Normal map texture, with some reflection?

Interested in integrating your 3D work with the real world? This might help

# 1 14-04-2013 , 09:28 AM

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So, lets say I want to normal map a building that has windows, once it is normal mapped, and I go to texture it, how do you keep the window part of the normal map reflective, while the building is not? Something with the alpha channel?.... user added image

Thanks!

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# 2 14-04-2013 , 09:48 AM

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You use a specular map...............dave

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# 3 14-04-2013 , 10:48 PM

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Thanks. And is it possible to normal map windows and building, into a simple cube mesh? I tried but it didn't work.. Probably need verts around where the windows are, but then that kind of defeats the purpose...

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# 4 15-04-2013 , 02:56 PM

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It should be, make sure the meshes are in the same space and that the simple mesh is slightly bigger..............dave

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# 5 17-04-2013 , 01:25 PM

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What kind of settings should I be using that would be different than character normal mapping? Besides objectspace. Should I be using geometry or surface normals in the advanced setting?

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# 6 17-04-2013 , 01:31 PM

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I keep getting this with a simple test.

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# 7 17-04-2013 , 04:38 PM

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Use xnormal its free faster and better..............dave

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# 8 17-04-2013 , 04:43 PM

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I've achieved good results with characters, just with maya baking. I don't know what it is that I need to do differently though.

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# 9 17-04-2013 , 05:03 PM

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softened the edges and now it shows up, but doesnt have any depth to it. And its not crisp.

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# 10 17-04-2013 , 06:48 PM

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Some time maya will return bad normal maps that's why I have stopped using it for them, you will not get any real depth with normal maps as you can see on the top part of the right box...............dave

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# 11 17-04-2013 , 06:53 PM

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Are you saying you can't get much depth from maya's normal mapping, or just normal mapping in general?

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# 12 17-04-2013 , 07:03 PM

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You will not get true depth but a affect of depth so you need to think were to use a normal map your window should be OK also lighting and texture plays a part in how they look................dave

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# 13 17-04-2013 , 08:03 PM

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Yeah, not sure what I'm doing wrong... Do I need more verts? Can it not just be a plain box for the low poly?

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# 14 17-04-2013 , 08:29 PM

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Here is a video clip from the game The Amazing SpiderMan, do you think they normal mapped the windows? Or are they just modeled so? At 1:20ish it shows close up of windows with spiderman crawling on them.

The Amazing Spider-Man Making of Manhattan - YouTube

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# 15 17-04-2013 , 08:35 PM

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I would say mainly normal maps with texture with some extra poly meshes here and there to add some depth.............dave

Edit: do try xnormal it is easy to use

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Last edited by daverave; 17-04-2013 at 08:38 PM.

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