Creating normal maps

[Lee Pruitt]

Creating normal maps

Hello All,

Tile Guy Here; I have been creating my ceramic tile work using the relief map. I have been taking grayscale images and elevating the relief.
Then exporting to a CNC Milling Machine.

I would like to create a scene in Cheetah and use the following techniques to create a elevation/normal map. http://www.pinwire.com/article82.html

Can anyone tell me if this is possible?

Thanks

 

[frank beckmann]

Hi.
This special feature is not implemented so far I know. But maybe using the "Displace Modifier" could be a workaround here. Make a simple plane, divide 100x100, put in the "Displace Modifier" and add a highfieldpic, altitudetiff, greyscalejpg or what ever. Adjust the "offset". Voilá
Just a guess.

With kindest regards
Frank

Btw: How will you get those special highfield pix from and what fileformat is going to used for CNC-milling?

 

[Lee Pruitt]

Frank Very Very Cool,

However I am wanting to make the actual altitude map to use in the relief making.

So I want to create a scene, say in Poser then use that as the cutting data.
The problem is scale - so to solve that I came accross this technique to
render a altitude map then apply that to the relief in Cheetah.

This is the technique I am refering to http://www.pinwire.com/article82.html

Thanks for your help
Lee

 

[frank beckmann]

Hi Lee Pruitt.
I read the article this morning and had a go within Cheetah3d. But anyway I´m not quiet sure now what to do with this, other than burning my eyes;-)
These aren´t altitude maps; they´re called highfidelity maps and rendering an altitude mask is not pssible yet within Cheetah3d. Don´t hurt me, if I´m wrong.
With kindest regards
Frank

 

[Martin]

Hi,
I'm not sure if I understood it right. Do you want to use highmaps with more then 8 bit resolution to get an more exact relief. If yes you could use the OpenEXR texture file format which offers 16bit resolution per channel. That will offer you a much more detailed relief.

Bye,
Martin

 

[Lee Pruitt]

Frank and Martin,

Thanks for your help.
Frank can you post that scene so I can experiment ?

What I want to happen is to create a scene in Cheetah. A landscape with mountains wildlife etc.. Then since I cannot (CNC) cut such a large file - meaning the depth between the mountains and the foreground. I need a way to flatten that scene into a relief image. I can then cut that into my tiles.

If you think I am going the wrong direction let me know. Basicly I am looking for an easier/better way to create my tiles. Like I mentioned currently I paint in grayscale to get my depth info.

Thanks For all your help.

 

[Martin]

Hi,
to render a height texture from two meshes isn't possible with Cheetah3D yet. But a normal map renderer is on my todo list. But I probably won't find the time to add it in the near future. Sorry.

Bye,
Martin

 

[schlumpf]

Hi guys I'm a novice user, some ? to ur exchange

Lee, how do u get an imported grayscale tiff to elevate the relief object?
I understand franks instructions for the Displace Modifier, but there is no offset for the relief object. I'm missing something?


frank, what is the best way to create a "map-instruction image" such as
highfieldpic, altitudetiff, greyscalejpg? For example with digicam and Photoshop of everyday objects. Resolution, Bit Depth, Filter in Photoshop?
Any ideas?

tks,
s*

 

[ces]

Maybe it's possible to render normal maps by using directional lights (with color) through each main axis.

I'm not sure if that would be possible or not, it's just a guess.

Anyway, even supposing that's feasible, for an accurate result one would have to take into account the actual maths used for shading by Cheetah3D.

 

[RobKR]

Hi Lee,

as far as I understand it you are after a final render in which the greyscale value represents distance from the camera not the amount of light falling on the object.

You could possibly try faking it with a very large parallel light in front of the camera, with the shadows switched off and the attenuation set so that the furthest away objects are just lit.

If it works (sorry not had time to try it), each object should be lit according to its distance from the camera as the light intensity falls off.

Or you could try another 3D program (sorry Martin) I think Bryce had a depth of field render (apologies if I'm wrong) and Daz are currently offering 5.05 as a free download if this works with your system.

Cheers Rob.

 

[frank beckmann]

Hi Lee.
Better I say "no" at the beginning. Everything from now is very experimental and not for common use; ok, who cares?

1. is a simple scene in Bryce.
2. placed the camera in front and rendered an "distance mask".
3. the inverted output.
4. the inverted mask used as a highfield map, rendered.
5. the "thing" exported to autocad dxf-file, opened in Cheetah3d and rendered.
5a. a closer look at the horror of an dxf-mesh. Don´t know wether a CNC can read such dxf-files.

Maybe this could be a way for a simulation, but that´s it.
@ Schlumpf: I don´t know how to realize such things with a camera nor in a bitmapeditor.
You have first to tile the plane in sections let´s say 100x by 100y.

With kindest regards
Frank

 

[three-s]

Fog Relief

Hello,
first of all my respect to the nice work being done by all,
for the sake of virtual community members.

Here is my contribution:
i made a very simple scene in C3D, (A),
a few cubes, 1 behind the other, no lights,
except for the cubes "white emissive" material.
Put in a fog tag with the camera (B)
Do a few tests with fog startpoint & intensity,
and make a render (A) that you can tweak a little in PS.
The goal being: white is near, dark is far.
Use the rendered tiff for displacement map
on a newly made plane (C)

for C, i set up an oblique lighting.
there you have your reliëf!

One whacky way of doing this with a camera,
is putting a white object in a bath of grey
transparent fluid, so the nearest point appears white,
and the furthest almost black.
Try to photograph it, and there's your displacement tiff!

can't wait to see the results !

www.3-s.be

 

[Francois]

Here is my contribution:

three-s,
Congratulations on your work. It looks like to me that you found a way to solve Lee's question. I was about to post the same kind of thing but your proof is cleaner.

If you think I am going the wrong direction let me know. Basicly I am looking for an easier/better way to create my tiles. Like I mentioned currently I paint in grayscale to get my depth info.

Lee,
Is there a way to see what you are doing so we can better understand ? Do you have a web site ?

I have been creating my ceramic tile work using the relief map. I have been taking grayscale images and elevating the relief.

Do you want to do something similar to this ?
http://www.bitcam.com/index.html
If yes, I have tons of links with a lot of of information that I can give you since the offer on the market is fairly large

Then exporting to a CNC Milling Machine.

Is your CNC machine directly controled by the Mac ? If yes, could I have more details on your settings since this is also something that I would like to do

what fileformat is going to used for CNC-milling?

Frank,
The format used by CNC machines is the G-code. There is a lot of information/software on the net regarding CNC and G-code (do you want 100+ links ?) but it's mainly/only for PC's (Fortunatly, it's going to be easier with the new Macs). There are some STL or DXF to G-code converters

François