The editor doesn't show the alpha very well, you could only judge by how transparent the image looked. I've been using free apps for image editing though. As for the noise maps, i'll have to take a look.
which directory is that file in? I haven't looked at it before, but i'd be happy to figure out how reflection and specular works in terrain.
[Edit:] Found it. The answer? The emissive texture has a full white alpha channel. Diffuse maps generally have very dark alpha channels. Seems the alpha channel is basically a specular map for the terrain. Not a true reflection, but just a profile for specular brightness when lit.
yup, thats having the red channel in full white, data in green, blue full black. There are quite a few that do that, and quite a few that have redundant data in the red channel and blue channel instead. Doesn't matter though, its only the green and alpha channels that matter. If you don't believe me, I can make you a test map with duplicates of terrain with normals in all sorts of colors and the terrain copies will all look the same.
What about it? Just opened it. It has the blizzard standard white filled red channel, image in the green, black filled blue channel and image in the alpha. Not functionally different from my suggested black filled red and otherwise the same.
Thanks for pointing it out though, it clearly demonstrates the green and alpha channel images are basically embossing lit from the right and from below.
I have now done some extensive tests into the format for the "normal" map of terrain textures and have come to the conclusion that the red and blue channels are entirely unused.
The green channel is important, but the blue and red channels can be white, black, the same as the green channel texture, the textures inversion, it doesn't change at all. I tried all variations under multiple lighting sets.
[Edit:] My recommendation is to leave the RED and BLUE channels black, it reduces files size over having redundant data in them.
I will also note for those that don't know, the "normal" map for terrains is not a real normal map, it is something like a bump map and/or spectacular map, but is definitely not a real normal map.
[Edit:] I've messed around with the green channel and alpha channel but still don't really understand them. Both have to be there though and even a 50% grey is a poor substitute. I've tried using normal map generators, and the green and alpha channels are similar to 2 of the 3 channels of a normal map, but not a very close fit.
My eventual aim here is to be able to create a diffuse map for a terrain texture and know how to generate the normal for it correctly.
Clarification on importation? I unpack the map, drop the files I want into it, and repack it. In editor I tell it to move the files where they should be, but so long as they are in there you can find them to reference them. Sometimes you need to unpack, move and repack or just restart the editor to get the directories the way you want. I don't have it to an exact science.
(If you are not familiar with unpacking and packing the map, SC2Map files are just MPQs and you can rename them as such and use tools meant for that on them, then just rename them back for use with the editor.)
Btw, a solution occurred to me, you could use a solid color texture and then make the grid as a doodad that you place where ever you want the grids. That way you have total control over the size, placement, and alignment. And the bonus? Doodads can glow!
Did a little research for you guys, the black squares are 96x96 pixels with reference to exported texture size. verified this looking at the arrangement on in editor textures and compared to the exported texture size. try that as the 1x1 cell size.
EDIT: quick math shows that 96 does not go into 1024 evenly though. that means there will be an issue with getting even tiling like that.
EDIT2: looks like the closest small tile-able size will be 64x64 pixels.
EDIT3: I made a 64x64 grid pattern and used it in a map. The grid lines are 4 pixels wide and divided into 2.
In other words each cell has a 2 pixel border so when it tiles it is doubled to 4 pixels wide.
You will notice that the black boxes, which are 1x1 in game space are 96x96. I went with 64x64 anyway because 96x96 does not tile evenly into 1024 and therefore the texture as a whole would not tile evenly.
EDIT4: If you REALLY want a line every 96 pixels so that you have 1x1 in-game space represented, go with a halved grid of 32x32 and in game it will look like a thirded grid of 96x96.
So just to confirm, the animations in a units character model are part of the model file and so to change a walk animation or add a throw animation would require a whole new version of the .m3 model file to be exported, even if the shape of the model remained unchanged?
No, likely not then. I was thinking 2-3 new animations for 2 units, maybe more. I was hoping there would be some way of defining animations separate from the model file itself, much the way we can retexture them.
I'd need that even if I didn't want to change the model?
hm, dunno then.
The other thing I was thinking was a throwing animation for use with grenades an the like.
Out of curiosity, how hard would it be to create new animations for already existing characters? Specifically I have an idea for a ghost/specter unit that cliff jumps by telekinesis/levitation...
I'm mucking about with a sort of urban CTF style map and want some thin ramps. I'm thinking of something like the thin stairways from the installation maps in SC1. Do we have that anymore? Anything close? I'm having trouble making walkways on the map that look like they were made for people and not tank parades.
0
@DrSuperEvil: Go
The editor doesn't show the alpha very well, you could only judge by how transparent the image looked. I've been using free apps for image editing though. As for the noise maps, i'll have to take a look.
0
@DrSuperEvil: Go
which directory is that file in? I haven't looked at it before, but i'd be happy to figure out how reflection and specular works in terrain.
[Edit:] Found it. The answer? The emissive texture has a full white alpha channel. Diffuse maps generally have very dark alpha channels. Seems the alpha channel is basically a specular map for the terrain. Not a true reflection, but just a profile for specular brightness when lit.
0
@DrSuperEvil: Go
yup, thats having the red channel in full white, data in green, blue full black. There are quite a few that do that, and quite a few that have redundant data in the red channel and blue channel instead. Doesn't matter though, its only the green and alpha channels that matter. If you don't believe me, I can make you a test map with duplicates of terrain with normals in all sorts of colors and the terrain copies will all look the same.
0
@DrSuperEvil: Go
What about it? Just opened it. It has the blizzard standard white filled red channel, image in the green, black filled blue channel and image in the alpha. Not functionally different from my suggested black filled red and otherwise the same.
Thanks for pointing it out though, it clearly demonstrates the green and alpha channel images are basically embossing lit from the right and from below.
0
@DrSuperEvil: Go
I have now done some extensive tests into the format for the "normal" map of terrain textures and have come to the conclusion that the red and blue channels are entirely unused.
The green channel is important, but the blue and red channels can be white, black, the same as the green channel texture, the textures inversion, it doesn't change at all. I tried all variations under multiple lighting sets.
[Edit:] My recommendation is to leave the RED and BLUE channels black, it reduces files size over having redundant data in them.
I will also note for those that don't know, the "normal" map for terrains is not a real normal map, it is something like a bump map and/or spectacular map, but is definitely not a real normal map.
[Edit:] I've messed around with the green channel and alpha channel but still don't really understand them. Both have to be there though and even a 50% grey is a poor substitute. I've tried using normal map generators, and the green and alpha channels are similar to 2 of the 3 channels of a normal map, but not a very close fit. My eventual aim here is to be able to create a diffuse map for a terrain texture and know how to generate the normal for it correctly.
0
Clarification on importation? I unpack the map, drop the files I want into it, and repack it. In editor I tell it to move the files where they should be, but so long as they are in there you can find them to reference them. Sometimes you need to unpack, move and repack or just restart the editor to get the directories the way you want. I don't have it to an exact science.
(If you are not familiar with unpacking and packing the map, SC2Map files are just MPQs and you can rename them as such and use tools meant for that on them, then just rename them back for use with the editor.)
Btw, a solution occurred to me, you could use a solid color texture and then make the grid as a doodad that you place where ever you want the grids. That way you have total control over the size, placement, and alignment. And the bonus? Doodads can glow!
0
So if I am making a new terrain texture, how do I know which channels the normal needs to use?
0
I've been poking around in terrain textures, figuring out how the texture and normal work and have noticed they come in two varieties.
Any idea why some normals for terrain textures are grey scale while other use 100% red and 0% blue leaving just the green channel?
0
@ST4RKiLL3R: Go
Did a little research for you guys, the black squares are 96x96 pixels with reference to exported texture size. verified this looking at the arrangement on in editor textures and compared to the exported texture size. try that as the 1x1 cell size.
EDIT: quick math shows that 96 does not go into 1024 evenly though. that means there will be an issue with getting even tiling like that. EDIT2: looks like the closest small tile-able size will be 64x64 pixels.
EDIT3: I made a 64x64 grid pattern and used it in a map. The grid lines are 4 pixels wide and divided into 2. In other words each cell has a 2 pixel border so when it tiles it is doubled to 4 pixels wide.
You will notice that the black boxes, which are 1x1 in game space are 96x96. I went with 64x64 anyway because 96x96 does not tile evenly into 1024 and therefore the texture as a whole would not tile evenly.
EDIT4: If you REALLY want a line every 96 pixels so that you have 1x1 in-game space represented, go with a halved grid of 32x32 and in game it will look like a thirded grid of 96x96.
0
So just to confirm, the animations in a units character model are part of the model file and so to change a walk animation or add a throw animation would require a whole new version of the .m3 model file to be exported, even if the shape of the model remained unchanged?
0
No, likely not then. I was thinking 2-3 new animations for 2 units, maybe more. I was hoping there would be some way of defining animations separate from the model file itself, much the way we can retexture them.
0
I'd need that even if I didn't want to change the model? hm, dunno then. The other thing I was thinking was a throwing animation for use with grenades an the like.
0
Out of curiosity, how hard would it be to create new animations for already existing characters? Specifically I have an idea for a ghost/specter unit that cliff jumps by telekinesis/levitation...
0
I'm mucking about with a sort of urban CTF style map and want some thin ramps. I'm thinking of something like the thin stairways from the installation maps in SC1. Do we have that anymore? Anything close? I'm having trouble making walkways on the map that look like they were made for people and not tank parades.
0
Look at the abilities from the campaign version of the reaper. I believe its their C4 charges that work very similarly to that.