpmap to be also dark ingame