Can anybody help me find a normal map generator for max 3.1, preferrably one that is free. Although if one is cheap enough I may buy it.
Call me crazy but I recall reading somwhere that there is a way to use photoshop filters and other plugins in max. If I didnt imagine this, anyone have any info for me, download links etc etc.
Lead paint: delicious but deadly!
I'm sure you can use height maps to create landscapes in Max.. There are a few programs that generate those b/w heightmaps using fractals, and you just save the bitmap and use it in Max.. I can't remember how you use that bitmap to generate landscapes exactly though..
Hmm... you *could* use a patch and put a noise modifier on it.. [;)] Very dodgy though hehe.
Nvidia has a photoshop plugin I think. ATI has recently released a tool to convert a high and low poly mesh into a normal map (for the low poly mesh). They also have another normal mapper tool. Not sure if there are any for MAX, but I'd say there would be. Really you should have a seperate tool tho, to convert a heightmap into a normal map (or whatever).
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Andrew McGregor
Engine programmer
Tycom Studios
andrewm@tycomstudios.com
www.tycomstudios.com
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You should definately check out Terragen at http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/ for creating landscapes.. as I mentioned before, you can make a snapshot of the height maps generated and use it in 3ds max if you like also.. A big list of landscape generators is at http://dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Graphics/3D/Terrain/ .. I'm sure you'll find something useful there. Check out this Terragen picture at http://perso.wanadoo.fr/bianco/3D/Ter131.jpg .. it looks awesome! One day... ONE DAY desktop computers will be fast enough to render this in real time for us to run around in. [:)]
Using photoshop filters during max rendering is a bit of a hit and miss affair to get the results you are happy with (well, from my experience from using the video post from ages ago ;)).. a much easier way to do things would be to render all your animation out of Max, and use a video editing program like Adobe Premiere to crop/edit/add effects & sound etc to your rendered movie - a big bonus is that you can preview it in real time.. Being an Adobe product, you can use all the photoshop plugins, and also many Premiere specific ones too.. It might be overkill, but I reckon it will save you lots of time and get you more satisfying results.. and if you really want to show off, look into Adobe After Effects..
Souri. He wasnt quite asking about terrain generation, or using heightmaps (for creating geometry).
:-)
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Andrew McGregor
Engine programmer
Tycom Studios
andrewm@tycomstudios.com
www.tycomstudios.com
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I think one of the most promising tools is the high poly mesh low poly mesh normal generator. Artists have to start thinking about building extremely high triangle meshes. Around the 500k mark.
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Andrew McGregor
Engine programmer
Tycom Studios
andrewm@tycomstudios.com
www.tycomstudios.com
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http://mirror.ati.com/developer/tools.html
The program is called "normalmapper"
There's some other stuff there too.
RenderMonkey is hardly useful at all, since they dont provide any src code to their material format. CgFX is MUCH MUCH better (for people writing OpenGL engines). It's basically direcx9 effect files, but with a parser/runtime that can be used with OpenGL.
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Andrew McGregor
Engine programmer
Tycom Studios
andrewm@tycomstudios.com
www.tycomstudios.com
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Can't think of any normal map gens off the top of my head, but regarding PS filters, it is true. My sleepy brain tells me that all it can remember is in Post effects, like adding a Gaussian blur to your render and such. I'll be more specific after sleep. @:-]
Chris Bowden
http://brain.gamekey.com/