-= Gametoast.com =-

I might be coaxed into testing this.

Marth8880 wrote: [...]
- Smart use of Battlefront II's material system (normal maps aren't hard to generate thanks to tools like GIMP's normalmap plugin [ https://code.google.com/p/gimp-normalmap/ ] and a nifty little app called CrazyBump [ http://www.crazybump.com/ ]; also environment maps are nice to see every now and then; and I've found that models are shaded better when their materials' ambient color is set to 0,0,0)
[...]

Special thanks to marth for this post.
Marth8880 + Nvidia = I had some problems with nedarbs after i changed some little things and so i went back to the ripped once to get the mod working again. But i'm sure that nedarbs will look that great, too. (pictures will follow)


That means for you: later release date. Sorry, but i think that pays off.


Just one question. I don't want to make normal maps for all models i have in my msh folder. What would you like to get?

rep units
cis units
weapons
space ships
fpms
local sides (clones)

rep and cis units will be done. But i'm not sure about the others.

Looks good, but I the normal map is a little too strong. I'd suggest toning it down some.

Normal maps would probably be best on the player units. Local sides don't really matter since you don't see them up close. I think FPMs would look a bit overdone with a normal but play with it.

All playable units are a must, particularly for those of us that predominantly play third person.

Marth8880 wrote:Looks good, but I the normal map is a little too strong. I'd suggest toning it down some.

already did that.

what do you think about that: Or would you prefere without specular:

The one without specular looks good, especially that second screenshot.




The one with specular on the other hand.

Out of consideration for your eyes I renounce Specular XD

I don't like that bright shiny from the backpack. The specular map is near complete black. Is there a way to lower the effect maybe with an tga.option?? Just the way it is done with bumpscale. Maybe specularscale or something like that??

Unfortunately, SWBF2 can't handle both bump + specular very well.

When it's specular on its own (without bumpmapping), you can fine tune it using the alpha channel (if you ever play Mass Effect Unification, take a look at the specular work I did on the Alliance soldiers).

But when applied to something with bumpmapping, you lose the ability to change it with the alpha channel. Don't ask me why this is, I don't know.

I believe it can be changed via editing material values, but I don't work in Softimage so I can't tell you what to do about that.

If you are doing bump + specular I'm pretty sure you need to have matching alpha channels on both the bump map and on the diffuse texture.

In Softimage, you'd change the Specular color to a darker color (maybe 0.8, 0.8, 0.8) and lower the Specular Decay from the default value of 50 to maybe around 7.

ZoomV wrote:If you are doing bump + specular I'm pretty sure you need to have matching alpha channels on both the bump map and on the diffuse texture.

ZoomV is right. You can control the shininess of bumpmap + specular, it's just that you need the alpha channel in both the diffuse and bump texture.

I can't overstate how huge this is for me.

Apparently D.U.C.K. said this, but I overlooked it despite having read through it multiple times because I already had preconceptions about bump + specular.

Thank you. I'll try it.

==EDIT==

nope. the diffuse is only for the light setting middle. Because with light setting = middle there is no bump, so the specular takes the alpha from the diffuse map.
who wants to buy a photoshop license for me??

Anakin wrote:nope. the diffuse is only for the light setting middle. Because with light setting = middle there is no bump, so the specular takes the alpha from the diffuse map.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. The alpha channel in the diffuse only becomes in effect in medium light settings? Well even if that's the case, that's irrelevant. You should always try and make your art look as good as possible across all detail settings.

Have you specifically removed the alpha channel from the diffuse and tested it with the alpha in the bumpmap only?

Yes the alpha channel in the diffuse only becomes in effect in medium light settings. My diffuse has no alpha channel. only the rifleman and engineer and it's only for testing. Of cause i'll add the alpha for the diffuse, too. But that's only after i finished my work.

I found a workaround more about it in my modding thread

When the v1.3 public release? I cannot wait!

here are cis pictures with normal/specular map. The textures are not that detailed as the RC textures, so there is not such a big effect.
and here are the first pictures of Nedarb's rc with normal and specular map. I think i need to increase the specular a bit and reduce the normal effect about 50 %
what do you think about it??


==EDIT==

here are some pics with updated normal and specular map

They all look so awesome. Good job on this

Nedarb released a new version of his RCs and he made most of my proposed rectification.
Of cause i improved the textures the way i did it to the old once before. I finished the work on the rifleman and i think it looks much better now. What do you think??

Wow !! Great

I can't see your images Anakin. Anybody else having this issue?