Arma 3 Maps

Comments

• RSI

  January 2016

  Agarthan_Two wrote:

  I am currently trying to generate the Ambient Shadow map, and the Specular Texture map, as seen in the following thread, for use in Arma 3:
  
  https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/76031-using-the-super-shader-rvmat-material/
  
  These maps seem to have a kind of pinkish hue, though I'm not sure exactly what color it is, or how it's generated.
  

  
  ShaderMap 3 can create ambient shadow maps from displacement maps and 3d models and specular maps from displacement.
  
  http://shadermap.com/docs/mm_ambient_occlusion_map_from_3d_model.html
  http://shadermap.com/docs/mm_ambient_occlusion_map_from_displacement.html
  
  The author of the page simply generates standard AO and Specular maps then does the following in an image editor such as GIMP or PhotoShop.
  

  I took the ambient occlusion bake, and used a "multiply" additive layer for it on top of white. Then I set the RED channel white, and the BLUE channel white, leaving the result only in the GREEN channel. I then saved this as a PNG and batch processed it to PAA.

  
  So it looks like the author is just filling the RED and BLUE channels to WHITE, isolating the AO / Spec to the GREEN channel of the image.
  
  If you wanted to do this in ShaderMap you would need to:
  

  1. Load in a blank WHITE texture the same size as the AO or Spec map.
  2. Embed the AO / Spec map into the WHITE blank map (just on the GREEN channel). Drag the AO or Spec map over the blank white map then press and hold SHIFT before dropping the AO / Spec map onto the white map.
  3. Now set up the Channel Mixer by setting any of the RED, GREEN, or BLUE channels of the AO / Spec map to the GREEN channel of the White blank texture.
  4. Export the white blank texture to file. It will now have the AO / Spec in the GREEN channel with BLUE and RED channels still WHITE.

  
  Embed the AO / Spec into a WHITE blank texture and setup the embedded Channel Mixer:
  
  
  
  Final result:
  
  
  
  More info on embedding maps and the channel mixer: http://shadermap.com/docs/main_interface_embedding_maps.html
  
  ...
  
  Another approach would be to embed a small blank WHITE texture map into the AO or Spec map in the BLUE and RED channels. This method is more flexible as the blank WHITE texture will be scaled to the size of the image it is embedded on at time of export.
• Agarthan_Two

  January 2016

  thanks for the response!
  

  
  ShaderMap 3 can create ambient shadow maps from displacement maps and 3d models and specular maps from displacement.
  
  http://shadermap.com/docs/mm_ambient_occ...model.html
  http://shadermap.com/docs/mm_ambient_occ...ement.html
  
  The author of the page simply generates standard AO and Specular maps then does the following in an image editor such as GIMP or PhotoShop.
  

  
  The Ambient Occlusion map generated from Shader Map Pro is a black and white image, while the Ambient Shadow texture being used in Arma 3 has a pinkish hue to it.
  
  What is the reason for the difference?  And can I create an Ambient Shadow map with the pinkish hue that Arma 3 will recognize, since I don't think it recognizes the black and white Ambient Occlusion map produced by Shader Map Pro?
  
  

  So it looks like the author is just filling the RED and BLUE channels to WHITE, isolating the AO / Spec to the GREEN channel of the image.

  
  Okay, this is where I'm a bit confused I think.  I'm not understanding his process.  Is he using the Channel Mixer in Photoshop?  If so, I tried this method as well, and didn't seem to get the same results.  My image turned out a bit more red, than the pinkish hue he's getting.
  

  [size=small]If you wanted to do this in ShaderMap you would need to:[/size]
  

  1. Load in a blank WHITE texture the same size as the AO or Spec map.
     
  2. Embed the AO / Spec map into the WHITE blank map (just on the GREEN channel). Drag the AO or Spec map over the blank white map then press and hold SHIFT before dropping the AO / Spec map onto the white map.
     
  3. Now set up the Channel Mixer by setting any of the RED, GREEN, or BLUE channels of the AO / Spec map to the GREEN channel of the White blank texture.
     
  4. Export the white blank texture to file. It will now have the AO / Spec in the GREEN channel with BLUE and RED channels still WHITE.

  [size=small]Embed the AO / Spec into a WHITE blank texture and setup the embedded Channel Mixer:[/size]

  
  I'm finding these instructions a bit confusing.
  
  [size=small]When I load in a blank WHITE texture the same size as the AO or Spec map, all I get out the other end is a blank white AO or Spec, after I follow your instructions.[/size]
  
  [size=small]Let's just focus on the Spec for now.[/size]
  
  [size=small]Do you mean to load in the Specular Map that I created with Shader Map Pro from the diffuse map earlier, then create a blank white map the same size as the spec map, and drag that blank white map onto the square in Shader Map Pro that shows the specular map?[/size]
• RSI

  January 2016

  So all I see that is going on is the RED and BLUE channels are being converted to WHITE.
  
  In Photoshop this looks like this..
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  There are a number of ways to automate this in ShaderMap if you have a firm understanding of embedding and the Channel Mixer.
  
  In other words, a standard grayscale specular map (single channel or multi channel) is converted to Red, Green, Blue channels then has its Red and Blue channels filled to white.
• Agarthan_Two

  January 2016

  Thanks for going above and beyond!
  
  That makes perfect sense to me. I wasn't sure if he was doing that, or using Image> Adjustments> Channel Mixer.
  
  So I use the Photoshop process on Shader Map's Ambient Occlusion map, to generate Arma 3's Ambient Shadow texture, and again use the same process on Shader Map's Specular map to generate Arma 3's Specular Texture.
  
  Now, is there a way to gain that firm understanding of embedding and the Channel Mixer in Shader Map Pro? Are there any online video tutorials or .pdf documents that detail this which I might view? I'd like to give that a crack if I can figure it out.
  
  Thanks again!