Plugin: BitMapStyle Normal Projection Map, New Version 30.9.05 Ambient Colour menu fixed Options

[JohnArtbox]

From the prolific programming skills of Marcel Bricman comes another masterpiece. BitMapStyle takes a texturemap and projects it onto the model using the surface normal .

It's a very new plugin. and I'm still testing the latest version, but Marcel asked me to post it to the forum.

Surfaces that face up are coloured using the top of the texture, surfaces on the left are patterned using the left area of the texture. This means that on many models with flat surfaces there will be stretch patterns.
I'll try to post a better explanation tomorrow.

So why did I post this? ... I asked Marcel how hard it would be to program this plugin and explained my ideas. The next morning I checked my email and received a 'proof of concept', I did some more tests and Marcel did some more programming, and it's here. As well as providing a new texturing method, it should be useful for natural media effects.

Marcel's my hero

New version added 30.9.05 corrects a menu error"ambient colour was labelled ambient colour and intensity.

Attached File(s)

 BitMapStyle.zip ( 9.2k ) Number of downloads: 265

 

[JohnArtbox]

Here's my initial test render. I used the tileable textures that are on the Hash2005 CD to colour a bunch of cows. The BitMapStyle texture was dragged onto the Kows. Total time to apply textures and setup shot was just under 15 minutes.
More tests to come.

Attached File(s)

 TheCowsWorried.jpg ( 81.47k ) Number of downloads: 84

 

[KenH]

Can you give us an example of where you would use it? Maybe a screenshot? It sounds good. Thanks guys.

Edit: OK there's a picture there now. I'm going to have to experiment.

[JohnArtbox]

And here's a quick example of it on an animated model. It's hard to see at this size, but I've used BitMapStyle to modify diffuse colour, bump and specularity on this model.

Attached File(s)

 cowrun.mpg ( 94.02k ) Number of downloads: 402

 

[KenH]

How/where/when do you access the properties? Before or after applying the decal?

Cool animation. There's something funky happening on the top of his back near the end.

This post has been edited by KenH: Sep 7 2005, 07:32 AM

[JohnArtbox]

You don't decal the model.. it's a projection map of sorts.
Load an image map
Create a material and change the attribute to BitMapStyle.
The various controls are similar to those in a projection map.
The just drop the material onto the model or group. If the model is well rounded, chances are you'll get a useful result.
Additive colour, ambience and stick to surface Off may be useful for fudging ambient light, but it's early days exploring the uses to which this plugin can be put.

The animation has a bit of creasing of the mesh. Considering I went from base mesh to animation in 2 hours, I can live with that for the moment.

[markeh]

So this is basically applying a decal that wraps around a model without flattening the model?.....And this would probably look better for example on a cylinder laying on its side as opposed to standing verticle? Or what is it's difference from a projection map? If stick to surface is off, does your model "swim" through the material?

[John Bigboote]

Hey pretty cool...is this a v12 only texture? Could you post the image you used?

[KingSalami]

ha ha, cool model, I'll try it out

[JohnArtbox]

OK, here's an explanation. If you look at the attached image you'll see the difference between BitMapStyle and a spherical projection map.
A Spherical projection map expands out from a central point. It doesn't matter what way the surface is facing, just where it is in relation to that point.
BitMapStyle is the opposite. It doesn't care about the location of the surface, only about the direction of the surface(otherwise known as the normal, that thin yellow line that makes your model look like a porcupine). Any surface facing up will be coloured according to the top of the texture image. Any surface facing down will take its' colour from the bottom of the image and so on for the front, back, left and right. In this case back, left, front and right are the gradient running from left to right.
In the bottom you can see how it applies to different shapes. Circles work perfectly while other shapes stretch the texture. Straight edges such as those on the cube and cylinders will cause edge lines and are generally not suitable.
This plugin is not a substitute for good decalling and it will not work on every model. It doesn't provide a great deal of fine control, but it will texture some complicated objects (like the skycastle) much quicker than any other method.
Markeh: Yes the texture will swim if not stuck to the surface.
John Bigboote: I honestly don't know. Try it and tell us the results

Attached File(s)

 BitmapStyleMapping.jpg ( 195.54k ) Number of downloads: 69

 

[JohnArtbox]

One way to minimise the creasing is to add a bump material, which acts to disperse the normal pattern.
On this image I added a displacement combiner to a rough plane. Added further detail with a bump texture and coloured it using BitMapStyle.

Attached File(s)

 fractalLandscape.jpg ( 139.29k ) Number of downloads: 59

 

[KenH]

Abso-friggin-lutely gorgeous! It looks like some of that foam landscape for train sets. Only more real of course.

Say, is Marcel sick or something? Why isn't he touting his own plugin?

[JohnArtbox]

Marcel is busy, so he delivered it into my waiting hands and told me to spread the word...which I dutifully did.

[markeh]

Hey ya! Now we're talkin'. This stirs experimentation. Any other interesting examples you've come up with would be appreciated. Hmmm....... I wonder if you could "crest" waves with a foam look with this on an animated displacement map.

[Zaryin]

The terrain is awesome looking. Thanks Marcel, and John for posting.