Prec's Quick Tips

[Precipice]

Whenever I learn something new I'll put it here.

First, an aside. While I should follow this advice I never do, but I wholly recommend working on one aspect of a project at a time. Doing everything at once will burn you out quick.

Now, tip #1 - Bump maps
Requirements: Photoshop, nVidia texture tools, a plugin for Photoshop.

I hadn't messed with bump, specular or opacity maps before, but they're pretty cool and add depth to textures. Currently I'm rebuilding the chamber of fate with some larger ideas in mind, and thought a flat tile floor would look cool.

I grabbed a seamless floor texture to start with. I like marble. http://i.imgur.com/2DnIYva.png
Then I tiled it. http://i.imgur.com/w46ll6n.png
And normally I'd have stopped there. But this time I went further, drawing some lines and beveling them to create a 3d popout effect. http://i.imgur.com/JDmqEJA.png

Extra mile done, I can pat myself on the back and feel good about myself but it looked weird in renders, and I decided to use bump maps to help sell the look.

I used a blank texture and redid the beveling to prep my work on the bump map. http://i.imgur.com/911orr3.png
I could have used the same marbled texture but the result would also detail the marbled pattern, which isn't what I'm wanting.
Initially I just went with the default settings, resulting in a pleasing bump map. http://i.imgur.com/CEbv0bi.png
Except Fable's bump maps are inverted for reasons I don't know or understand. I could invert that texture but then it'd look wrong. Instead, I can use the plugin to invert the x and y of the bump effect. http://i.imgur.com/JKV0fsL.png
Inverting that gives me the final product. http://i.imgur.com/QVgHyge.png

The result is most pleasing in 3DS. http://i.imgur.com/kPU8LxB.jpg
Although I wish I could figure out the specular map stuff. Just doesn't look right in 3DS. http://i.imgur.com/6Y3X0RU.jpg


This information is available at the modding site but it's scattered and the link to the plugin is semi-broken. I must credit Keshire and Satan for their posts on the matter at the modding site.

And edit: I also want to give some huge nod of appreciation and respect to the guys who put together the textures for Fable. There's thousands of textures, but just making 2 very simple textures of my own took a very long time.

 

[HobbeBrain]

Unfortunately I don't have much in the way of actual modding to contribute here, but when you've finished your Chamber of Fate, I'd really like to see it. I've always liked looking at other mods people have done, just never had a clue where to start for doing it myself =]

 

[Precipice]

Looks like we lost a little bit. I'll say it again. HobbeBrain, I deeply appreciate your words, and those of Drakan and Gikoku's (whose post, incidentally, was also lost).

Interestingly I may soon find myself financially motivated for my works. A prospective employer wants to pick my brain about modeling software and architecture, and I'd love to have this as a complete product to show off in my portfolio. Much enthusiasm there.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Looks like we lost a little bit. I'll say it again. HobbeBrain, I deeply appreciate your words, and those of Drakan and Gikoku's (whose post, incidentally, was also lost).

Interestingly I may soon find myself financially motivated for my works. A prospective employer wants to pick my brain about modeling software and architecture, and I'd love to have this as a complete product to show off in my portfolio. Much enthusiasm there.

Yeah Steve had a server HD failure unfortunately and had to use a backup.