LightWave 3D 8 1001 Tips & Tricks phần 5 pps

areas of the surface. Camera Incidence will put the color on the edges of the sur - face where the polygons are sloping away from the viewer. Camera Incidence looks better than you might think because the lighted edges show up better in areas that are darker. There’s just a little savings in render time — about 4% — over using two rim lights with shadows as the only ray tracing option on. But using an inci - dence angle gradient texture looks better for cartoon-style animation because, no matter what angle the surface is to the camera, you will always get the same degree of rim “lighting.” Also, you can easily give the edge effect a color with - out worrying about hot spots when the character moves. Versions: 5-8 530 Emanuele Salvucci | Gradients | Intermediate Sepia-Tones Textures You can easily remap a color texture using gradients and texture layers. To remap an image to sepia tones, for instance: 1. In the Color channel, add a texture using the “T” button. 2. In the Texture Editor, choose and map the image. 3. Add a new layer of type Gradient. 4. Set Input Parameter to Previous Layer. 5. Add a new gradient key by clicking on the gradient ramp. 6. Set the new gradient key to 1.0 (Parameter = 1.0). 7. Set the color for the key at position 0 to 47, 34, 0. 8. Set the color for the key at position 1 to 255, 222, 165. Having set the input parameter to Previous Layer, the gradient takes color intensity values from the previous layer and uses them as key parameters. You can remap images using as many keys and colors as you like. Versions: 7-8 531 Gerald Abraham | Gradients | Intermediate Incidence Angle Though the Incidence Angle gradient’s most common application is for con - trolling reflection, it can be handy in other situations as well. Applied to the Diffuse channel with a light brown color, it can be used to simulate a dusty surface. Versions: All 532 Kevin Phillips | Gradients | Beginner Gradients and Negative Bump Maps An interesting note if you are using gradients with a Bump input parameter. If you need your bump map to be subtractive rather then additive (i.e., dents, not lumps for instance), then use a negative texture value, do not use the subtractive blending mode or the gradient will not read the bump input values correctly. 232 | Chapter 5 Gradients This works on LightWave 7.5c; however, reports seem to indicate that it may not be the case in LW 8. Interesting… Versions: 6-7.5c 533 Eki Halkka | Gradients | Beginner Gradients Are Your Friend, Really! I suggest spending some time learning about gradients. Here are just a few examples of how they can be used: Almost all surfaces are reflective, especially when looked at from low, glancing angles. A piece of regular paper doesn’t seem to reflect at first, but if you look at it directly from the side, it does. So, most surfaces benefit from an incidence angle gradient controlling reflection. A shiny car surface could have 90% start and 20% end values on the gradient, and the paper could have 5% start and 0% end values. You can also copy this gradient to the Specularity channel, as specular highlights are actually reflections of the LightWave lights. Snow and dust tends to gather on flat surfaces. You can set up a slope gradi- ent in the Color channel to make a snowy surface for your landscape. Set the start color to white, and then add a pale blue key at 0.2. Set that key’s alpha value to 0%. You may wish to add one more key to make the transition slightly more abrupt. Ta da! Done. You can create a weight map in Modeler and use a gradient to apply texture parameters based on it. This is often much easier than creating texture alpha images. Versions: 6-8 534 Timothy “Amadhi” Albee | Gradients | Beginner Input Parameter Gradients let you reference other surfacing channels (like the Bump chan - nel), so when you make a modification to the Reference channel, it affects all other channels referencing that channel accordingly. Versions: All 535 Patrik Beck | Gradients | Beginner Bump Map The Bump Map channel can be used to control several attributes using the gradient texture. An animated texture can be set up using the Bump channel, and gradients using the input parameter of the Bump channel can be set up in the other attributes such as Color, Luminosity, Transparency, etc. The base setting for bump level on the main Surface Editor panel can be reduced all the way to 0 to remove the bump attribute from the surface, but the gradients will still behave as if the bump texture is there. Versions: All Texturing | 233 Gradients Procedurals 536 Leigh van der Byl | Procedurals | Beginner to Intermediate Positioning Procedural Textures Procedural textures in LightWave can be a very quick and efficient way to create detailed textures on your surfaces. However, they can be tricky to posi - tion, since they are, by default, rendered over the entire surface. One method of controlling the visibility of procedurals is to use black-and- white images in the Texture Editor to mask them by blending the image above the procedural texture using the Alpha Blending Mode. The white areas of the image will allow the procedural texture to show through, while the black areas will mask it, as shown in the following image. 234 | Chapter 5 Procedurals Alternatively, another useful and intuitive method of masking procedurals is to paint weight maps on the object that you use in conjunction with the Weight Map gradient, also blended with the Alpha mode. Create a new weight map on your object, and then paint areas of 100% onto areas where you would like the procedural to show. Set up a gradient layer in the Texture Editor using this weight map, assign a white value to the 100% end of the gradient, and leave the rest of the gradient black. Set this layer to Alpha Blending Mode, and make sure the layer is above the procedural texture layer that you are wanting to mask. Rendering this object will now show the procedural tex - ture showing through the areas that had a value of 100% in the weight map, as shown in the image on the right. Versions: 6.5-8 Texturing | 235 Procedurals 537 Todd Grimes | Procedurals | Beginner Avoiding Patterns Layer procedurals on top of one another with variations in settings. This will eliminate noticeable patterns within the surface. Versions: 6-8 538 Emanuele Salvucci | Procedurals | Intermediate Detail Texture Images rather than procedurals are often used as textures, but the main draw - back of using images is detail and resolution. A bitmap can be used to map the bump channel of a wall, but if you are too close to the object you can notice how poor the detail becomes. To improve visual resolution at very close distances you can use a detail tex - ture. These are additional bitmaps or procedurals that come into play when the camera reaches a certain distance from the object, to add small or even micro details to the main texture. It is possible to add as many detail textures as required by the situation. Let’s make two detail textures for a concrete wall, mapped with a photo- graph to act as the main bump pattern. Start by creating a plane and adding it to an empty scene. 1. Move the camera away from the object by 9 meters. 2. Map an image texture on the Bump channel. 3. Add a Procedural layer and choose a procedural texture. 4. Add a Gradient layer and set Input Parameter to Distance to Camera. 5. Set the Blending Mode to Alpha for the Gradient layer. 6. Set the following parameter keys for the gradient: Parameter 0.0 m Value 100% Parameter 1.0 m Value 100% Parameter 9.0 m Value 0% 7. Reorder the new layers so that the Procedural is last and the Gradient is in the middle. 8. Make a camera animation so that the camera is 0.5 meters from the object on the last keyframe. 9. Make a few test renders to adjust the Procedural parameter’s Scale values. 10. To add the second detail texture, copy both the Gradient and the Procedural layers and paste them using Add to Layers. 11. Set the following parameter keys for the second gradient: Parameter 0.0 m Value 100% Parameter 0.8 m Value 100% Parameter 2.0 m Value 0% 12. Reorder these added layers as before, so that the second Procedural layer is last. 13. Make some more renders again to adjust the second Procedural layer’s parameters and Scale values. 236 | Chapter 5 Procedurals To make the “with and without test,” simply disable all layers in the Bump channel but the main texture image one. By rendering the full scene you can see the details smoothly blending in while moving toward the wall. Versions: 6-8 539 Emanuele Salvucci | Procedurals | Intermediate Procedural Rust Believable procedural rust can be achieved using a simple grayscale image and a gradient — with a few touches here and there. You can start by drawing the grayscale map where white represents a fully rusted zone and black represents the paint. If you’re using any projection type but UV mapping you can draw mostly straight and quite blurred white lines to make your rust map. Now with the following steps, create the procedural rust material: 1. Create a quadrangle on the XZ plane and pass it to Layout. 2. Map the grayscale texture to the first color layer and set the Blending Mode to Texture Displacement. Texturing | 237 Procedurals 3. Add a Gradient layer, leave the Blending Mode at Normal, set the Input Parameter to Previous Layer, and create a transition using roughly the fol - lowing parameters: Parameter = 0, Color (the original paint color) Parameter = 0.3, Color (225, 225, 225) Parameter = 0.4, Color (60, 60, 60) Parameter = 0.42, Color (30, 30, 30) Parameter = 0.44, Color (60, 60, 60) Parameter = 0.6, Color (105, 50, 25) The parameter at 0.3 represents the white paint layer while the three parame - ters in close range are to simulate an inner shadow as if the paint erosion had some thickness. Obviously the last parameter is the rust color. 4. Add a Procedural layer if you’re not using UV mapping, drag it down to be the last layer, and set Blending Mode to Texture Displacement. You can choose the procedural type you like the most, as this layer will fractalize the regular shape of the grayscale map. Turbulence or FBM are recom - mended for this purpose though. I set the grayscale texture layer to Texture Displacement because it will have no visible effect in this case, apart from being used by the color gradient. Now with a few test renders and adjusting the “rusting point” on the gradient by shifting keys, the procedural rust is half done. To complete the surface, the same grayscale map and gradient can be used to define local diffuse, specular, and bump properties. This technique can also be used to create worn metal on objects’ edges sim- ply by setting the last gradient parameter to a mid-white color rather than using a rusty one and by drawing the grayscale map on objects’ edges. Versions: 6-8 540 Emanuele Salvucci | Procedurals | Intermediate Shaping Objects with Bump Maps Sometimes a simple procedural bump can shape objects as if they were modeled. As usual, the only drawback is that bump mapping doesn’t affect an object’s contours (silhouette). To experiment with “shaping bump” you just need a procedural texture applied on the Bump channel. In the Texture Editor, setting Scale values similar to the size of the object along with setting low Frequency or few Octaves or low Contrast (depending on the type of procedural you’re using) will turn a noisy fractal into a shaping texture. 238 | Chapter 5 Procedurals Here’s an example of what a simple sphere can become just by applying a Cyclone procedural on the Bump channel: Parameters for the Cyclone procedural in this example are: Scale XYZ 1 m Increment 0.245 Lacunarity 1.68 Octaves 2.11 The Object Size is 1 square meter. Versions: 5-8 541 Gerald Abraham | Procedurals | Beginner Coloring for Simplicity When layering procedurals on top of one another, start by setting an initial color different from the previous layer even if, ultimately, you intend to give lay- ers similar shades. This will make adjusting the shape and scale of a layer simpler. Versions: All 542 Emanuele Salvucci | Procedurals | Intermediate Metallic Car Paint One of the problems with metallic paint is reproducing the little shiny dots while keeping specular highlights and reflections smooth and clean. Metallic paint in reality involves surface irregularities so that light is reflected differently from each dot from the same point of view. In 3D this equals “surface normals perturbation” simply known as “bump.” But bump actually affects diffuse, spec - ular, reflection, and refraction, and we certainly don’t want this on a smooth car body. We can actually reproduce the effect on the Color channel alone, thus not affecting or applying anything else on the surface. The best procedural texture to reproduce sparse dots is the Crust texture. Our color channel will be made up of four layers as follows: Layer1—Agradient based on light incidence to modulate the overall shiny dots effect Layer2—Avery small Crust procedural as a base for medium shiny dots Texturing | 239 Procedurals Layer3—ALight Incidence gradient that works as an alpha to modulate the fourth layer Layer 4 — Another Crust procedural that is slightly bigger to create very shiny dots around specular highlights In the following images you can see the layers and parameters for each layer: 240 | Chapter 5 Procedurals The first layer is a reddish gradient because it also gives color to the gray Crust procedurals below it. To simulate the internal light transmission due to the shiny dots you can set Luminosity at 15% on the Surface Editor and add a last red Gradient layer always based on Light Incidence that adds red color on top of everything: Texturing | 241 Procedurals [...]... possible for VIPER to use, turn all those things off, and set the render size to be the same as the preview size you are using in VIPER Then hit F9, and only render what you need Versions: 6 .5 -8 2 58 | Chapter 5 VIPER 58 1 Robin Wood | VIPER | Beginner to Intermediate Using VIPER to Preview Transparency Sometimes it’s hard to see some of the texture channels (like Transparency) in VIPER, but you can still... expression to null (3) Pitch channel: ((null (5) .wpos(Time)) – (Camera.wpos(Time)))*2 The subtraction result represents the distance between the camera and the dolly IK goal with an arbitrary factor to enhance rotations Now you can see how the second arm extends and retracts when null (5) moves away and toward the camera Versions: 5 -8 5 98 Timothy “Amadhi” Albee | General Tips | All Levels DOF Modeling You can... attach the procedural to a reference object such as a null object If the null is moved, rotated, or scaled, the texture attached to it does the same thing In LightWave 5. 0 there was a texture velocity control Versions: 5 -8 Texturing | 2 45 Procedurals 54 9 Larry Shultz | Procedurals | Intermediate Raindrops Hitting the Ground A very quick way to create the effect of raindrops hitting the ground or something... Versions: 6 .5 -8 58 2 William “Proton” Vaughan, Rob Powers | VIPER | All Levels Select Surfaces in VIPER When using VIPER you have the ability to select a surface by simply clicking on it in the VIPER display This can make it much easier to select a specific surface to edit in a scene that has a large list of surfaces Versions: All Ü Note: VIPER won’t be active unless the Surface Editor is open 58 3 Patrik... sliders without having to go back into Photoshop to make those changes Open Image Editor or use F4, load your image, then click the Editing tab Versions: 5 -8 58 6 Eki Halkka | Image Editor | Beginner Multilayer HDRI Composites When compositing in LightWave 3D is referred to, what people usually think of is the background and foreground images The tools do what they promise, and that may be enough for many... happy with what you see, turn off the camera’s Target and set a keyframe Versions: 6 -8 59 0 Steve Warner | General Tips | Beginner Orthographic Renders You can simulate orthographic renders by moving your camera far from your object and increasing the camera’s zoom factor Versions: 6 -8 59 1 Leigh van der Byl | General Tips | Beginner to Intermediate The Vertigo Effect Have you ever watched a film (particular... get rid of that shiny, computer-generated look I often add a subtle procedural layer to all texture channels Versions: 6 -8 55 1 Jonny Gorden | Procedurals | Beginner Quick Colors If you have need of a flat color or value, use the Value procedural instead of an image map Versions: 6 -8 55 2 Patrik Beck | Procedurals | All Levels Looping Ripple Effects Any procedural effect based on waves, like the Ripple... to render a frame for VIPER to load into its buffer If antialiasing is turned on, LightWave will render five or more passes to render the frame VIPER only requires the first pass, so you can abort the render after the first pass and VIPER will have what it needs Versions: All Texturing | 259 Image Editor Image Editor 58 5 Geoffrey Kater | Image Editor | Beginner Sliders You can make adjustments to your... render quick previews of the HyperVoxel volumes or sprites while trying to nail down the perfect look Versions: 7 -8 5 78 Rob Powers | VIPER | Intermediate Gradients When the Gradient Editor window is open, VIPER will update gradient surface changes on objects in real time Versions: 7 -8 57 9 Larry Shultz, Robin Wood | VIPER | All Levels VIPER and Presets When using VIPER, make sure you have selected a... if you only want to model, light, or work on small sections of a film, learning more about cinematography will make you a better, more well-rounded artist — Wes “kurv” Beckwith General Tips 58 8 Steve Warner | General Tips | Beginner Perspective Camera Plug-in You can match your camera to the Perspective view in Layout by using the PViewMC plug-in from Lernie Ang This, as well as Lernie’s other great . correctly. 232 | Chapter 5 Gradients This works on LightWave 7.5c; however, reports seem to indicate that it may not be the case in LW 8. Interesting… Versions: 6-7.5c 53 3 Eki Halkka | Gradients. color) Parameter = 0.3, Color (2 25, 2 25, 2 25) Parameter = 0.4, Color (60, 60, 60) Parameter = 0.42, Color (30, 30, 30) Parameter = 0.44, Color (60, 60, 60) Parameter = 0.6, Color (1 05, 50 , 25) The parameter. the texture attached to it does the same thing. In LightWave 5. 0 there was a texture velocity control. Versions: 5 -8 244 | Chapter 5 Procedurals 54 9 Larry Shultz | Procedurals | Intermediate Raindrops