Normal maps and diffuse maps usage in game

anonymous_user_99aa1f50 · June 28, 2015, 10:26am

so i really new with texturing but i realize that normal map and diffuse map make things really more realistic the question i wanna ask is how to make one? and how to used it is it used in small props and actors like guns and characters?

anonymous_user_8becc82b · June 28, 2015, 10:54am

Well with Ue4 there are a TON of usages for Diffuse and Normal maps. But you don’t have to stop there. You can use Specularity maps, occlusion maps and displacement maps. However, displacement maps i don’t really recommend as much unless you’re going to use them in like a matinee or maybe a high detailed scene. But Diffuse maps are the color version of the material and normal maps are the bumbiness of the material. Specularity is the shininess (or for wet objects it’s the water) occlusion are depth maps for the materials (e.g. you have a sponge, this map will be used for the holes) and displacement is for shaping the object (uses the vertices of the mesh to deform the mesh into the shape of the displacement map)

I use CrazyBump it’s 100% free and is as easy as 1,2,3. you load the Texture you want to turn into a normal map, spec map, etc. and CrazyBump does processing, it’ll then give you 2 options. In or Out. Typically in will take all the dark spots and make them the low points of the normal map. Out takes all the dark spots and makes them the high spot of the normal map. Then once selected itll load the final information and it will open a new screen and show you an example of what the material will look like. You can select the different map ‘tabs’ in the bottom of the viewport and use the sliders on the left to manipulate the display. Other than that, using them in UE4 is a totally different ball park. Check out this https://docs.unrealengine/latest/INT/Engine/Rendering/Materials/index.html page and navigate through the different sections to learn about Unreal Engine 4’s materials.

Hope this helps! Cheers!

anonymous_user_99aa1f50 · June 28, 2015, 12:13pm

CjInsanity;320306:

Well with Ue4 there are a TON of usages for Diffuse and Normal maps. But you don’t have to stop there. You can use Specularity maps, occlusion maps and displacement maps. However, displacement maps i don’t really recommend as much unless you’re going to use them in like a matinee or maybe a high detailed scene. But Diffuse maps are the color version of the material and normal maps are the bumbiness of the material. Specularity is the shininess (or for wet objects it’s the water) occlusion are depth maps for the materials (e.g. you have a sponge, this map will be used for the holes) and displacement is for shaping the object (uses the vertices of the mesh to deform the mesh into the shape of the displacement map)

I use CrazyBump it’s 100% free and is as easy as 1,2,3. you load the Texture you want to turn into a normal map, spec map, etc. and CrazyBump does processing, it’ll then give you 2 options. In or Out. Typically in will take all the dark spots and make them the low points of the normal map. Out takes all the dark spots and makes them the high spot of the normal map. Then once selected itll load the final information and it will open a new screen and show you an example of what the material will look like. You can select the different map ‘tabs’ in the bottom of the viewport and use the sliders on the left to manipulate the display. Other than that, using them in UE4 is a totally different ball park. Check out this https://docs.unrealengine/latest/INT/Engine/Rendering/Materials/index.html page and navigate through the different sections to learn about Unreal Engine 4’s materials.

Hope this helps! Cheers!

so do you think crazy bump can create these maps from the texture of a gun that i created? and if it can will it be rly burden the small less powered computer for instance the one using intel HD4000 and such? cause i rly want to build a game that have decent graphics but also be playable by less powered computer

anonymous_user_923c79df · June 28, 2015, 12:55pm

There are two ways how to create your maps:

you bake the from the texture = you will get an acceptable result -> like CjInsanity mentioned
you bake them from a high poly version of your mesh = you get the best result -> which 3d program do you use? (then I can post you a video tutorial)

anonymous_user_99aa1f50 · June 28, 2015, 1:30pm

im on blender and does 15.000 polys for a gun is high poly?

anonymous_user_923c79df · June 28, 2015, 1:43pm

It depends on the weapon -> with high poly I mean, that you have modeled every detail

e.g that’s how you bake a normal map from your hight poly mesh: ?v=vze2wnl6duY ?v=r9QHkN7ke3w

anonymous_user_99aa1f50 · June 28, 2015, 2:28pm

i only model it exactly on 15.000 polys

anonymous_user_8becc82b · June 28, 2015, 8:45pm

The easiest way I found to texture a model that I created in Blender is to create my model exactly how I want it to look in-game. Then I simplify the mesh by removing unnecessary vertices/faces (e.g. If I have a mesh that has faces / vertices almost on top of each other, I combine them together) Also, if you have vertices that are on the same position as each other, you can use “Remove Doubles” in the tool palette to remove the overlapping vertices (Overlapping vertices will cause shading errors later on) Then once I have my model exactly how I want it. I’ll take and use “Mark Seam” tool to rip my UV apart, clean. Once my UV mapping is done and I have my model fully unwrapped, I’ll then make my texture for the model. This way, you can map the texture out exactly how blender portrays it. Once you have your texture designed, save it. Then open up crazy bump and load your newly created texture and begin altering your bump files. (Normal Map, Spec Map, OCC, Etc.) I’ll update this post sometime and post a link to a video of what I am talking about if you need help still.

anonymous_user_99aa1f50 · June 29, 2015, 5:42am

CjInsanity;320614:

The easiest way I found to texture a model that I created in Blender is to create my model exactly how I want it to look in-game. Then I simplify the mesh by removing unnecessary vertices/faces (e.g. If I have a mesh that has faces / vertices almost on top of each other, I combine them together) Also, if you have vertices that are on the same position as each other, you can use “Remove Doubles” in the tool palette to remove the overlapping vertices (Overlapping vertices will cause shading errors later on) Then once I have my model exactly how I want it. I’ll take and use “Mark Seam” tool to rip my UV apart, clean. Once my UV mapping is done and I have my model fully unwrapped, I’ll then make my texture for the model. This way, you can map the texture out exactly how blender portrays it. Once you have your texture designed, save it. Then open up crazy bump and load your newly created texture and begin altering your bump files. (Normal Map, Spec Map, OCC, Etc.) I’ll update this post sometime and post a link to a video of what I am talking about if you need help still.

May i ask one more question so i make a gun that already got the based texture but when im working on detail i noticed that i can separate big chunk off mesh so it cuts down time but will it destroy my existing texture that i already applied?