Texturing Lesson Pt 4: Normal Maps, Tiff. Sequences and further Hypershade Nodes

Using Normal Maps 

  For this tutorial, we underwent the process of baking normal maps so that high res details can be placed on low res models. This technique is mainly used for games but is also good for keeping data usage low in animations scenes. 

  Exporting both the high res and low res barrels as .objs files, the data was imported into Xnormals to create a normal and occlusion maps. Moving into photoshop, a diffuse, specular and higher detailed normal map was rendered. 

  To create this higher detail normal map, once all the texturing was placed (making sure that the detailing was flat) a photoshop normal map rendition was taken. This newly textured version was then duplicated (one made as a blue only channel multiply layer and the other red/green overlay). The original was placed underneath these to create the final product.

  These maps was then plugged into a newly applied aiStandardSurface on the barrel, placing the normal map into the bump node channel and changing it to "tangent space". The normal map and specular is switched to a "Raw" colour data input and the ignore colour space turned on. The specular map required the "Alpha as Luminance" option to be set.

Normal Map

Specular Map

Diffuse Map

Final Outcome

Final Outcome

Tiff. Image Sequences Tutorial

    For this tutorial, we will be using set keys to create a continues Tiff sequences on a plane. Placing a new aiStandardSurface on the screen plane and import the images into the colour channel, switching in the "Use Image Sequence" option. 

   Although the image sequence works, we need to place set keys so the ball continues to scroll after the sequences finishes. Breaking the scripting in the "Image Number" box, we choose the "set key" option. This allows us to place keys at images 1 and 51, changing the pre/post infinity to cycle enables the sequence to keep playing once finished. Moving into the "Frame Extension" node, the "Tan" types are changed to linear to stop any slowing in and out. 

  To finish this, the tiff texture node was placed into the Emission channel from the Hypershade and the weight altered to make the images brighter.  

Original Set

Placing the "Set Key"

Changing the "Tan" types

Double Plane Tutorial

  I found this one to be a little more confusing, however I managed to do this by studying the originals Hypershade and its connections. 

  This was completed by inserting two texture nodes into a "Samplerinfo" node and a "Condition" node. These work by evacuating the condition of the scene in order to show the correct texture (the nodes asks the question of "is the .......... present?" and operating in a "True or False" scenario to show the textures set). 

Hypershade

Top of the Plane

Underside of the Plane