totally random texture thread

    Quote from dissonance

    looks very true to the source, i dig does source have 'glow' capabilities?

    yes

    selfillumination has to be set in an alpha channel and works very well like philipk proved often enough

    Quote from dissonance

    excellent.i'll try to figure that one out.

    Just a matter of adding "$selfillum" 1 to the vmt and having the "glow map" in the alpha layer of your vtf.

    is that the source image? if there was stuff on the glass you wouldn't be able to see it this far away... then again there also could be nothing on the glass either.

    Still like the texture though

    Final height product from my first real-world computing experiment (an entirely unique personal invention):

    [Blocked Image: http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9858/handheightvu3.jpg]

    It differs a bit from the other one posted earlier in the way that it contains 428 frames of footage instead of 38. The result is proof I can take any real world object and turn it into 3D (with height and normal information) with one digital camera recording and one click in Photoshop. This can save a great sum of money as the studios producing the same results today do it with terribly expensive and complex equipment. A patent application is in the works

    Quote from TeddyBear

    Final height product from my first real-world computing experiment (an entirely unique personal invention):[Blocked Image: http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9858/handheightvu3.jpg]

    It differs a bit from the other one posted earlier in the way that it contains 428 frames of footage instead of 38. The result is proof I can take any real world object and turn it into 3D (with height and normal information) with one digital camera recording and one click in Photoshop. This can save a great sum of money as the studios producing the same results today do it with terribly expensive and complex equipment. A patent application is in the works

    oh f**k!

    Haha

    Well because of the simplicity of the process, I am writing an article that I will probably publish for the game development community to read and adapt. I will have to wait for any patent approval/denial before I release it though (just to be on the safe side).

    Here's a small introductory excerpt (still rough):

    "In recent time quite a few new approaches to model and environment texturing have arisen; techniques that have characterized the standard of graphics in the game industry of today. Materials suddenly behave more realistically – with the help of advanced so called “shaders” the texture(s) of an object can calculate complex behaviours such as correct refraction (du/dv) and reflection (normal & specular) of light. In “next generation” projects (currently yet to be released) certain shaders and texture maps (named “relief maps”) can even collaborate to curve pixel geometry. A comparatively primitive precursor to this technique is the “parallax map” which manipulates the pixels of a texture in two dimensions to resemble 3D curvature.


    In this guide I will lecture you in the fundamentals of creating highly complex texture information with fairly simple methods. When you are through with this guide you will be able to produce better texture maps than most game development studios of today. Why is this?


    Texture information such as normal- and displacement (height-, parallax-, relief-) maps is rather simply put characterized by a genius merge between the complexity of model geometry and simplicity of material information. In the normal map case you are enabled to replace (theoretically) an unlimited amount of triangles with a single normal map and still produce very similar results. The normal map consists of R-, G-, and B channel information representing welds of shadows and highlights which are used to manipulate the normals of a model’s vertices.


    There are two common cases – one for tiled environment texturing (seemingly flat surfaces such as walls, floors and the like) where you often transform a high polygonal model (containing dents, scratches and other details you might find) into a normal map which instead applies to a flat two polygon surface. The other common case is converting the normal information of a high-poly model into a normal map and then applying it to a corresponding model with fewer polygons. Depending on the quality of the graphics engine the only thing that can tell the two models apart is the outline edges of the geometry – all corresponding surfaces within these lines are identical because of the two alternative ways of rendering normal information; polygonal contra textural.


    My goal when inventing new methods of creating realistic texture information is strict but simple: a process that is uncomplicated, economical, time-efficient and timeless. By timeless I mean a method which produces a result never growing old or obsolete – the product is only allowed to improve as the art of rendering technology develops. However, in a few years from now the kinds of texture materials described may even be replaced with more rendering efficient techniques – the future is hard to predict. Nonetheless, you simply cannot produce more realistic results than the ones I’m going to teach you to produce today. Why is this?


    It is because your results are derived directly from a photographical reality. You have read me writing about computer models producing the materials I am describing. There are already hundreds of tutorials concerning this, why write another one? Well, I’m not. Think about the term “model”. What is it? That’s correct, a representation of reality. There is also something called “the human factor”. When trying to represent reality we can never be 100% precise (perhaps unless we devote our lives to training ourselves for the task). My goal is to cut the detour."

    Is there an interest for this? I feel that not only professors and doctoral students should be free to use this information, game developers can benefit from it as well.

    yep

    write the tut but tell the following: If you are going to use this for a free mod or for a map it's ok to use otherwise (for payed games) please contact me about patent usage license

    or something like this (you want the money, dont you? )

    Oh crap, I just found out a patent takes two years or more to recieve. I can in no way wait this long.

    Well anyways, the reason I'm asking is that if there is interest I will take this into account when writing the instructional parts of the article.

    I'd love to see how you pull the finalized in-game look off. Are there any additional material maps (normal, specular) not seen in the fullbright editor shot? Anyways, nice realistic composition and blend of the colours chosen

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