Bump Mapping

[zook_one]

Has anyone had success with bump maps or detail textures in TRON 2.0? Environment Maps is the only think I can get to work.

-Z

[TronFAQ]

There was a site called spared-life.com that had NOLF 2 tutorials, and one of them dealt with this. Unfortunately, the guy who created the site took it down for a while, then put it up at a different address and removed all the NOLF stuff for some reason.

If you use the Internet Wayback Machine, you might be able to still read those old tutorials.

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www ... -life.com/

I tried using it, but at the time I'm writing this the Wayback site isn't working properly.

I also printed that stuff out because it was very valuable info and I knew something like this might happen one day (site disappears). But right now I can't find the printouts I made.

[xistence]

I was able to use a sort of bumpmapping, but only in combination with environmentmapping. The procedure is a bit more complex, so i would need to retry it by myself before i can give a better answer. But i'll look what i can share.

I'm also think that normal bumpmapping can also work, but maybe only in combination with normalmaps. Creating those is a bit more difficult as you need the right tools/plugins.

[TronFAQ]

I found the printouts. The Command String to apply a bumpmap (and environment map) to a texture is:

Code: Select all

envbumpmap x:\YourTexFolder\EnvironmentMap.dtx x:\YourTexFolder\BumpMap.dtx

To apply a detail texture:

Code: Select all

detailtex x:\YourTexFolder\DetailTex.dtx

[zook_one]

Thanks, I was able to track down the same info through the gluefactory archives. I have not been able to get the bump maps to work though.

Detail textures work pretty easily, very subtle though.

Code: Select all

envbumpmap x:\YourTexFolder\EnvironmentMap.dtx x:\YourTexFolder\BumpMap.dtx

To apply a detail texture:

Code: Select all

detailtex x:\YourTexFolder\DetailTex.dtx

[zook_one]

Okay, figured it out. Bump Mapping does not work on textures when "Full Brights (in Alpha Mask)" is also used...

[floven1]

noob question
what is bump mapping,
what im getting is that you are switching one texture to another, is that right?

[xistence]

Bumpmapping uses the information of one texture to create a 'relief'-effect (depth-effect/lightning-effect) on another, this effect can follow current lightsources in a map, so you get the impression that there is a structure in the surface. That said: with bumpmapping you can put 'structures' on surfaces which are not modeled in 3d as they would be a) too fine and too small and/or b) way too 'expensive' (in a polycount-way) to be modeled. These days most engines are using bump-mapping to create fine details and structures on walls, characters, etc.
One contra of bumpmapping is the fact that, if you get close to the surface and watching it along, you can see that the effect is very 'flat'. Bumpmapping is helpful to creates flaws, small holes, scratches, lines between stones, etc.. Anything beyond should be done by other texture effects (like parallaxmapping) or shaders.

[floven1]

oooohhhhh
that is really cool
thanks xistence