Text tool - Tombstone - Simply Maya User Community

# 1 16-06-2004 , 04:43 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

Text tool - Tombstone

Hi,
I am going to start a project of a spooky "graveyard" scene soon and have been trying to figure out the best way of making the "Headstones" make the text have a 'chiseled' out appearance.
I have tried using the text tool and played around with its settings, also tried Nurbs and Poly's for the 'headstone' itself.
Alas none of these methods have worked properly.

Any ideas?
Regards as always Scraggy user added image

Quote

# 2 16-06-2004 , 05:57 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Dec 2002

Location: Sunderland, England

Posts: 581

Tried a bump and/or displacement maps? create the text the way you want and map it onto the surface as a displacement map - then it will chisel the surface for ya user added image

cheers

Rich

Quote

# 3 16-06-2004 , 07:08 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

Sorry I would not have a clue where to begin with something like that, even my alpha channels always screw up. Is there no way to 'cut it away' ????

I want a real close up of at least 1 stone, and wanted to play around with the light on the bevels.

But if It cannot be done thenm yeah, but I would have thought it was possible with nurbs - but then its hard getting the 'straight bevels' ??? aGGHHH...

Thanks for the reply (and so quick) - will check some tutorials from my database user added image

- see what I can find

Regards and thanks Scraggy D

Last edited by Scraggy_dog; 16-06-2004 at 07:11 PM.

Quote

# 4 16-06-2004 , 07:32 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 2,800

displacement mapping is the best way for you to go, especially on the one you want to close ups on. Only problem is that maya's displacement aint great. You will need a poly with a high tesselation to get good results. Mind you if you are using MR that's better at it.... it would be a waste of time modelling the writing Just do it with texturing.

Alan

Technical Director - Framestore

Currently working on: Your Highness

IMDB

Quote

# 5 17-06-2004 , 12:46 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

Thanks, I have just managed to get some docs on 'texture displacement' off the net... But to be honest I want to learn to "chisel" them out somehow.... If possible?

But to be honest, I'm very surprised at the answers I got.
Is it really That hard to cut out text? in Maya and make a bevel....

And Alan, do you mean that if I get the rendering right , (I'm now borrowing Maya 6 so have MRay ) it would be better using Nurbs?
If so - thats my question - How do you "Cut" the letters out of the nurbs cube? because I really would like to use the bevels on the letters on a close up "Tomb" face to create some nice effects
(Well at least try!!!) with the moonlight if at all possible.. So I would lile a real 3D bevel to play with, I have no idea how to use displacement maps to create different bevels. so will get into my tut's
I thought???? It would be easy to extrude somehow?

Well just shows how wrong you can be, a "SEA" or "Hair" No Problem
Cut a name out of a square block - nope.... come back in Maya 12

Life and Maya aint fair
(sometimes) - Scraggy

Quote

# 6 17-06-2004 , 08:26 AM

Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 2,800

ok dont use a nurbs cube, polys will be better. Go to photoshop and in a new document (1024 x 1024 should be fine) write any word in black text on a white background and save it as a tiff.

Now use that in maya as a displacement on a simple texture add a coulpe of lights and hit render. and you will see text mysteriously cut into your cube. (make sure you have lots of polys in the cube though or it will look crap!) you can even go to modify >> convert >> displacement to polys if you want to see it in the viewport.

how hard is that? user added image

Alan

Technical Director - Framestore

Currently working on: Your Highness

IMDB

Quote

# 7 17-06-2004 , 05:45 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

You make it sound 'too' easy Alan user added image

(That's probably why you are Technical Director @ Framestore-CFC) user added image

I will give it a try now, thanks.
- Am I correct in assuming that a 'bevel' could be done with say a 'grey' colour at the edge next to the black?? (I don't want a staight cut, more of a 45 degree - like a real headstone)- I will go have a "play" round and see what turns out.

BTW - I just got back from taking pictures in the graveyard while England play Switzerland, they must think I'm nuts round here.

Regards and thanks Scraggy.... here goes displacement mapping 101 for Scraggy.

Most of the ads made by your company are my favourite TV viewing.

Quote

# 8 17-06-2004 , 07:26 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

I new I would do something wrong.....

Thanks for your explanation Alan, I think the reason I cannot get it working is because I'm unsure about the 'Connection editor' in Hypershade.
I made my block Ok and did the text just as you said, [Although when saving I did notice that the area in P/Shop where you give the quality settings etc - There at the bottom - the "Alpha Channels" was greyed out..? I'm not sure if this is a problem, or it's supposed to be like that, I just mention it because I have had problems but that should be sorted out now. (That was Targa files, and I got a patch to sort it out)

Anyway after making sure my 'tiff' file actually showed up on the poly with just a normal texture procedure. (It did do OK)
I set about working out how to do it with displacement, I have posted a picture as that's how I thought it should go and I wanted to get the "Out Colour" of the Blinn to the Input of the displacement map, apply it to material and hey presto......

But that darn (Connection Editor) I have never manually made a connection work ever! I cannot find out how to connect it up?
Can you help me connect them? - Or re-make my Hypershade in case I have done that wrong.?
I even tried getting rid of the Blinn and putting the "displacement node" onto the cube - but that didn't work either user added image

.

I'm stuck, Regards Scraggy

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: conn_editor_problems.jpg
Views: 297
Size: 56.5 KB
ID: 15846

Quote

# 9 17-06-2004 , 07:29 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

Sorry it posted twice - it must have been a very slooow connection at time - I tried to delete it but it would not let me (Priveledges) plaese could someone do it for me?

Sorry about that ScrAGGY

Quote

# 10 17-06-2004 , 11:55 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: New York

Posts: 27

I get great results on polys using Booleans

Quote

# 11 18-06-2004 , 12:59 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Manchester UK

Posts: 159

To be honest, thats good news for you, but it don't help me very much.
If you could explain how you get these great results I would be grateful. I know very little about booleans apart from the very basics. ???
Would you create the text then subtract it? ....... please explain more if you get chance, thanks for the reply.

..
Regards Scraggy

Quote

# 12 18-06-2004 , 03:51 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: New York

Posts: 27

Yes You would // Create > Text Options (select polygons) write your text & create

Change it 3D // Select Faces > Edit Polygons > Extrude Faces scale it Place it indented in your object

in your object // Select what you want to stay / ShiftSelect the lettering
To cut it out // Polygons > Booleans > Difference

Quote

# 13 18-06-2004 , 03:57 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: New York

Posts: 27

When you create your poly cube. I would reset the polycube options & then create it. Your width & height dimesions (inputs polycube) only have to be 1 each.

Quote

# 14 18-06-2004 , 04:40 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: New York

Posts: 27

Scraggy, I'm new to Simply Maya Still trying to understand this site. How do you bring your photos to your Replys. I was going to post a picture for you but don't know how. Thanks

Quote

# 15 18-06-2004 , 08:44 AM

Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 2,800

booleans are a bad idea because it would mean you would have to do a hell of a lot of cleanup afterwards to get a useable mesh. Booleans in Maya arent very good at all.

As far as your displacement connection goes, go to the maya docs and look there it's easier than me explaining I think but I will look at it at lunchtime if I get a chance.

Alan

Technical Director - Framestore

Currently working on: Your Highness

IMDB

Quote