polycount - User contributions [en]

Texel

2017-07-07T05:48:21Z

Throttlekitty: added 80.lv resource link.

A texel is each [[Pixel]] of a [[Texture]] during the time the texture is being processed by the [[:Category:GameEngines|game engine]].

After the engine performs calculations to project the texture onto [[Polygon]]s, the texture pixels are transformed into texels. Then the engine [[Rendering|renders]] the scene, and at that point it transforms those texels into screen pixels.

The distinction between texels and pixels is important in defining how the engine transforms textures. First they're texture pixels, then they're texels, then they're finally screen pixels.

* [https://80.lv/articles/textel-density-tutorial/ Figuring out Textel Density] An excellent resource by [http://leonano.com/portfolio/ Leonardo Iezzi‎] showing examples and practices of setting texel density in different scenarios.

----
[[Category:Glossary]][[Category:Rendering]]

Texturing

2014-08-30T21:01:04Z

Throttlekitty: more rewrite

= Texturing =
Texturing refers to the act of producing 2d images for use with 3d models. Commonly referred to as maps or sometimes as "skins" work in conjunction with [[Material|materials]] and [[Shaders]] to produce the final rendering inside a game engine on a game model that has a [[UV map|UV Layout]]. Multiple [[Texture Types|texture types]] are often used to control different parameters or channels of the shader, such as [[Normal map]]s or [[Specular map]]s. A variety of techniques and [[Tools]] are used to make textures: painted by hand in a traditional 2d package, painted in 3d directly on models, created parametrically, or [[Baking]] image data from one model to another.

(a couple of 2d/newbie-friendly tutorial links should go here)
See the [[TexturingTutorials|texturing tutorial]] for more links.

== Texture Types ==
Depending on the engine and visual style, different types of maps are used for different effects. [[Vertex color]]s are optionally used to control additional effects, such as blending between two images in the same model. Images are made up of [[Pixel]]s and are split up into Red, Green and Blue components, also known as channels, and may additionally have an Alpha channel which can be used to store [[Opacity map|opacity]] or another type of map or mask. Masks are images or layers used to control "How much of What", such as [[Specular map]]s or [[Gloss map]]s, and are typically (but not always) greyscale (pixels only utilizing one channel).

For the average prop, arrangements of map types might use Diffuse/Specular/Normal for a current-gen game. [[PBR|Physical Based Rendering]] setup might be Albedo/Microsurface/Reflectivity/Normal for a next-gen shader.

Other surfaces need more specialized shaders and textures, such as Skin or water.

For an expanded list, see [[Texture types]].

== Tutorials ==
There are many ways to create textures for 3d models using the various [[Tools|tools]] available to us.

== Technical ==
todo: technical info: dimensions, bit depth, channels, pixel/texel, format(and page for format types).

Often, artists need to make choices about the formatting of their textures, usually during the planning stage before creating the model/texture. Here is some technical information on 2d images.

'''Size''': The dimensions of the image, how the model is [[Texture Coordinates|unwrapped]], the scale of the model and scene scale all equate to the resolution of the textured model when seen in-game. It is important that all objects in the scene have similar texture scaling to keep the overall look consistent; a low-resolution image looks jarring when placed next to a high-resolution one. Texture size is the first place to start for this decision, determining [[Texel|texel]], the ratio between UV space/Texture resolution/Scene and object scale when uv unwrapping the model is the second.

Images store pixels in two dimensions, and can be square or rectangular. Most engines require dimensions to be in powers of two: 2,4,8,16,3164,128,256,512,1024,2048,4096. Other engines may not require it, but an off-sized image can potentially harm performance.

'''Channels''' refers to the color components in the image. Red, Green and Blue (RGB) are each stored as data in separate indices and some software can display each as a greyscale image. An additional channel named Alpha can also be present, but not always rendered into the composite. Some formats store other channel types, such as HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance), CYMK (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Chroma/Black), or simply luminance or alpha.

'''[[BitDepth|Bit depth]]''' is how much data is allotted to each pixel either in memory or in the file. More bits per pixel (bpp) increases the number of colors available for each channel. The 1 bit type has two colors, black and white (or off and on), and is often used for transparent alpha testing - a simple sorting for whether or not a pixel is visible. 8 bits gives 256 colors per channel (16.7 million RGB colors), and is often the default mode for most applications. However, higher bpp means increased file size and memory use. It's not uncommon for a format to store colors unequally: 5 bits red, 6 bits green, 5 bits blue, for an example of a total 16 bit storage. Compression is another method to decrease the file size.

'''Compression'''

(the following is the old wiki page, will clean up as pages are written)

== Related Pages ==

* [[CharacterSculpting]] and [[EnvironmentSculpting]] have information on 3D sculpting.
* [[Category:Concept]] has drawing and painting fundamentals.

== Texture Sizes ==
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134911 How often are 4096 textures used in next-gen gaming] on the Polycount Forum

== Texture Photography ==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [http://renderhjs.net/shoebox/ ShoeBox: Mask Image] - by ''[http://renderhjs.net Hendrik-Jan "renderhjs" Schoenmaker]''
|-
| [http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/TakingBetterPhotosForTextures.html Taking Better Photos for Textures] - by ''[http://www.mutantspoon.com/ Jordan Walker]''
|-
| [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=65262 Better Sharpening in Photoshop] - by ''[http://poopinmymouth.com Ben "poopinmymouth" Mathis]''
|-
| [http://cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorials Texture Photography & Processing Tutorials]
|}

[[Category:Discipline]] [[Category:Texturing]]

Texture types

2014-08-24T18:01:56Z

Throttlekitty: /* Specular Maps */ correction on metalness.

These are some of the map types used when [[Texturing|texturing]] game models. In all cases, the different map types work together to produce the final image rendered onscreen. Artists create these maps in tandem to ensure the contribution from each work in balance. In most cases, these images can be considered masks for material attributes that work on a per-pixel level, instead of a single-value slider, such as transparency or gloss.

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|diffuse]], [[Emissive map|emissive]], [[Normal map|normal]], [[Transparency map|opacity]], [[Specular color map|specular]], and [[Specular gloss map|gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project. Depending on the needs of a game, multiple types may be [[ChannelPacking|packed]] into a single [[Texture formats|file]].

In a [[PBR|Physically-based rendering]] scheme, the common types are [[Albedo map|albedo]], [[Microsurface map|microsurface]], [[Reflectivity map|reflectivity]], and [[Normal map|normal]] maps.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Color Maps ==
The most common type is diffuse, the colors seen on the model. This map varies in appearance the most, due to art direction or technical requirements of a given asset.
* [[Diffuse map]]s are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface.
* [[Albedo map]]s are a more specialized form of diffuse used in [[PBR]] shaders, and represent only the base colors of a surface.
* [[Detail map]]s are tiled detail textures that are blended in when geometry is viewed up close.
* Gradient maps and Color look-up tables can be used to modify colors of a scene or model by mapping one color to another in a 1d or 2d fashion. These are typically global assets, not specific to any model.
* Masking for color variation, player customizable assets, or material regions can be considered color maps.

== Transparency Maps ==
* [[Transparency map]]s, also known as opacity, are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

== Bump Maps ==
* [[Bump map]]s are 2d grayscale maps that modify shading of geometry, typically used for fine detail of a surface.
* [[Normal map]]s are 3D bump maps that modify [[Vertex normal]]s to give the appearance of higher detailed geometry.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.
* [[Displacement map]]s are similar to bump but store height information and modify geometry when rendered, modifying both appearance of shading and silhouette.
* [[Height map]]s are typically used to deform terrain meshes moving vertices up and down.
* [[Vector displacement map]]s are an extension of height, but can transform vertices in any axis.
* Wrinkle maps vary in implementation, but store localized bump values for wrinkles on clothing when characters bend in certain ways.

- The following aren't necessarily bump types, but work to a similar effect.

* [[Parallax map]]s "slide" other textures along a surface simulating height and depth in geometry.
* [[DuDv map]]s modify UVs of a mesh to distort the other textures on a per-pixel basis.
* [[Flow map]]s are similar to DuDv, defining direction-based distortion, such as water flow or anisotropic highlighting.
* [[Curvature map]]s are notable for use during production, storing convexity/concavity in greyscale.

== Specular Maps ==
* [[Specular color map|Specular map]]s control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Environment map|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.
* [[Specular gloss map|Gloss map]]s control how wide or narrow the specular highlight appears.
* Microsurface / Roughness maps are Gloss maps in a PBR system, representing how smooth or rough a surface is.
* Reflectivity is Specular in a PBR system, representing how much light is reflected off a surface.
* Metalness is an alternate to Reflectivity in PBR, it differs by marking materials as metallic or non-metallic. In this method, the Albedo map acts as normal for non-metals, and acts as reflectivity for metal areas.
* [[Anisotropic map]]s govern the shape of the specular highlights from real-time lights, often used for hair shading.
* [[Brdf map]]s govern reflection by mapping camera angles to light values.
* Fresnel / Rim light maps are used to control how much light appears on extreme angles of a surface, such as velvet or small fine hair.

== Environment Maps ==
[[Environment map]]s are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.
* [[Cube map]]s are the most common type, which features six faces of a panorama mapped to a cube.
* [[Diffusely convolved cube map]] is a blurred cube map that better represents the ambient light than an accurate reflection.
* [[Spherical environment map]] AKA Litsphere or MatCap is a simple, single-image reflection, mapping light and color values to angles of a hemisphere.

== Light Maps ==
* [[Light map]]s store complex pre-computed lighting for surfaces in a scene.
* [[Ambient occlusion map]]s are pre-computed calculations of ambient light bounce on a surface.
* Cavity maps are narrower version of ambient occlusion, keeping dark shadows to crevices and sharp corners only.
* [[Emissive map]] (aka Glow or Self-illumination) mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor, a vehicle dashboard at night, or magical effects.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.
* Thickness maps are a measurement of how thick/thin a surface is. Typically used for faking light passing through a surface when lit from behind, such as a cat's ear or a stretched hide.

== Other Maps ==
* [[Texture Coordinates]] AKA UV maps refer to the unwrapped shape of a model, used in production as a wireframe template when working in a 2d image editor during texturing.
* SSS / Subsurface Scattering maps fake the behavior of light bounce inside of a semitranslucent surface, such as skin or wax.
* Subdermal maps are used in skin shaders, representing the layer underneath skin: fatty tissue, blood tone and blood vessels.

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Texture types

2014-08-24T16:47:00Z

Throttlekitty: more info

These are some of the map types used when [[Texturing|texturing]] game models. In all cases, the different map types work together to produce the final image rendered onscreen. Artists create these maps in tandem to ensure the contribution from each work in balance. In most cases, these images can be considered masks for material attributes that work on a per-pixel level, instead of a single-value slider, such as transparency or gloss.

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|diffuse]], [[Emissive map|emissive]], [[Normal map|normal]], [[Transparency map|opacity]], [[Specular color map|specular]], and [[Specular gloss map|gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project. Depending on the needs of a game, multiple types may be [[ChannelPacking|packed]] into a single [[Texture formats|file]].

In a [[PBR|Physically-based rendering]] scheme, the common types are [[Albedo map|albedo]], [[Microsurface map|microsurface]], [[Reflectivity map|reflectivity]], and [[Normal map|normal]] maps.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Color Maps ==
The most common type is diffuse, the colors seen on the model. This map varies in appearance the most, due to art direction or technical requirements of a given asset.
* [[Diffuse map]]s are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface.
* [[Albedo map]]s are a more specialized form of diffuse used in [[PBR]] shaders, and represent only the base colors of a surface.
* [[Detail map]]s are tiled detail textures that are blended in when geometry is viewed up close.
* Gradient maps and Color look-up tables can be used to modify colors of a scene or model by mapping one color to another in a 1d or 2d fashion. These are typically global assets, not specific to any model.
* Masking for color variation, player customizable assets, or material regions can be considered color maps.

== Transparency Maps ==
* [[Transparency map]]s, also known as opacity, are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

== Bump Maps ==
* [[Bump map]]s are 2d grayscale maps that modify shading of geometry, typically used for fine detail of a surface.
* [[Normal map]]s are 3D bump maps that modify [[Vertex normal]]s to give the appearance of higher detailed geometry.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.
* [[Displacement map]]s are similar to bump but store height information and modify geometry when rendered, modifying both appearance of shading and silhouette.
* [[Height map]]s are typically used to deform terrain meshes moving vertices up and down.
* [[Vector displacement map]]s are an extension of height, but can transform vertices in any axis.
* Wrinkle maps vary in implementation, but store localized bump values for wrinkles on clothing when characters bend in certain ways.

- The following aren't necessarily bump types, but work to a similar effect.

* [[Parallax map]]s "slide" other textures along a surface simulating height and depth in geometry.
* [[DuDv map]]s modify UVs of a mesh to distort the other textures on a per-pixel basis.
* [[Flow map]]s are similar to DuDv, defining direction-based distortion, such as water flow or anisotropic highlighting.
* [[Curvature map]]s are notable for use during production, storing convexity/concavity in greyscale.

== Specular Maps ==
* [[Specular color map|Specular map]]s control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Environment map|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.
* [[Specular gloss map|Gloss map]]s control how wide or narrow the specular highlight appears.
* Microsurface / Roughness maps are Gloss maps in a PBR system, representing how smooth or rough a surface is.
* Reflectivity is Specular in a PBR system, representing how much light is reflected off a surface.
* Metalness is an alternate to Reflectivity in PBR, it differs by marking materials as metallic or non-metallic for how the specular appears. (Albedo and specular are the same map when using metalness.)
* [[Anisotropic map]]s govern the shape of the specular highlights from real-time lights, often used for hair shading.
* [[Brdf map]]s govern reflection by mapping camera angles to light values.
* Fresnel / Rim light maps are used to control how much light appears on extreme angles of a surface, such as velvet or small fine hair.

== Environment Maps ==
[[Environment map]]s are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.
* [[Cube map]]s are the most common type, which features six faces of a panorama mapped to a cube.
* [[Diffusely convolved cube map]] is a blurred cube map that better represents the ambient light than an accurate reflection.
* [[Spherical environment map]] AKA Litsphere or MatCap is a simple, single-image reflection, mapping light and color values to angles of a hemisphere.

== Light Maps ==
* [[Light map]]s store complex pre-computed lighting for surfaces in a scene.
* [[Ambient occlusion map]]s are pre-computed calculations of ambient light bounce on a surface.
* Cavity maps are narrower version of ambient occlusion, keeping dark shadows to crevices and sharp corners only.
* [[Emissive map]] (aka Glow or Self-illumination) mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor, a vehicle dashboard at night, or magical effects.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.
* Thickness maps are a measurement of how thick/thin a surface is. Typically used for faking light passing through a surface when lit from behind, such as a cat's ear or a stretched hide.

== Other Maps ==
* [[Texture Coordinates]] AKA UV maps refer to the unwrapped shape of a model, used in production as a wireframe template when working in a 2d image editor during texturing.
* SSS / Subsurface Scattering maps fake the behavior of light bounce inside of a semitranslucent surface, such as skin or wax.
* Subdermal maps are used in skin shaders, representing the layer underneath skin: fatty tissue, blood tone and blood vessels.

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Texture types

2014-08-23T19:59:10Z

Throttlekitty:

These are some of the map types used when [[Texturing|texturing]] game models. In all cases, the different map types work together to produce the final image rendered onscreen. Artists create these maps in tandem to ensure the contribution from each work in balance. In most cases, these images can be considered masks for material attributes that work on a per-pixel level, instead of a single-value slider, such as transparency or gloss.

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|diffuse]], [[Emissive map|emissive]], [[Normal map|normal]], [[Transparency map|opacity]], [[Specular color map|specular]], and [[Specular gloss map|gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project. Depending on the needs of a game, multiple types may be [[ChannelPacking|packed]] into a single [[Texture formats|file]].

In a [[PBR|Physically-based rendering]] scheme, the common types are [[Albedo map|albedo]], [[Microsurface map|microsurface]], [[Reflectivity map|reflectivity]], and [[Normal map|normal]] maps.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Color Maps ==
The most common type is diffuse, the colors seen on the model. This map varies in appearance the most, due to art direction or technical requirements of a given asset.
* [[Diffuse map]]s are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface.
* [[Albedo map]]s are a more specialized form of diffuse used in [[PBR]] shaders, and represent only the base colors of a surface.
* [[Emissive map]] (aka Glow or Self-illumination) mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor, a vehicle dashboard at night, or magical effects.
* [[Detail map]]s are tiled detail textures that are blended in when geometry is viewed up close.
* Gradient maps and Color look-up tables can be used to modify colors of a scene or model by mapping one color to another in a 1d or 2d fashion. These are typically global assets, not specific to any model.
* Masking for color variation, player customizable assets, or material regions can be considered color maps.

== Transparency Maps ==
* [[Transparency map]]s, also known as opacity, are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

== Bump Maps ==
* [[Bump map]]s are 2d grayscale maps that modify shading of geometry, typically used for fine detail of a surface.
* [[Normal map]]s are 3D bump maps that modify [[Vertex normal]]s to give the appearance of higher detailed geometry.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.
* [[Displacement map]]s are similar to bump but store height information and modify geometry when rendered, modifying both appearance of shading and silhouette.
* [[Height map]]s are typically used to deform terrain meshes moving vertices up and down.
* [[Vector displacement map]]s are an extension of height, but can transform vertices in any axis.
* Wrinkle maps vary in implementation, but store localized bump values for wrinkles on clothing when characters bend in certain ways.

- The following aren't necessarily bump types, but work to a similar effect.

* [[Parallax map]]s "slide" other textures along a surface simulating height and depth in geometry.
* [[DuDv map]]s modify UVs of a mesh to distort the other textures on a per-pixel basis.
* [[Flow map]]s are similar to DuDv, defining direction-based distortion, such as water flow or anisotropic highlighting.
* [[Curvature map]]s are notable for use during production, storing convexity/concavity in greyscale.

== Specular Maps ==
* [[Specular color map|Specular map]]s control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Environment map|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.
* [[Specular gloss map|Gloss map]]s control how wide or narrow the specular highlight appears.
* [[Anisotropic map]]s govern the shape of the specular highlights from real-time lights, often used for hair shading.
* [[Brdf map]]s govern reflection by mapping camera angles to light values.

== Environment Maps ==
[[Environment map]]s are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.
* [[Cube map]]s are the most common type, which features six faces of a panorama mapped to a cube.
* [[Diffusely convolved cube map]] is a blurred cube map that better represents the ambient light than an accurate reflection.
* [[Spherical environment map]] AKA Litsphere or MatCap is a simple, single-image reflection, mapping light and color values to angles of a hemisphere.

== Light Maps ==
* [[Light map]]s store complex pre-computed lighting for surfaces in a scene.
* [[Ambient occlusion map]]s are pre-computed calculations of ambient light bounce on a surface.
* Cavity maps are narrower version of ambient occlusion, keeping dark shadows to crevices and sharp corners only.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.

== Other Maps ==
* [[Texture Coordinates]] AKA UV maps refer to the unwrapped shape of a model, used in production as a wireframe template when working in a 2d image editor during texturing.

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Texture types

2014-08-23T19:58:52Z

Throttlekitty: rewrite 3

These are some of the map types used when [[Texturing|texturing]] game models. In all cases, the different map types work together to produce the final image rendered onscreen. Artists create these maps in tandem to ensure the contribution from each work in balance. In most cases, these images can be considered masks for material attributes that work on a per-pixel level, instead of a single-value slider, such as transparency or gloss.

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|diffuse]], [[Emissive map|emissive]], [[Normal map|normal]], [[Transparency map|opacity]], [[Specular color map|specular]], and [[Specular gloss map|gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project. Depending on the needs of a game, multiple types may be [[ChannelPacking|packed]] into a single [[Texture formats|file]].

In a [[PBR|Physically-based rendering] scheme, the common types are [[Albedo map|albedo]], [[Microsurface map|microsurface]], [[Reflectivity map|reflectivity]], and [[Normal map|normal]] maps.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Color Maps ==
The most common type is diffuse, the colors seen on the model. This map varies in appearance the most, due to art direction or technical requirements of a given asset.
* [[Diffuse map]]s are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface.
* [[Albedo map]]s are a more specialized form of diffuse used in [[PBR]] shaders, and represent only the base colors of a surface.
* [[Emissive map]] (aka Glow or Self-illumination) mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor, a vehicle dashboard at night, or magical effects.
* [[Detail map]]s are tiled detail textures that are blended in when geometry is viewed up close.
* Gradient maps and Color look-up tables can be used to modify colors of a scene or model by mapping one color to another in a 1d or 2d fashion. These are typically global assets, not specific to any model.
* Masking for color variation, player customizable assets, or material regions can be considered color maps.

== Transparency Maps ==
* [[Transparency map]]s, also known as opacity, are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

== Bump Maps ==
* [[Bump map]]s are 2d grayscale maps that modify shading of geometry, typically used for fine detail of a surface.
* [[Normal map]]s are 3D bump maps that modify [[Vertex normal]]s to give the appearance of higher detailed geometry.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.
* [[Displacement map]]s are similar to bump but store height information and modify geometry when rendered, modifying both appearance of shading and silhouette.
* [[Height map]]s are typically used to deform terrain meshes moving vertices up and down.
* [[Vector displacement map]]s are an extension of height, but can transform vertices in any axis.
* Wrinkle maps vary in implementation, but store localized bump values for wrinkles on clothing when characters bend in certain ways.

- The following aren't necessarily bump types, but work to a similar effect.

* [[Parallax map]]s "slide" other textures along a surface simulating height and depth in geometry.
* [[DuDv map]]s modify UVs of a mesh to distort the other textures on a per-pixel basis.
* [[Flow map]]s are similar to DuDv, defining direction-based distortion, such as water flow or anisotropic highlighting.
* [[Curvature map]]s are notable for use during production, storing convexity/concavity in greyscale.

== Specular Maps ==
* [[Specular color map|Specular map]]s control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Environment map|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.
* [[Specular gloss map|Gloss map]]s control how wide or narrow the specular highlight appears.
* [[Anisotropic map]]s govern the shape of the specular highlights from real-time lights, often used for hair shading.
* [[Brdf map]]s govern reflection by mapping camera angles to light values.

== Environment Maps ==
[[Environment map]]s are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.
* [[Cube map]]s are the most common type, which features six faces of a panorama mapped to a cube.
* [[Diffusely convolved cube map]] is a blurred cube map that better represents the ambient light than an accurate reflection.
* [[Spherical environment map]] AKA Litsphere or MatCap is a simple, single-image reflection, mapping light and color values to angles of a hemisphere.

== Light Maps ==
* [[Light map]]s store complex pre-computed lighting for surfaces in a scene.
* [[Ambient occlusion map]]s are pre-computed calculations of ambient light bounce on a surface.
* Cavity maps are narrower version of ambient occlusion, keeping dark shadows to crevices and sharp corners only.
* [[Radiosity normal map]]s are a specialized blending of light maps and normal maps.

== Other Maps ==
* [[Texture Coordinates]] AKA UV maps refer to the unwrapped shape of a model, used in production as a wireframe template when working in a 2d image editor during texturing.

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Anisotropic map

2014-08-23T18:41:55Z

Throttlekitty: little more info

= Anisotropic Map =
A texture that controls the shape of the specular highlights from real-time lights, often used for hair shading. Anisotropic highlights are characterized by long directional strokes, instead of the typical circular shape.

The texture is very similar in concept to a [[Normal map|normal map]], except instead of controlling surface normals, it stretches the specular highlight in specific directions across the surface.

== Anisotropic Tutorials ==
* [http://stephenjameson.com/tutorials/anisotropic-shader-for-hair/ Anisotropic Shader For Hair] by Stephen Jameson provides a breakdown of a shader setup in the Unreal Development Kit (UDK).
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77968 HAIR!?] thread on Polycount by [http://technicalartlead.blogspot.com/ Paul 'Prolow' Lohman] has some examples of an anisotropic hair shader in Maya.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1229069#post1229069 Making an anisotropic map for Marmoset Toolbag] post on the Polycount forum from the Lead Engineer at 8monkey Labs.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1229339#post1229339 Deriving an anisotropic map from vectors] post on the Polycount forum from a Character Artist at [[ArenaNet]].
* [http://tech-artists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=429 Painting a "flow" normalmap?] thread on the Tech-Artists.Org forum.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Specular map]]

Texture types

2014-08-23T17:04:05Z

Throttlekitty: rewrite 2

Texture types

2014-08-17T21:10:52Z

Throttlekitty: Big rewrite 1

Emissive map

2014-08-17T20:40:51Z

Throttlekitty: more info

= Emissive Map =
A texture that receives no lighting, so the pixels are shown at full intensity. Also called a Fullbright Map, Glow Map, Incandescence Map, or Self-Illumination Map. This is used for a glow in the dark effect, but does not emit light onto adjacent surfaces.

This can be used alongside a [[Diffuse map]] to add a glow effect, such as magic runes on a sword or the heated material on a torch.
----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Color map]]

Diffuse map

2014-08-17T20:24:29Z

Throttlekitty: added more info

= Diffuse Map =
In games this simply means the color texture. Also called an ''Albedo'' map.

This map generally only represents the base colors. If diffuse is the only map being used, light, shadow and highlights can be used to simulate the effects of more complex shaders. In such shaders, less to no lighting information is present in the diffuse, because those effects come from the contribution of other map types, such as [[Specular map]]s and/or [[Normal map]]s.

In offline rendering (movies, commercials, etc.) a diffuse map can mean a separate effect from a color map, where it controls the spread of any light that is being reflected off the surface.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Texture types]] [[Category:Color map]]

Texture types

2014-08-17T19:55:56Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page Texture Types to Texture types: Convert old>new space and case.

These are some of the map types used when texturing game models. The textures are stored in [[Category:TextureFormat|bitmaps]], and how they are used in a game is determined by a [[Category:Shaders|shader]].

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|Diffuse]], [[EmissiveMap|Emissive]], [[Normal map|Normal]], [[Transparency map|Opacity]], [[Specular color map|Specular]], and [[Specular gloss map|Gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Bump Maps ==
Bump maps are often used to create the appearance of a more highly-detailed surface, instead of using complex geometry with a ton of vertices.

[[Category:Bump map]] pages:

== Color Maps ==
Color maps are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface. Emissive maps mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor or a vehicle dashboard at night.

[[Diffuse map]] pages:

== Environment Maps ==
Environment maps are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.

For more information, see [[Environment map]].

== Light Maps ==
Light maps are often used to store complex pre-computed lighting for a surface.

[[Category:LightMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:LightMap]])>>

== Specular Maps ==
Specular maps control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Environment map|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.

[[Specular map]] pages:

== Transparency Maps ==
Transparency maps are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

[[Transparency map]]

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Texture Types

2014-08-17T19:55:56Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page Texture Types to Texture types: Convert old>new space and case.

#REDIRECT [[Texture types]]

DuDv map

2014-08-17T19:46:44Z

Throttlekitty:

__NOTOC__

= DuDv map =

DuDv is a simple way to use one texture to distort the pixels of another texture. Common uses are the heat haze above a fire, ripples refracting what's under the water, thick wavy glass distorting what's behind it, etc.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

A DuDv map is similar to a normal map in that it stores directional information in a texture, except mostly just the Red and Green channels are used, so the bitmap has a red/yellow/green look. A DuDv map is actually a derivative of a [[Normal map]], and can easily be created with a variety of tools. It's usually best to blur the texture before converting it, to reduce the "jaggedness" of the distortion effect.

DuDv works in similar way to how a [[Parallax map]] distorts a surface, except DuDv doesn't take the viewing angle into consideration (no parallax) it just shifts the pixels of the reflection map before it's applied onto the mesh. The method is basically fetching Du and Dv from the DuDv map, then for every pixel in the reflection map, adding Du to the reflection map's U texture coordinate and adding Dv to its V coordinate, which then offsets the reflection map pixels, creating the distortion.

The texture that's being distorted by the DuDv map is usually either a pre-created reflection map (like a [[Cube Map]]), or better yet a real-time rendered framebuffer of the rest of the scene. To do the latter, a special render is set up for each frame by rendering just what is going to be reflected or refracted. To save on render time often the scene is set to its lowest LOD for this special render and non-essential meshes are excluded. The rendered image is projected onto the surface from the camera's point of view, then the DuDv texture is used to distort it.

== DuDv tools ==

* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop Normal Map filter for Photoshop] by NVIDIA
* [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/TGAtoDUDV TGAtoDUDV] by Valve Software
* [http://www.renderingsystems.com/support/showthread.php?tid=3 ShaderMap] ($) by Rendering Systems
* DuDv maps can be manually created in Photoshop or PaintShop Pro:
.1. Start with a [[NormalMap]].
.2. Image->Adjustments->Invert (Photoshop) or Colors->Negative Image (PaintShop Pro).
.3. Image->Adjustments->Brightness&Contrast (Photoshop) or Colors->Adjust->Brightness/Contrast (PaintShop Pro). Raise the contrast as high as it will go.

== Related Pages ==
* [[Curvature map]]
* [[DuDv map]]
* [[Flow map]]
* [[Normal map]]
* [[Radiosity normal map]]
* [[Vector displacement map]]

[http://simonschreibt.de/gat/007-legends-the-world/ Has some animated examples]

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Bump map]]

DuDv map

2014-08-17T19:46:22Z

Throttlekitty: +1 link

__NOTOC__

= DuDv map =

DuDv is a simple way to use one texture to distort the pixels of another texture. Common uses are the heat haze above a fire, ripples refracting what's under the water, thick wavy glass distorting what's behind it, etc.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

A DuDv map is similar to a normal map in that it stores directional information in a texture, except mostly just the Red and Green channels are used, so the bitmap has a red/yellow/green look. A DuDv map is actually a derivative of a [[Normal map]], and can easily be created with a variety of tools. It's usually best to blur the texture before converting it, to reduce the "jaggedness" of the distortion effect.

DuDv works in similar way to how a [[Parallax map]] distorts a surface, except DuDv doesn't take the viewing angle into consideration (no parallax) it just shifts the pixels of the reflection map before it's applied onto the mesh. The method is basically fetching Du and Dv from the DuDv map, then for every pixel in the reflection map, adding Du to the reflection map's U texture coordinate and adding Dv to its V coordinate, which then offsets the reflection map pixels, creating the distortion.

The texture that's being distorted by the DuDv map is usually either a pre-created reflection map (like a [[Cube Map]]), or better yet a real-time rendered framebuffer of the rest of the scene. To do the latter, a special render is set up for each frame by rendering just what is going to be reflected or refracted. To save on render time often the scene is set to its lowest LOD for this special render and non-essential meshes are excluded. The rendered image is projected onto the surface from the camera's point of view, then the DuDv texture is used to distort it.

== DuDv tools ==

* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop Normal Map filter for Photoshop] by NVIDIA
* [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/TGAtoDUDV TGAtoDUDV] by Valve Software
* [http://www.renderingsystems.com/support/showthread.php?tid=3 ShaderMap] ($) by Rendering Systems
* DuDv maps can be manually created in Photoshop or PaintShop Pro:
.1. Start with a [[NormalMap]].
.2. Image->Adjustments->Invert (Photoshop) or Colors->Negative Image (PaintShop Pro).
.3. Image->Adjustments->Brightness&Contrast (Photoshop) or Colors->Adjust->Brightness/Contrast (PaintShop Pro). Raise the contrast as high as it will go.

== Related Pages ==
* [[Curvature map]]
* [[DuDv map]]
* [[Flow map]]
* [[Normal map]]
* [[Radiosity normal map]]

[http://simonschreibt.de/gat/007-legends-the-world/ Has some animated examples]
* [[Vector displacement map]]

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Bump map]]

Vertex color

2014-08-17T19:41:19Z

Throttlekitty: /* Tutorials */ +1 tut

= Vertex Color =
Each vertex in a mesh can optionally store a RGB color value, called vertex color. These can be used for a variety of interesting effects and shader inputs.

Vertex color can be used for [[Multitexture|multitexturing]], [[Transparency map|transparency]], or [[Ambient Occlusion Map|ambient occlusion]] for example.

= Vertex alpha =

Because vertex alpha is simply a monochrome set of values it can be used for other purposes, like providing transparency, per-vertex sound effects in response to collisions, controlling foliage bend amount for a tree's animated vertex shader, etc. The alpha channel works similar to the RGB channels otherwise.

Depending on the game engine and mesh format, a single vertex can be assigned multiple vertex alpha values. This duplicates the vertex, once for each alpha value, which allows the alpha to change suddenly from one triangle to the next, creating a hard alpha edge.

== Usage ==
Vertex color is typically multiplied against the Diffuse Color, colorizing/darkening the color map.

Vertex color can also be used for controlling blends between different texture sets, providing per-vertex sound effects in response to collisions, controlling which foliage vertices are affected by a "wind" vertex shader, etc.

When used for non-color effects, typically each color channel is treated as a separate monochrome set of values, so for example RGB vertex color can control three different per-vertex effects.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

== Multiple Colors per Vertex ==
A single vertex can be assigned multiple vertex colors, depending on the game engine and mesh format. This duplicates the vertex when it is loaded into the game, once for each color, slightly increasing the memory cost. When vertices along an edge contain two different vertex colors, the color may change suddenly from one triangle to the next, creating a hard color edge instead of the typical blending normally seen across vertices. This is typically done by applying color to a face selection rather than vertices. In Maya, Vertex Faces allows for applying color in a vertex/face hybrid mode.

== Tutorials ==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|<#000000>| [http://eat3d.com/free/vertex_painting Vertex painting for UDK @ Eat3d]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Foliage Vertex Color]]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Ambient-Occlusion Vertex Color]]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Removing Vertex Colors]]
|-
|<#000000>| [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41232&page=274 Vertex Color Tutorial for 3ds Max]
|-
|<#000000>| [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80166 Vertex Color Use in Maya Questions]
|}

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTechnique]] [[Category:Texture Types]]

Removing Vertex Colors

2014-08-17T19:37:21Z

Throttlekitty:

= Removing Vertex Color in 3DSMax =

If you wish to remove all color information from either the vertex color or vertex illumination channel, follow these steps:

1. Select the object

2. Go to the Tools menu and select Channel Info at the bottom.

3. Next, the Map Channel Info window will appear. Select the channel you wish to clear (either "vc" for Vertex Colors or "Illum" for Vertex Illumination) and click the "clear" button. The vertex color or illumination should now be gone and you can start painting on a clean slate.

Removing Vertex Colors

2014-08-17T19:37:07Z

Throttlekitty: Kind of a weird offshoot page, but I cleaned it up anyway

= Removing Vertex Color in 3DSMax =

If you wish to remove all color information from either the vertex color or vertex illumination channel, follow these steps:

1. Select the object
2. Go to the Tools menu and select Channel Info at the bottom.
3. Next, the Map Channel Info window will appear. Select the channel you wish to clear (either "vc" for Vertex Colors or "Illum" for Vertex Illumination) and click the "clear" button. The vertex color or illumination should now be gone and you can start painting on a clean slate.

Vertex color

2014-08-17T19:31:23Z

Throttlekitty: Merging VertexAlpha page + small edits

= Vertex Color =
Each vertex in a mesh can optionally store a RGB color value, called vertex color. These can be used for a variety of interesting effects and shader inputs.

Vertex color can be used for [[Multitexture|multitexturing]], [[Transparency map|transparency]], or [[Ambient Occlusion Map|ambient occlusion]] for example.

= Vertex alpha =

Because vertex alpha is simply a monochrome set of values it can be used for other purposes, like providing transparency, per-vertex sound effects in response to collisions, controlling foliage bend amount for a tree's animated vertex shader, etc. The alpha channel works similar to the RGB channels otherwise.

Depending on the game engine and mesh format, a single vertex can be assigned multiple vertex alpha values. This duplicates the vertex, once for each alpha value, which allows the alpha to change suddenly from one triangle to the next, creating a hard alpha edge.

== Usage ==
Vertex color is typically multiplied against the Diffuse Color, colorizing/darkening the color map.

Vertex color can also be used for controlling blends between different texture sets, providing per-vertex sound effects in response to collisions, controlling which foliage vertices are affected by a "wind" vertex shader, etc.

When used for non-color effects, typically each color channel is treated as a separate monochrome set of values, so for example RGB vertex color can control three different per-vertex effects.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

== Multiple Colors per Vertex ==
A single vertex can be assigned multiple vertex colors, depending on the game engine and mesh format. This duplicates the vertex when it is loaded into the game, once for each color, slightly increasing the memory cost. When vertices along an edge contain two different vertex colors, the color may change suddenly from one triangle to the next, creating a hard color edge instead of the typical blending normally seen across vertices. This is typically done by applying color to a face selection rather than vertices. In Maya, Vertex Faces allows for applying color in a vertex/face hybrid mode.

== Tutorials ==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|<#000000>| [[Foliage Vertex Color]]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Ambient-Occlusion Vertex Color]]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Removing Vertex Colors]]
|-
|<#000000>| [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41232&page=274 Vertex Color Tutorial for 3ds Max]
|-
|<#000000>| [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80166 Vertex Color Use in Maya Questions]
|}

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTechnique]] [[Category:Texture Types]]

VertexAlpha

2014-08-17T19:04:35Z

Throttlekitty: merged this into Vertex color page

# REDIRECT [[Vertex color]]

Texture types

2014-08-17T18:58:44Z

Throttlekitty:

Cube map

2014-08-17T17:18:35Z

Throttlekitty: /* Links */

= Cube Map =

A cubemap is six images that are mapped onto a cube, creating a 360° panorama. Cubemaps are supported natively in graphics hardware so they're really quick to transform and render, because of this there's a unified method for rendering them in games.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:CubeMap$cubemap_Sorsele_humus.jpg}}
|-
| A cubemap in horizontal-cross format.< >Image by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson]
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

The cube is usually centered on the current viewpoint or camera. This means, when used as a backdrop or skybox it always appears infinitely distant. If you turn on wireframe mode in any 3d engine using a cubemap skybox, you'll see the geometry of the box. In the end it's just a regular mesh object.

== Reflections & Lighting ==
When used for reflections, the reflection cubemap is usually centered on the mesh object. The viewing angle bounces off the mesh surface at an angle opposite to the surface normals, so it points to particular parts of the cube map.

Cubemaps can also be used for soft ambient-occlusion-like environment lighting, by using a [[Diffusely convolved cube map|diffusely convolved cubemap]].

Another method is a [[Spherical environment map]], which maps a single image to use as a reflection similar to the behavior of a [[Billboard]].

== Creating Cubemaps ==

=== Layouts ===
Different tools expect different cubemap layouts.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

=== Angular Distortion ===
A cube map has to be created with some angular distortion in order to display a seamless panoramic image.

A cube map is always displayed from a viewpoint in the center of a cube mesh. This means the center of each cube face is closer to you than the edges and corners are. To counteract this, a cube map needs angular distortion.

This distortion becomes more obvious when you view it at any other angle, other than from the center of a cube.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cube Map Formats ===
The bitmaps for each of the six sides need to be square, each needs to be powers-of-two in size (128, 256, 512, etc.), and all six images need to be the same resolution.

Usually for games you store the bitmaps all in one file using [[DDS]] or another compressed format, though some editors prefer them stored as six separate bitmaps (then compress them internally).

=== 3ds Max ===
There are two main ways to create cubemaps in 3ds Max:
# [[#Metal Bump9|Metal Bump9]] ... saves directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256 and you can't set the [[DDS]] compression format (it always uses ARGB, which is uncompressed).
# [[#Reflect/Refract Map|Reflect/Refract Map]] ... more steps, but you're not limited to a particular resolution or format.

3ds Max can display cubemap reflections in real-time if you use the DDS cubemap format and a DirectX Shader material.

==== Metal Bump9 ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The orientation of the object doesn't matter, and the object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Create a Standard material, open the DirectX Manager rollout, and change the None flyout to Metal Bump9.
# Press ''Pick object and create'' and select the object.
# Choose a name and a location to render to.

3ds Max will render it directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256, and you can't set the DDS compression (it uses ARGB).

==== Reflect/Refract Map ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Setup your rendering options (texture filtering, anti-aliasing, etc.).
# Create a Standard material and load a Reflect/Refract map into any slot.
# In the map, set ''Source'' = ''From File''.
# Set the ''Size'' spinner to the resolution you want to render. If you're going to use the cubemap for a game it should be a powers-of-two number (128, 256, 512, etc.).
# Use the ''Render Cubic Map Files / To File:'' button to set the prefix name and bitmap format to render to.
# Press ''Pick Object and Render Maps'' and select the viewpoint object.

The six rendered bitmaps will automatically be loaded into the Reflect/Refect map, or you can convert them into a DDS cubemap with <code><nowiki>Dxtex</nowiki></code> or another tool.

<pre><nowiki>#!wiki caution
Warning: The render cannot be canceled once the object is picked, so save your Max file before rendering, in case Max freezes!
</nowiki></pre>

=== [[DxTex]] ===
Microsoft's DxTex offers a way to create a single DDS cube bitmap from six bitmaps. DxTex is automatically installed when you install the [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK]. Once installed it will be found in the folder (SDK root)\Utilities\Bin\x86 or x64. Use the x86 version unless you're running a 64bit OS. There's also a DDS plugin for Photoshop in the SDK, it expects a 1x6 layout in Photoshop:
* +X
* -X
* +Y
* -Y
* +Z
* -Z
The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The DxTex plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

How to compile a DDS cubemap in DxTex:

# Open an existing texture by selecting the File -> Open... menu item.
# Select the Format -> Make Into Cube Map... menu item.
# The current texture will occupy one face of the cube map. From the dialog that pops up, select which face you want the texture to occupy, and click OK.
# For each of the other cube faces, select the View->Cube Map Face menu item and select a face from the list that appears.
# Select the File->Open Onto This Cubemap Face... menu item and select a texture to open from the dialog that pops up.

=== Maya ===
The easiest way to render a Maya scene into a cubemap is to use six cameras, then stitch the six images together into a cubemap.

Workflow tips can be found in the Polycount thread [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75213|[Maya 2009] how to render an environment map?]].

=== Photoshop ===
The [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA DDS plugin for Photoshop] is one way to create DDS cubemaps. It expects you to lay out the faces of the cubemap horizontally: +X -X +Y -Y +Z -Z. In 3ds Max terms this is: RT, LF, UP, DN, BK, FR.

The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The Nvidia plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

=== Hugin ===
Hugin can be used to convert a 3ds Max cube map into a rectilinear panorama:
# Make sure the six cube map image files are in TIF format. Hugin doesn't load TGA.
# Start Hugin.
# "Images" tab.
# Load the six images.
# Yaw and Pitch:
1.a. _BK = Yaw 0, Pitch 0
1.a. _DN = Yaw 0, Pitch -90
1.a. _FR = Yaw 180, Pitch 0
1.a. _LF = Yaw -90, Pitch 0
1.a. _RT = Yaw 90, Pitch 0
1.a. _UP = Yaw 0, Pitch 90
# Feature Matching = Align image stack.
# "Camera and Lens" tab.
# Lens type = Normal rectilinear.
# Degrees of view = 90.
# "Stitcher" tab.
1/ Projection = Equirectangular.
# Canvas size = 4x the width of a single cube map image, 2x the height.
# Panorama Outputs = High dynamic range.
# Stitch!
# Use [[XnView]] to convert to low dynamic range (Gamma 1.66 seems good).

== Cubemap Seams ==
Cubemaps can show seams along the edges of the cube if they aren't mapped properly.

When a cubemap is rendered automatically in graphics hardware by a game engine, it will be seamless because it uses the '''Clamp''' uv address mode.

However if an artist manually creates a cube mesh and maps the six bitmaps onto it, usually this will cause seams from texture filtering. By default most materials use the '''Wrap''' uv address mode, which allows a texture to tile across a mesh. With a cubemap however this causes a sliver of the opposite side of each texture to be filtered into each edge. If your material has the option to use Clamp instead of Wrap, this will remove the seams.

There are some solutions for this:
# Set the texture coordinate address mode to Clamp instead of Wrap. Then the edge pixels will be sampled instead of the opposite side.
# 3ds Max doesn't support Wrap mode, but it does have Mirror mode. Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to apply the six cube faces to a Box model, and adjust the bitmap coordinates for each of the six bitmaps: change all four Offset and Tiling spinners to .5, and turn on both Mirror checkboxes.
# For each face of the cube: increase the canvas size by a couple pixels all around, copy the edge pixels out a couple times, scale each face bitmap back down to a powers-of-two size, and scale the UVs down a little too. The [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR SDK] has a tutorial about this in their docs.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg|Media:CubeMap/attachments/cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg
| width=500}}
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg|{{attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg
|-
| Seams on the edges of a cubemap.< >Image by [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR]
|}

== Resources ==
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96380 Big cube map pack] free cubemaps by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson] and [http://www.kostas.se/ Kostas 'kodde' Gialitakis]
* [http://cgtextures.com/textures.php?t=browse&q=23740 CG Textures - Panoramic Skies] free sky panoramas.
* [http://www.philohome.com/skycollec/skycollec.htm Philo's Sky Collection] free sky panoramas.
* [https://doschdesign.com/products/hdri?subrubrik=67 Dosch Design HDR Sets] ($) HDR sky panoramas.
* [http://hyperfocal.vismasters.com/catalog/products/hyperfocal-hdri-skies_3611.aspx Hyperfocal Design: Hyperfocal HDRI Skies] (S) HDR sky panoramas.
* [http://www.marlinstudios.com/products/pano/pano.htm Marlin Studios Panoramica] ($) sky panoramas.
* [http://www.schloerb.com/Dreamscape2/ Johannes Schlörb: Dreamscape 2.1 Immersive Sky Backgrounds] ($) CG sky panoramas.
* [http://www.1000skies.com/ 1000 Skies] ($) sky panoramas.
* [http://vterrain.org/Atmosphere/ Virtual Terrain Project: Sky / Atmospheric Rendering] has links to sky texture sites.

== Links ==
* [[Diffusely convolved cube map]] wiki page describes how to downsample cubemaps to use for lighting.
* [http://www.zdepth.ch/tutorial/an-introduction-to-cube-mapping/ An introduction to cubemaps - Tutorial] by [http://www.zdepth.ch/about/ Zeller Samuel]< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Photoshop, NVIDIA's Photoshop plugin, and [[CubeMapGen]] to convert cubemaps into various layouts.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82620 Correct uvmapping for a cub to preview cubemap] on the Polycount forum.
* [http://vterrain.org/Atmosphere/ Virtual Terrain Project: Sky / Atmospheric Rendering] has many links to sky rendering resources.
* [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=45543 360 HDR skies for sale?] from the [http://boards.polycount.net Polycount forums] has a tutorial and links about photographing HDR skies.
* [http://www.outpt.co.uk/how-to-create-a-terragen-2-skybox/ How to: Create a Terragen 2 Skybox] by ''[http://www.outpt.co.uk/about/ Outpt]''.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=qU0hdaFARQo 3dmotive.com - Creating a Skydome] is a tutorial for converting a latlong sky into a spheremap layout and mapping it to a dome mesh with Photoshop and 3ds Max. [https://www.3dmotive.com/freebies More free tutorials here].
* [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68600 Skymap workflow] by ''[http://boards.polycount.net/member.php?u=27009 divi]'' is a quick tutorial about converting a latlong sky into a square dome-like layout that uses all the texture space. [[attachment:Skymap_workflow.pdf|PDF here]]
* [http://www.outpt.co.uk/how-to-convert-a-skybox-to-a-skydome/ How to: Convert a Skybox to a Skydome] by ''[http://www.outpt.co.uk/about/ Outpt]'' is an in-depth tutorial about converting a cubemap into a latlong image with [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen], HDRShop, Photoshop, and Unreal.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74503 Environment Cube Maps: HDR VS LDR] thread on the Polycount forum

== Software ==
* [http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/ Vue] is a popular skydome creation tool.
* [http://www.planetside.co.uk/ Terragen] is another popular skydome creation tool.
* [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen] from AMD.
* [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ Cubemapgen physically based rendering mod] by Sébastien Lagarde.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK] has the DxTex tool from Microsoft.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop DDS plugin for Photoshop] from NVIDIA.
* [http://www.hdrshop.com/ HDR Shop] ($) older version is free for non-commercial use.
* [http://www.outerspace-software.com/bixorama.html Bixorama] ($) panorama conversion utility (warning... conversions are aliased and jaggy).
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planettool Planettool] command line conversion tool.
* [http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify.html Flexify] ($) conversion filter for Photoshop.
* [http://wiki.panotools.org/PanoCube PanoCube] ($) conversion tool.
* [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin] stitching and conversion tool. [http://wiki.panotools.org/Extracting_and_inserting_rectilinear_Views#Inserting_cubefaces_again How to convert a cubemap into a panorama].
* [http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/32849-To-stupid-to-use-Generate-Cubemap-the-right-way Generate Cubemap] conversion tool for Unity
* [http://www.skypaint.com/ Skypaint] ($) cube map painting tool that requires Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Photo Paint.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]]

Environment map

2014-08-17T17:18:22Z

Throttlekitty: moved a link to Cube map

= Environment Map =

A method of [[Texturing|texture]] mapping that simulates the look of reflections in a shiny surface, like chrome or glass. The texture is usually painted to look like an all-encompassing world. In this example, the sky texture on the far right has been used on the donut. This can also be used to fake the look of specular highlights on an object, by painting only the light sources into the environment texture.
Also called reflection mapping.

A common method is a [[Cube map]] which maps six textures of a panorama to the faces of a cube.

[[Category:Glossary]]

Cube map

2014-08-17T17:13:21Z

Throttlekitty: Merged cat:EnvironmentSkies

= Cube Map =

A cubemap is six images that are mapped onto a cube, creating a 360° panorama. Cubemaps are supported natively in graphics hardware so they're really quick to transform and render, because of this there's a unified method for rendering them in games.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:CubeMap$cubemap_Sorsele_humus.jpg}}
|-
| A cubemap in horizontal-cross format.< >Image by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson]
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

The cube is usually centered on the current viewpoint or camera. This means, when used as a backdrop or skybox it always appears infinitely distant. If you turn on wireframe mode in any 3d engine using a cubemap skybox, you'll see the geometry of the box. In the end it's just a regular mesh object.

== Reflections & Lighting ==
When used for reflections, the reflection cubemap is usually centered on the mesh object. The viewing angle bounces off the mesh surface at an angle opposite to the surface normals, so it points to particular parts of the cube map.

Cubemaps can also be used for soft ambient-occlusion-like environment lighting, by using a [[Diffusely convolved cube map|diffusely convolved cubemap]].

Another method is a [[Spherical environment map]], which maps a single image to use as a reflection similar to the behavior of a [[Billboard]].

== Creating Cubemaps ==

=== Layouts ===
Different tools expect different cubemap layouts.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

=== Angular Distortion ===
A cube map has to be created with some angular distortion in order to display a seamless panoramic image.

A cube map is always displayed from a viewpoint in the center of a cube mesh. This means the center of each cube face is closer to you than the edges and corners are. To counteract this, a cube map needs angular distortion.

This distortion becomes more obvious when you view it at any other angle, other than from the center of a cube.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cube Map Formats ===
The bitmaps for each of the six sides need to be square, each needs to be powers-of-two in size (128, 256, 512, etc.), and all six images need to be the same resolution.

Usually for games you store the bitmaps all in one file using [[DDS]] or another compressed format, though some editors prefer them stored as six separate bitmaps (then compress them internally).

=== 3ds Max ===
There are two main ways to create cubemaps in 3ds Max:
# [[#Metal Bump9|Metal Bump9]] ... saves directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256 and you can't set the [[DDS]] compression format (it always uses ARGB, which is uncompressed).
# [[#Reflect/Refract Map|Reflect/Refract Map]] ... more steps, but you're not limited to a particular resolution or format.

3ds Max can display cubemap reflections in real-time if you use the DDS cubemap format and a DirectX Shader material.

==== Metal Bump9 ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The orientation of the object doesn't matter, and the object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Create a Standard material, open the DirectX Manager rollout, and change the None flyout to Metal Bump9.
# Press ''Pick object and create'' and select the object.
# Choose a name and a location to render to.

3ds Max will render it directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256, and you can't set the DDS compression (it uses ARGB).

==== Reflect/Refract Map ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Setup your rendering options (texture filtering, anti-aliasing, etc.).
# Create a Standard material and load a Reflect/Refract map into any slot.
# In the map, set ''Source'' = ''From File''.
# Set the ''Size'' spinner to the resolution you want to render. If you're going to use the cubemap for a game it should be a powers-of-two number (128, 256, 512, etc.).
# Use the ''Render Cubic Map Files / To File:'' button to set the prefix name and bitmap format to render to.
# Press ''Pick Object and Render Maps'' and select the viewpoint object.

The six rendered bitmaps will automatically be loaded into the Reflect/Refect map, or you can convert them into a DDS cubemap with <code><nowiki>Dxtex</nowiki></code> or another tool.

<pre><nowiki>#!wiki caution
Warning: The render cannot be canceled once the object is picked, so save your Max file before rendering, in case Max freezes!
</nowiki></pre>

=== [[DxTex]] ===
Microsoft's DxTex offers a way to create a single DDS cube bitmap from six bitmaps. DxTex is automatically installed when you install the [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK]. Once installed it will be found in the folder (SDK root)\Utilities\Bin\x86 or x64. Use the x86 version unless you're running a 64bit OS. There's also a DDS plugin for Photoshop in the SDK, it expects a 1x6 layout in Photoshop:
* +X
* -X
* +Y
* -Y
* +Z
* -Z
The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The DxTex plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

How to compile a DDS cubemap in DxTex:

# Open an existing texture by selecting the File -> Open... menu item.
# Select the Format -> Make Into Cube Map... menu item.
# The current texture will occupy one face of the cube map. From the dialog that pops up, select which face you want the texture to occupy, and click OK.
# For each of the other cube faces, select the View->Cube Map Face menu item and select a face from the list that appears.
# Select the File->Open Onto This Cubemap Face... menu item and select a texture to open from the dialog that pops up.

=== Maya ===
The easiest way to render a Maya scene into a cubemap is to use six cameras, then stitch the six images together into a cubemap.

Workflow tips can be found in the Polycount thread [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75213|[Maya 2009] how to render an environment map?]].

=== Photoshop ===
The [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA DDS plugin for Photoshop] is one way to create DDS cubemaps. It expects you to lay out the faces of the cubemap horizontally: +X -X +Y -Y +Z -Z. In 3ds Max terms this is: RT, LF, UP, DN, BK, FR.

The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The Nvidia plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

=== Hugin ===
Hugin can be used to convert a 3ds Max cube map into a rectilinear panorama:
# Make sure the six cube map image files are in TIF format. Hugin doesn't load TGA.
# Start Hugin.
# "Images" tab.
# Load the six images.
# Yaw and Pitch:
1.a. _BK = Yaw 0, Pitch 0
1.a. _DN = Yaw 0, Pitch -90
1.a. _FR = Yaw 180, Pitch 0
1.a. _LF = Yaw -90, Pitch 0
1.a. _RT = Yaw 90, Pitch 0
1.a. _UP = Yaw 0, Pitch 90
# Feature Matching = Align image stack.
# "Camera and Lens" tab.
# Lens type = Normal rectilinear.
# Degrees of view = 90.
# "Stitcher" tab.
1/ Projection = Equirectangular.
# Canvas size = 4x the width of a single cube map image, 2x the height.
# Panorama Outputs = High dynamic range.
# Stitch!
# Use [[XnView]] to convert to low dynamic range (Gamma 1.66 seems good).

== Cubemap Seams ==
Cubemaps can show seams along the edges of the cube if they aren't mapped properly.

When a cubemap is rendered automatically in graphics hardware by a game engine, it will be seamless because it uses the '''Clamp''' uv address mode.

However if an artist manually creates a cube mesh and maps the six bitmaps onto it, usually this will cause seams from texture filtering. By default most materials use the '''Wrap''' uv address mode, which allows a texture to tile across a mesh. With a cubemap however this causes a sliver of the opposite side of each texture to be filtered into each edge. If your material has the option to use Clamp instead of Wrap, this will remove the seams.

There are some solutions for this:
# Set the texture coordinate address mode to Clamp instead of Wrap. Then the edge pixels will be sampled instead of the opposite side.
# 3ds Max doesn't support Wrap mode, but it does have Mirror mode. Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to apply the six cube faces to a Box model, and adjust the bitmap coordinates for each of the six bitmaps: change all four Offset and Tiling spinners to .5, and turn on both Mirror checkboxes.
# For each face of the cube: increase the canvas size by a couple pixels all around, copy the edge pixels out a couple times, scale each face bitmap back down to a powers-of-two size, and scale the UVs down a little too. The [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR SDK] has a tutorial about this in their docs.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg|Media:CubeMap/attachments/cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg
| width=500}}
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg|{{attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg
|-
| Seams on the edges of a cubemap.< >Image by [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR]
|}

== Resources ==
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96380 Big cube map pack] free cubemaps by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson] and [http://www.kostas.se/ Kostas 'kodde' Gialitakis]
* [http://cgtextures.com/textures.php?t=browse&q=23740 CG Textures - Panoramic Skies] free sky panoramas.
* [http://www.philohome.com/skycollec/skycollec.htm Philo's Sky Collection] free sky panoramas.
* [https://doschdesign.com/products/hdri?subrubrik=67 Dosch Design HDR Sets] ($) HDR sky panoramas.
* [http://hyperfocal.vismasters.com/catalog/products/hyperfocal-hdri-skies_3611.aspx Hyperfocal Design: Hyperfocal HDRI Skies] (S) HDR sky panoramas.
* [http://www.marlinstudios.com/products/pano/pano.htm Marlin Studios Panoramica] ($) sky panoramas.
* [http://www.schloerb.com/Dreamscape2/ Johannes Schlörb: Dreamscape 2.1 Immersive Sky Backgrounds] ($) CG sky panoramas.
* [http://www.1000skies.com/ 1000 Skies] ($) sky panoramas.
* [http://vterrain.org/Atmosphere/ Virtual Terrain Project: Sky / Atmospheric Rendering] has links to sky texture sites.

== Links ==
* [[Diffusely convolved cube map]] wiki page describes how to downsample cubemaps to use for lighting.
* [http://www.zdepth.ch/tutorial/an-introduction-to-cube-mapping/ An introduction to cubemaps - Tutorial] by [http://www.zdepth.ch/about/ Zeller Samuel]< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Photoshop, NVIDIA's Photoshop plugin, and [[CubeMapGen]] to convert cubemaps into various layouts.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82620 Correct uvmapping for a cub to preview cubemap] on the Polycount forum.
* [http://vterrain.org/Atmosphere/ Virtual Terrain Project: Sky / Atmospheric Rendering] has many links to sky rendering resources.
* [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=45543 360 HDR skies for sale?] from the [http://boards.polycount.net Polycount forums] has a tutorial and links about photographing HDR skies.
* [http://www.outpt.co.uk/how-to-create-a-terragen-2-skybox/ How to: Create a Terragen 2 Skybox] by ''[http://www.outpt.co.uk/about/ Outpt]''.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=qU0hdaFARQo 3dmotive.com - Creating a Skydome] is a tutorial for converting a latlong sky into a spheremap layout and mapping it to a dome mesh with Photoshop and 3ds Max. [https://www.3dmotive.com/freebies More free tutorials here].
* [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68600 Skymap workflow] by ''[http://boards.polycount.net/member.php?u=27009 divi]'' is a quick tutorial about converting a latlong sky into a square dome-like layout that uses all the texture space. [[attachment:Skymap_workflow.pdf|PDF here]]
* [http://www.outpt.co.uk/how-to-convert-a-skybox-to-a-skydome/ How to: Convert a Skybox to a Skydome] by ''[http://www.outpt.co.uk/about/ Outpt]'' is an in-depth tutorial about converting a cubemap into a latlong image with [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen], HDRShop, Photoshop, and Unreal.

== Software ==
* [http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/ Vue] is a popular skydome creation tool.
* [http://www.planetside.co.uk/ Terragen] is another popular skydome creation tool.
* [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen] from AMD.
* [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ Cubemapgen physically based rendering mod] by Sébastien Lagarde.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK] has the DxTex tool from Microsoft.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop DDS plugin for Photoshop] from NVIDIA.
* [http://www.hdrshop.com/ HDR Shop] ($) older version is free for non-commercial use.
* [http://www.outerspace-software.com/bixorama.html Bixorama] ($) panorama conversion utility (warning... conversions are aliased and jaggy).
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planettool Planettool] command line conversion tool.
* [http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify.html Flexify] ($) conversion filter for Photoshop.
* [http://wiki.panotools.org/PanoCube PanoCube] ($) conversion tool.
* [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin] stitching and conversion tool. [http://wiki.panotools.org/Extracting_and_inserting_rectilinear_Views#Inserting_cubefaces_again How to convert a cubemap into a panorama].
* [http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/32849-To-stupid-to-use-Generate-Cubemap-the-right-way Generate Cubemap] conversion tool for Unity
* [http://www.skypaint.com/ Skypaint] ($) cube map painting tool that requires Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Photo Paint.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]]

Texture types

2014-08-17T17:03:03Z

Throttlekitty:

These are some of the map types used when texturing game models. The textures are stored in [[Category:TextureFormat|bitmaps]], and how they are used in a game is determined by a [[Category:Shaders|shader]].

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|Diffuse]], [[EmissiveMap|Emissive]], [[NormalMap|Normal]], [[TransparencyMap|Opacity]], [[SpecularColorMap|Specular]], and [[SpecularGlossMap|Gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Bump Maps ==
Bump maps are often used to create the appearance of a more highly-detailed surface, instead of using complex geometry with a ton of vertices.

[[Category:BumpMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:BumpMap]])>>

== Color Maps ==
Color maps are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface. Emissive maps mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor or a vehicle dashboard at night.

[[Category:ColorMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:ColorMap]])>>

== Environment Maps ==
Environment maps are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.

For more information, see [[Environment map]].

== Light Maps ==
Light maps are often used to store complex pre-computed lighting for a surface.

[[Category:LightMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:LightMap]])>>

== Specular Maps ==
Specular maps control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Environment map|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.

[[Category:SpecularMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:SpecularMap]])>>

== Transparency Maps ==
Transparency maps are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

[[Transparency map]]

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Texture types

2014-08-17T17:02:07Z

Throttlekitty: /* Environment Maps */

These are some of the map types used when texturing game models. The textures are stored in [[Category:TextureFormat|bitmaps]], and how they are used in a game is determined by a [[Category:Shaders|shader]].

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|Diffuse]], [[EmissiveMap|Emissive]], [[NormalMap|Normal]], [[TransparencyMap|Opacity]], [[SpecularColorMap|Specular]], and [[SpecularGlossMap|Gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Bump Maps ==
Bump maps are often used to create the appearance of a more highly-detailed surface, instead of using complex geometry with a ton of vertices.

[[Category:BumpMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:BumpMap]])>>

== Color Maps ==
Color maps are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface. Emissive maps mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor or a vehicle dashboard at night.

[[Category:ColorMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:ColorMap]])>>

== Environment Maps ==
Environment maps are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.

For more information, see [[Environment map]].

== Light Maps ==
Light maps are often used to store complex pre-computed lighting for a surface.

[[Category:LightMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:LightMap]])>>

== Specular Maps ==
Specular maps control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Category:EnvironmentMap|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.

[[Category:SpecularMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:SpecularMap]])>>

== Transparency Maps ==
Transparency maps are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

[[Transparency map]]

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Environment map

2014-08-17T17:02:00Z

Throttlekitty: /* Environment Map */

Texturing

2014-08-17T16:58:58Z

Throttlekitty:

Texturing

2014-08-17T16:58:13Z

Throttlekitty:

= Texturing =
Texturing refers to the act of producing 2d images for use with 3d models. Commonly referred to as maps or sometimes as "skins" work in conjunction with [[Materials]] and [[Shaders]] to produce the final rendering inside a game engine on a game model that has a [[UV map|UV Layout]]. Multiple [[Texture Types|texture types]] are often used to control different parameters or channels of the shader, such as [[Normal map]]s or [[Specular map]]s. A variety of techniques and [[Tools]] are used to make textures: painted by hand in a traditional 2d package, painted in 3d directly on models, created parametrically, or [[Baking]] image data from one model to another.

(a couple of 2d/newbie-friendly tutorial links should go here)
See the [[TexturingTutorials|texturing tutorial]] for more links.

== Texture Types ==
Depending on the engine and visual style, different types of maps are used for different effects. [[Vertex color]]s are optionally used to control additional effects, such as blending between two images in the same model. Images are made up of [[Pixel]]s and are split up into Red, Green and Blue components, also known as channels, and may additionally have an Alpha channel which can be used to store [[Opacity map|opacity]] or another type of map or mask. Masks are images or layers used to control "How much of What", such as [[Specular map]]s or [[Gloss map]]s, and are typically (but not always) greyscale (pixels only utilizing one channel).

For the average prop, arrangements of map types might use Diffuse/Specular/Normal for a current-gen game. [[PBR|Physical Based Rendering]] setup might be Albedo/Microsurface/Reflectivity/Normal for a next-gen shader.

Other surfaces need more specialized shaders and textures, such as Skin or water.

For an expanded list, see [[Texture types]].

== Technical ==
todo: technical info: dimensions, bit depth, channels, pixel/texel, format(and page for format types).

(the following is the old wiki page, will clean up as pages are written)


== Related Pages ==
* [[TextureTypes]] lists the map types used for texturing game models, like [[NormalMap]].
* [[TextureFormat]] is for general-use texture file formats, like [[TGA]].
* [[TextureFormatRuntime]] is for texture file formats used in-game, like [[DDS]]. ( will redo these two to http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Texture_formats )
* [[TextureTechnique]] is for texturing techniques commonly used in game development, like [[HairTechnique]].
* [[CharacterSculpting]] and [[EnvironmentSculpting]] have information on 3D sculpting.
* [[ConceptFundamentals]] has drawing and painting fundamentals.

== Texture Sizes ==
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134911 How often are 4096 textures used in next-gen gaming] on the Polycount Forum

== Texture Photography ==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [http://renderhjs.net/shoebox/ ShoeBox: Mask Image] - by ''[http://renderhjs.net Hendrik-Jan "renderhjs" Schoenmaker]''
|-
| [http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/TakingBetterPhotosForTextures.html Taking Better Photos for Textures] - by ''[http://www.mutantspoon.com/ Jordan Walker]''
|-
| [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=65262 Better Sharpening in Photoshop] - by ''[http://poopinmymouth.com Ben "poopinmymouth" Mathis]''
|-
| [http://cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorials Texture Photography & Processing Tutorials]
|}

[[Category:Discipline]] [[Category:Texturing]]

Cube map

2014-08-17T16:56:23Z

Throttlekitty: /* Cube Map */ +small info on spherical env maps

= Cube Map =

A cubemap is six images that are mapped onto a cube, creating a 360° panorama. Cubemaps are supported natively in graphics hardware so they're really quick to transform and render, because of this there's a unified method for rendering them in games.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:CubeMap$cubemap_Sorsele_humus.jpg}}
|-
| A cubemap in horizontal-cross format.< >Image by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson]
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

The cube is usually centered on the current viewpoint or camera. This means, when used as a backdrop or skybox it always appears infinitely distant. If you turn on wireframe mode in any 3d engine using a cubemap skybox, you'll see the geometry of the box. In the end it's just a regular mesh object.

== Reflections & Lighting ==
When used for reflections, the reflection cubemap is usually centered on the mesh object. The viewing angle bounces off the mesh surface at an angle opposite to the surface normals, so it points to particular parts of the cube map.

Cubemaps can also be used for soft ambient-occlusion-like environment lighting, by using a [[Diffusely convolved cube map|diffusely convolved cubemap]].

Another method is a [[Spherical environment map]], which maps a single image to use as a reflection similar to the behavior of a [[Billboard]].

== Creating Cubemaps ==

=== Layouts ===
Different tools expect different cubemap layouts.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

=== Angular Distortion ===
A cube map has to be created with some angular distortion in order to display a seamless panoramic image.

A cube map is always displayed from a viewpoint in the center of a cube mesh. This means the center of each cube face is closer to you than the edges and corners are. To counteract this, a cube map needs angular distortion.

This distortion becomes more obvious when you view it at any other angle, other than from the center of a cube.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cube Map Formats ===
The bitmaps for each of the six sides need to be square, each needs to be powers-of-two in size (128, 256, 512, etc.), and all six images need to be the same resolution.

Usually for games you store the bitmaps all in one file using [[DDS]] or another compressed format, though some editors prefer them stored as six separate bitmaps (then compress them internally).

=== 3ds Max ===
There are two main ways to create cubemaps in 3ds Max:
# [[#Metal Bump9|Metal Bump9]] ... saves directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256 and you can't set the [[DDS]] compression format (it always uses ARGB, which is uncompressed).
# [[#Reflect/Refract Map|Reflect/Refract Map]] ... more steps, but you're not limited to a particular resolution or format.

3ds Max can display cubemap reflections in real-time if you use the DDS cubemap format and a DirectX Shader material.

==== Metal Bump9 ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The orientation of the object doesn't matter, and the object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Create a Standard material, open the DirectX Manager rollout, and change the None flyout to Metal Bump9.
# Press ''Pick object and create'' and select the object.
# Choose a name and a location to render to.

3ds Max will render it directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256, and you can't set the DDS compression (it uses ARGB).

==== Reflect/Refract Map ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Setup your rendering options (texture filtering, anti-aliasing, etc.).
# Create a Standard material and load a Reflect/Refract map into any slot.
# In the map, set ''Source'' = ''From File''.
# Set the ''Size'' spinner to the resolution you want to render. If you're going to use the cubemap for a game it should be a powers-of-two number (128, 256, 512, etc.).
# Use the ''Render Cubic Map Files / To File:'' button to set the prefix name and bitmap format to render to.
# Press ''Pick Object and Render Maps'' and select the viewpoint object.

The six rendered bitmaps will automatically be loaded into the Reflect/Refect map, or you can convert them into a DDS cubemap with <code><nowiki>Dxtex</nowiki></code> or another tool.

<pre><nowiki>#!wiki caution
Warning: The render cannot be canceled once the object is picked, so save your Max file before rendering, in case Max freezes!
</nowiki></pre>

=== [[DxTex]] ===
Microsoft's DxTex offers a way to create a single DDS cube bitmap from six bitmaps. DxTex is automatically installed when you install the [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK]. Once installed it will be found in the folder (SDK root)\Utilities\Bin\x86 or x64. Use the x86 version unless you're running a 64bit OS. There's also a DDS plugin for Photoshop in the SDK, it expects a 1x6 layout in Photoshop:
* +X
* -X
* +Y
* -Y
* +Z
* -Z
The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The DxTex plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

How to compile a DDS cubemap in DxTex:

# Open an existing texture by selecting the File -> Open... menu item.
# Select the Format -> Make Into Cube Map... menu item.
# The current texture will occupy one face of the cube map. From the dialog that pops up, select which face you want the texture to occupy, and click OK.
# For each of the other cube faces, select the View->Cube Map Face menu item and select a face from the list that appears.
# Select the File->Open Onto This Cubemap Face... menu item and select a texture to open from the dialog that pops up.

=== Maya ===
The easiest way to render a Maya scene into a cubemap is to use six cameras, then stitch the six images together into a cubemap.

Workflow tips can be found in the Polycount thread [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75213|[Maya 2009] how to render an environment map?]].

=== Photoshop ===
The [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA DDS plugin for Photoshop] is one way to create DDS cubemaps. It expects you to lay out the faces of the cubemap horizontally: +X -X +Y -Y +Z -Z. In 3ds Max terms this is: RT, LF, UP, DN, BK, FR.

The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The Nvidia plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

=== Hugin ===
Hugin can be used to convert a 3ds Max cube map into a rectilinear panorama:
# Make sure the six cube map image files are in TIF format. Hugin doesn't load TGA.
# Start Hugin.
# "Images" tab.
# Load the six images.
# Yaw and Pitch:
1.a. _BK = Yaw 0, Pitch 0
1.a. _DN = Yaw 0, Pitch -90
1.a. _FR = Yaw 180, Pitch 0
1.a. _LF = Yaw -90, Pitch 0
1.a. _RT = Yaw 90, Pitch 0
1.a. _UP = Yaw 0, Pitch 90
# Feature Matching = Align image stack.
# "Camera and Lens" tab.
# Lens type = Normal rectilinear.
# Degrees of view = 90.
# "Stitcher" tab.
1/ Projection = Equirectangular.
# Canvas size = 4x the width of a single cube map image, 2x the height.
# Panorama Outputs = High dynamic range.
# Stitch!
# Use [[XnView]] to convert to low dynamic range (Gamma 1.66 seems good).

== Cubemap Seams ==
Cubemaps can show seams along the edges of the cube if they aren't mapped properly.

When a cubemap is rendered automatically in graphics hardware by a game engine, it will be seamless because it uses the '''Clamp''' uv address mode.

However if an artist manually creates a cube mesh and maps the six bitmaps onto it, usually this will cause seams from texture filtering. By default most materials use the '''Wrap''' uv address mode, which allows a texture to tile across a mesh. With a cubemap however this causes a sliver of the opposite side of each texture to be filtered into each edge. If your material has the option to use Clamp instead of Wrap, this will remove the seams.

There are some solutions for this:
# Set the texture coordinate address mode to Clamp instead of Wrap. Then the edge pixels will be sampled instead of the opposite side.
# 3ds Max doesn't support Wrap mode, but it does have Mirror mode. Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to apply the six cube faces to a Box model, and adjust the bitmap coordinates for each of the six bitmaps: change all four Offset and Tiling spinners to .5, and turn on both Mirror checkboxes.
# For each face of the cube: increase the canvas size by a couple pixels all around, copy the edge pixels out a couple times, scale each face bitmap back down to a powers-of-two size, and scale the UVs down a little too. The [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR SDK] has a tutorial about this in their docs.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg|Media:CubeMap/attachments/cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg
| width=500}}
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg|{{attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg
|-
| Seams on the edges of a cubemap.< >Image by [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR]
|}

== Links ==
* [[Category:EnvironmentSkies]] - Topics about creating skies for environments in games.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96380 Big cube map pack] free cubemaps by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson] and [http://www.kostas.se/ Kostas 'kodde' Gialitakis]
* [http://www.zdepth.ch/tutorial/an-introduction-to-cube-mapping/ An introduction to cubemaps - Tutorial] by [http://www.zdepth.ch/about/ Zeller Samuel]< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Photoshop, NVIDIA's Photoshop plugin, and [[CubeMapGen]] to convert cubemaps into various layouts.
* [[Diffusely Convolved Cube Map]] wiki page describes how to downsample cubemaps to use for lighting.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82620 Correct uvmapping for a cub to preview cubemap] on the Polycount forum.

== Software ==
* [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen] from AMD.
* [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ Cubemapgen physically based rendering mod] by Sébastien Lagarde.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK] has the DxTex tool from Microsoft.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop DDS plugin for Photoshop] from NVIDIA.
* [http://www.hdrshop.com/ HDR Shop] ($) older version is free for non-commercial use.
* [http://www.outerspace-software.com/bixorama.html Bixorama] ($) panorama conversion utility (warning... conversions are aliased and jaggy).
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planettool Planettool] command line conversion tool.
* [http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify.html Flexify] ($) conversion filter for Photoshop.
* [http://wiki.panotools.org/PanoCube PanoCube] ($) conversion tool.
* [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin] stitching and conversion tool. [http://wiki.panotools.org/Extracting_and_inserting_rectilinear_Views#Inserting_cubefaces_again How to convert a cubemap into a panorama].
* [http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/32849-To-stupid-to-use-Generate-Cubemap-the-right-way Generate Cubemap] conversion tool for Unity
* [http://www.skypaint.com/ Skypaint] ($) cube map painting tool that requires Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Photo Paint.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]]

Spherical environment map

2014-08-17T16:54:26Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page SphericalEnvironmentMap to Spherical environment map: Convert old>new space and case.

= Spherical Environment Map =
Spherical Environment Mapping (SEM) is one of the simplest [[Cube map|reflection mapping]] techniques.

When the camera moves around the object, the reflection is not very realistic since the same image is always reflected.

The image is usually aligned with the camera, although you could align it to other directions. For example Mudbox aligns its SEMs to the light, or in Unreal you can align SEMs to the Up vector (world space) and other directions.

Also called MatCap or Lit Sphere.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:litspheres_cmp.jpg|Media:SphericalEnvironmentMap/attachments/litspheres_cmp.jpg
|-
|}

* [https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?13501-Matcaps-for-UE4 Matcaps for UE4] Unreal Engine Forum thread.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112129 UDK LitSpheres, world space and camera space] Polycount Forum thread.
* [http://docs.pixologic.com/user-guide/materials-lights-rendering/materials/matcap/matcap-basics/ MatCap Basics » ZBrush Docs] Pixologic documentation.
* [http://area.autodesk.com/tutorials/lit_sphere_material_closer_look Mudbox Lit Sphere] Autodesk video tutorial.
* [http://norman3d.com/blog/?p=62 Spherical Environment Mapping in Unreal 3] - by ''[http://norman3d.com Norman 'Norman3D' Schaar]''
* [http://www.ozone3d.net/tutorials/glsl_texturing_p04.php The Art of Texturing Using The OpenGL Shading Language - Spherical Environment Mapping] - by ''[http://www.ozone3d.net/about.php Jerome Guinot]''
* [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68125 LitSpheres in Max viewport] Polycount Forum thread has Max & Maya FX shaders and many example Lit Spheres.
* [http://blog.maginot.eu/index.php?p=till.1__scriptnstuff_shader_toon Toon/Comic Shader for 3ds Max] by ''[http://www.till.maginot.eu/ Till 'Rollin' Maginot]'' supports LitSpheres. More info in the Polycount thread ''[http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=64453 TF2 and TOON realtime viewport shader (3ds max)]''.
* [http://vimeo.com/7916648 Mudbox Litspheres creation] - by ''[http://www.pioroberson.com/ Pior 'pior' Oberson]'', timelapse video of him creating Lit Spheres.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Shaders]]

SphericalEnvironmentMap

2014-08-17T16:54:26Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page SphericalEnvironmentMap to Spherical environment map: Convert old>new space and case.

#REDIRECT [[Spherical environment map]]

Spherical environment map

2014-08-17T16:54:14Z

Throttlekitty:

Cube map

2014-08-17T16:52:45Z

Throttlekitty:

= Cube Map =

A cubemap is six images that are mapped onto a cube, creating a 360° panorama. Cubemaps are supported natively in graphics hardware so they're really quick to transform and render, because of this there's a unified method for rendering them in games.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:CubeMap$cubemap_Sorsele_humus.jpg}}
|-
| A cubemap in horizontal-cross format.< >Image by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson]
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

The cube is usually centered on the current viewpoint or camera. This means, when used as a backdrop or skybox it always appears infinitely distant. If you turn on wireframe mode in any 3d engine using a cubemap skybox, you'll see the geometry of the box. In the end it's just a regular mesh object.

== Reflections & Lighting ==
When used for reflections, the reflection cubemap is usually centered on the mesh object. The viewing angle bounces off the mesh surface at an angle opposite to the surface normals, so it points to particular parts of the cube map.

Cubemaps can also be used for soft ambient-occlusion-like environment lighting, by using a [[Diffusely convolved cube map|diffusely convolved cubemap]].

== Creating Cubemaps ==

=== Layouts ===
Different tools expect different cubemap layouts.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

=== Angular Distortion ===
A cube map has to be created with some angular distortion in order to display a seamless panoramic image.

A cube map is always displayed from a viewpoint in the center of a cube mesh. This means the center of each cube face is closer to you than the edges and corners are. To counteract this, a cube map needs angular distortion.

This distortion becomes more obvious when you view it at any other angle, other than from the center of a cube.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cube Map Formats ===
The bitmaps for each of the six sides need to be square, each needs to be powers-of-two in size (128, 256, 512, etc.), and all six images need to be the same resolution.

Usually for games you store the bitmaps all in one file using [[DDS]] or another compressed format, though some editors prefer them stored as six separate bitmaps (then compress them internally).

=== 3ds Max ===
There are two main ways to create cubemaps in 3ds Max:
# [[#Metal Bump9|Metal Bump9]] ... saves directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256 and you can't set the [[DDS]] compression format (it always uses ARGB, which is uncompressed).
# [[#Reflect/Refract Map|Reflect/Refract Map]] ... more steps, but you're not limited to a particular resolution or format.

3ds Max can display cubemap reflections in real-time if you use the DDS cubemap format and a DirectX Shader material.

==== Metal Bump9 ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The orientation of the object doesn't matter, and the object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Create a Standard material, open the DirectX Manager rollout, and change the None flyout to Metal Bump9.
# Press ''Pick object and create'' and select the object.
# Choose a name and a location to render to.

3ds Max will render it directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256, and you can't set the DDS compression (it uses ARGB).

==== Reflect/Refract Map ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Setup your rendering options (texture filtering, anti-aliasing, etc.).
# Create a Standard material and load a Reflect/Refract map into any slot.
# In the map, set ''Source'' = ''From File''.
# Set the ''Size'' spinner to the resolution you want to render. If you're going to use the cubemap for a game it should be a powers-of-two number (128, 256, 512, etc.).
# Use the ''Render Cubic Map Files / To File:'' button to set the prefix name and bitmap format to render to.
# Press ''Pick Object and Render Maps'' and select the viewpoint object.

The six rendered bitmaps will automatically be loaded into the Reflect/Refect map, or you can convert them into a DDS cubemap with <code><nowiki>Dxtex</nowiki></code> or another tool.

<pre><nowiki>#!wiki caution
Warning: The render cannot be canceled once the object is picked, so save your Max file before rendering, in case Max freezes!
</nowiki></pre>

=== [[DxTex]] ===
Microsoft's DxTex offers a way to create a single DDS cube bitmap from six bitmaps. DxTex is automatically installed when you install the [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK]. Once installed it will be found in the folder (SDK root)\Utilities\Bin\x86 or x64. Use the x86 version unless you're running a 64bit OS. There's also a DDS plugin for Photoshop in the SDK, it expects a 1x6 layout in Photoshop:
* +X
* -X
* +Y
* -Y
* +Z
* -Z
The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The DxTex plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

How to compile a DDS cubemap in DxTex:

# Open an existing texture by selecting the File -> Open... menu item.
# Select the Format -> Make Into Cube Map... menu item.
# The current texture will occupy one face of the cube map. From the dialog that pops up, select which face you want the texture to occupy, and click OK.
# For each of the other cube faces, select the View->Cube Map Face menu item and select a face from the list that appears.
# Select the File->Open Onto This Cubemap Face... menu item and select a texture to open from the dialog that pops up.

=== Maya ===
The easiest way to render a Maya scene into a cubemap is to use six cameras, then stitch the six images together into a cubemap.

Workflow tips can be found in the Polycount thread [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75213|[Maya 2009] how to render an environment map?]].

=== Photoshop ===
The [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA DDS plugin for Photoshop] is one way to create DDS cubemaps. It expects you to lay out the faces of the cubemap horizontally: +X -X +Y -Y +Z -Z. In 3ds Max terms this is: RT, LF, UP, DN, BK, FR.

The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The Nvidia plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

=== Hugin ===
Hugin can be used to convert a 3ds Max cube map into a rectilinear panorama:
# Make sure the six cube map image files are in TIF format. Hugin doesn't load TGA.
# Start Hugin.
# "Images" tab.
# Load the six images.
# Yaw and Pitch:
1.a. _BK = Yaw 0, Pitch 0
1.a. _DN = Yaw 0, Pitch -90
1.a. _FR = Yaw 180, Pitch 0
1.a. _LF = Yaw -90, Pitch 0
1.a. _RT = Yaw 90, Pitch 0
1.a. _UP = Yaw 0, Pitch 90
# Feature Matching = Align image stack.
# "Camera and Lens" tab.
# Lens type = Normal rectilinear.
# Degrees of view = 90.
# "Stitcher" tab.
1/ Projection = Equirectangular.
# Canvas size = 4x the width of a single cube map image, 2x the height.
# Panorama Outputs = High dynamic range.
# Stitch!
# Use [[XnView]] to convert to low dynamic range (Gamma 1.66 seems good).

== Cubemap Seams ==
Cubemaps can show seams along the edges of the cube if they aren't mapped properly.

When a cubemap is rendered automatically in graphics hardware by a game engine, it will be seamless because it uses the '''Clamp''' uv address mode.

However if an artist manually creates a cube mesh and maps the six bitmaps onto it, usually this will cause seams from texture filtering. By default most materials use the '''Wrap''' uv address mode, which allows a texture to tile across a mesh. With a cubemap however this causes a sliver of the opposite side of each texture to be filtered into each edge. If your material has the option to use Clamp instead of Wrap, this will remove the seams.

There are some solutions for this:
# Set the texture coordinate address mode to Clamp instead of Wrap. Then the edge pixels will be sampled instead of the opposite side.
# 3ds Max doesn't support Wrap mode, but it does have Mirror mode. Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to apply the six cube faces to a Box model, and adjust the bitmap coordinates for each of the six bitmaps: change all four Offset and Tiling spinners to .5, and turn on both Mirror checkboxes.
# For each face of the cube: increase the canvas size by a couple pixels all around, copy the edge pixels out a couple times, scale each face bitmap back down to a powers-of-two size, and scale the UVs down a little too. The [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR SDK] has a tutorial about this in their docs.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg|Media:CubeMap/attachments/cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg
| width=500}}
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg|{{attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg
|-
| Seams on the edges of a cubemap.< >Image by [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR]
|}

== Links ==
* [[Category:EnvironmentSkies]] - Topics about creating skies for environments in games.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96380 Big cube map pack] free cubemaps by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson] and [http://www.kostas.se/ Kostas 'kodde' Gialitakis]
* [http://www.zdepth.ch/tutorial/an-introduction-to-cube-mapping/ An introduction to cubemaps - Tutorial] by [http://www.zdepth.ch/about/ Zeller Samuel]< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Photoshop, NVIDIA's Photoshop plugin, and [[CubeMapGen]] to convert cubemaps into various layouts.
* [[Diffusely Convolved Cube Map]] wiki page describes how to downsample cubemaps to use for lighting.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82620 Correct uvmapping for a cub to preview cubemap] on the Polycount forum.

== Software ==
* [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen] from AMD.
* [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ Cubemapgen physically based rendering mod] by Sébastien Lagarde.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK] has the DxTex tool from Microsoft.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop DDS plugin for Photoshop] from NVIDIA.
* [http://www.hdrshop.com/ HDR Shop] ($) older version is free for non-commercial use.
* [http://www.outerspace-software.com/bixorama.html Bixorama] ($) panorama conversion utility (warning... conversions are aliased and jaggy).
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planettool Planettool] command line conversion tool.
* [http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify.html Flexify] ($) conversion filter for Photoshop.
* [http://wiki.panotools.org/PanoCube PanoCube] ($) conversion tool.
* [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin] stitching and conversion tool. [http://wiki.panotools.org/Extracting_and_inserting_rectilinear_Views#Inserting_cubefaces_again How to convert a cubemap into a panorama].
* [http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/32849-To-stupid-to-use-Generate-Cubemap-the-right-way Generate Cubemap] conversion tool for Unity
* [http://www.skypaint.com/ Skypaint] ($) cube map painting tool that requires Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Photo Paint.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]]

Diffusely convolved cube map

2014-08-17T16:52:28Z

Throttlekitty:

= Diffusely Convolved Cube Map =


== Introduction ==
A ''diffusely convolved cube map'' is simply a blurred-down version of a regular [[CubeMap|cube map]]. When a [[Category:Shaders|shader]] adds the cube map to the model's diffuse map the result is similar to global-illumination, except it is extremely efficient performance-wise.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.whatif_nmech_env-alone.jpg]]
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.whatif_nmech_env+lgt.jpg]]
|-
| The convolved cube map on a normalmapped model. [[attachment:whatif_nmech_env-alone.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick],[http://www.whatif-productions.com/ Whatif Productions LLC]
| Convolved cube map plus lighting. [[attachment:whatif_nmech_env+lgt.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick],[http://www.whatif-productions.com/ Whatif Productions LLC]
|}


== AMD Cubemapgen ==

[http://code.google.com/p/cubemapgen/ Cubemapgen] is great for filtering down cube maps. Sébastien Lagarde made [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ a physically based rendering mod].

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cubemapgen Cube Faces ===

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| c00
|
|
|
| Left -X (180°)
|-
| c01
|
|
|
| Right +X (180°)
|-
| c02
|
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| c03
|
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| c04
|
|
|
| Back -Z (180°)
|-
| c05
|
|
|
| Front +Z (180°)
|}

=== Cubemapgen Custom Meshes ===
You can load your own geometry in Cubemapgen using the ''Load Object'' button, really helps to see what settings are working well.

You can also load a bitmap for the model using the ''Load Basemap'' button. There's a bug right now that causes your Basemap to be mirrored vertically... to fix it pre-flip the bitmap yourself before loading it in Cubemapgen. An [[Ambient Occlusion Map]] map makes a great Basemap, or you can use your [[DiffuseMap]].

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.cubemapgen_nmech_cube.jpg]]
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.cubemapgen_nmech_basemap+cube.jpg]]
|-
| Custom geometry in Cubemapgen. [[attachment:cubemapgen_nmech_cube.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick]
| Basemap is modulated (multiplied) with the cube map. [[attachment:cubemapgen_nmech_basemap+cube.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick]
|}


== Editing Cubemaps in Photoshop ==
If your cube map is in DDS cube format, you'll need the NVIDIA DDS plugin to load and save in Photoshop.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA Photoshop Plugins]

Unfortunately NVIDIA introduced some bugs when they updated the plugin, so now DDS cubes don't load mips properly. If you need to load cube maps with mips, here's an old version that does it right.
* [http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/files/2005.10.14_DDSformat_and_NormalMapFilter.zip NVIDIA Photoshop Plugins 8.21 beta]

== Links ==

* [http://zellersamuel.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/cubemaps/ Cubemaps how-to and why] by Zeller Samuel< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Nvidia's Photoshop plugin, AMD's [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen], and Photoshop to convert cubemaps to various layouts.
* [[Cube map]]< >Wiki page describing cubemaps.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]]

Cube map

2014-08-17T16:52:08Z

Throttlekitty: /* Reflections & Lighting */

= Cube Map =

A cubemap is six images that are mapped onto a cube, creating a 360° panorama. Cubemaps are supported natively in graphics hardware so they're really quick to transform and render, because of this there's a unified method for rendering them in games.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:CubeMap$cubemap_Sorsele_humus.jpg}}
|-
| A cubemap in horizontal-cross format.< >Image by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson]
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

The cube is usually centered on the current viewpoint or camera. This means, when used as a backdrop or skybox it always appears infinitely distant. If you turn on wireframe mode in any 3d engine using a cubemap skybox, you'll see the geometry of the box. In the end it's just a regular mesh object.

== Reflections & Lighting ==
When used for reflections, the reflection cubemap is usually centered on the mesh object. The viewing angle bounces off the mesh surface at an angle opposite to the surface normals, so it points to particular parts of the cube map.

Cubemaps can also be used for soft ambient-occlusion-like environment lighting, by using a [[Diffusely convolved cube map|diffusely convolved cubemap]].

== Creating Cubemaps ==

=== Layouts ===
Different tools expect different cubemap layouts.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

=== Angular Distortion ===
A cube map has to be created with some angular distortion in order to display a seamless panoramic image.

A cube map is always displayed from a viewpoint in the center of a cube mesh. This means the center of each cube face is closer to you than the edges and corners are. To counteract this, a cube map needs angular distortion.

This distortion becomes more obvious when you view it at any other angle, other than from the center of a cube.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cube Map Formats ===
The bitmaps for each of the six sides need to be square, each needs to be powers-of-two in size (128, 256, 512, etc.), and all six images need to be the same resolution.

Usually for games you store the bitmaps all in one file using [[DDS]] or another compressed format, though some editors prefer them stored as six separate bitmaps (then compress them internally).

=== 3ds Max ===
There are two main ways to create cubemaps in 3ds Max:
# [[#Metal Bump9|Metal Bump9]] ... saves directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256 and you can't set the [[DDS]] compression format (it always uses ARGB, which is uncompressed).
# [[#Reflect/Refract Map|Reflect/Refract Map]] ... more steps, but you're not limited to a particular resolution or format.

3ds Max can display cubemap reflections in real-time if you use the DDS cubemap format and a DirectX Shader material.

==== Metal Bump9 ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The orientation of the object doesn't matter, and the object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Create a Standard material, open the DirectX Manager rollout, and change the None flyout to Metal Bump9.
# Press ''Pick object and create'' and select the object.
# Choose a name and a location to render to.

3ds Max will render it directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256, and you can't set the DDS compression (it uses ARGB).

==== Reflect/Refract Map ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Setup your rendering options (texture filtering, anti-aliasing, etc.).
# Create a Standard material and load a Reflect/Refract map into any slot.
# In the map, set ''Source'' = ''From File''.
# Set the ''Size'' spinner to the resolution you want to render. If you're going to use the cubemap for a game it should be a powers-of-two number (128, 256, 512, etc.).
# Use the ''Render Cubic Map Files / To File:'' button to set the prefix name and bitmap format to render to.
# Press ''Pick Object and Render Maps'' and select the viewpoint object.

The six rendered bitmaps will automatically be loaded into the Reflect/Refect map, or you can convert them into a DDS cubemap with <code><nowiki>Dxtex</nowiki></code> or another tool.

<pre><nowiki>#!wiki caution
Warning: The render cannot be canceled once the object is picked, so save your Max file before rendering, in case Max freezes!
</nowiki></pre>

=== [[DxTex]] ===
Microsoft's DxTex offers a way to create a single DDS cube bitmap from six bitmaps. DxTex is automatically installed when you install the [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK]. Once installed it will be found in the folder (SDK root)\Utilities\Bin\x86 or x64. Use the x86 version unless you're running a 64bit OS. There's also a DDS plugin for Photoshop in the SDK, it expects a 1x6 layout in Photoshop:
* +X
* -X
* +Y
* -Y
* +Z
* -Z
The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The DxTex plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

How to compile a DDS cubemap in DxTex:

# Open an existing texture by selecting the File -> Open... menu item.
# Select the Format -> Make Into Cube Map... menu item.
# The current texture will occupy one face of the cube map. From the dialog that pops up, select which face you want the texture to occupy, and click OK.
# For each of the other cube faces, select the View->Cube Map Face menu item and select a face from the list that appears.
# Select the File->Open Onto This Cubemap Face... menu item and select a texture to open from the dialog that pops up.

=== Maya ===
The easiest way to render a Maya scene into a cubemap is to use six cameras, then stitch the six images together into a cubemap.

Workflow tips can be found in the Polycount thread [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75213|[Maya 2009] how to render an environment map?]].

=== Photoshop ===
The [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA DDS plugin for Photoshop] is one way to create DDS cubemaps. It expects you to lay out the faces of the cubemap horizontally: +X -X +Y -Y +Z -Z. In 3ds Max terms this is: RT, LF, UP, DN, BK, FR.

The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The Nvidia plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

=== Hugin ===
Hugin can be used to convert a 3ds Max cube map into a rectilinear panorama:
# Make sure the six cube map image files are in TIF format. Hugin doesn't load TGA.
# Start Hugin.
# "Images" tab.
# Load the six images.
# Yaw and Pitch:
1.a. _BK = Yaw 0, Pitch 0
1.a. _DN = Yaw 0, Pitch -90
1.a. _FR = Yaw 180, Pitch 0
1.a. _LF = Yaw -90, Pitch 0
1.a. _RT = Yaw 90, Pitch 0
1.a. _UP = Yaw 0, Pitch 90
# Feature Matching = Align image stack.
# "Camera and Lens" tab.
# Lens type = Normal rectilinear.
# Degrees of view = 90.
# "Stitcher" tab.
1/ Projection = Equirectangular.
# Canvas size = 4x the width of a single cube map image, 2x the height.
# Panorama Outputs = High dynamic range.
# Stitch!
# Use [[XnView]] to convert to low dynamic range (Gamma 1.66 seems good).

== Cubemap Seams ==
Cubemaps can show seams along the edges of the cube if they aren't mapped properly.

When a cubemap is rendered automatically in graphics hardware by a game engine, it will be seamless because it uses the '''Clamp''' uv address mode.

However if an artist manually creates a cube mesh and maps the six bitmaps onto it, usually this will cause seams from texture filtering. By default most materials use the '''Wrap''' uv address mode, which allows a texture to tile across a mesh. With a cubemap however this causes a sliver of the opposite side of each texture to be filtered into each edge. If your material has the option to use Clamp instead of Wrap, this will remove the seams.

There are some solutions for this:
# Set the texture coordinate address mode to Clamp instead of Wrap. Then the edge pixels will be sampled instead of the opposite side.
# 3ds Max doesn't support Wrap mode, but it does have Mirror mode. Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to apply the six cube faces to a Box model, and adjust the bitmap coordinates for each of the six bitmaps: change all four Offset and Tiling spinners to .5, and turn on both Mirror checkboxes.
# For each face of the cube: increase the canvas size by a couple pixels all around, copy the edge pixels out a couple times, scale each face bitmap back down to a powers-of-two size, and scale the UVs down a little too. The [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR SDK] has a tutorial about this in their docs.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg|Media:CubeMap/attachments/cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg
| width=500}}
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg|{{attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg
|-
| Seams on the edges of a cubemap.< >Image by [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR]
|}

== Links ==
* [[Category:EnvironmentSkies]] - Topics about creating skies for environments in games.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96380 Big cube map pack] free cubemaps by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson] and [http://www.kostas.se/ Kostas 'kodde' Gialitakis]
* [http://www.zdepth.ch/tutorial/an-introduction-to-cube-mapping/ An introduction to cubemaps - Tutorial] by [http://www.zdepth.ch/about/ Zeller Samuel]< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Photoshop, NVIDIA's Photoshop plugin, and [[CubeMapGen]] to convert cubemaps into various layouts.
* [[Diffusely Convolved Cube Map]] wiki page describes how to downsample cubemaps to use for lighting.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82620 Correct uvmapping for a cub to preview cubemap] on the Polycount forum.

== Software ==
* [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen] from AMD.
* [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ Cubemapgen physically based rendering mod] by Sébastien Lagarde.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK] has the DxTex tool from Microsoft.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop DDS plugin for Photoshop] from NVIDIA.
* [http://www.hdrshop.com/ HDR Shop] ($) older version is free for non-commercial use.
* [http://www.outerspace-software.com/bixorama.html Bixorama] ($) panorama conversion utility (warning... conversions are aliased and jaggy).
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planettool Planettool] command line conversion tool.
* [http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify.html Flexify] ($) conversion filter for Photoshop.
* [http://wiki.panotools.org/PanoCube PanoCube] ($) conversion tool.
* [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin] stitching and conversion tool. [http://wiki.panotools.org/Extracting_and_inserting_rectilinear_Views#Inserting_cubefaces_again How to convert a cubemap into a panorama].
* [http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/32849-To-stupid-to-use-Generate-Cubemap-the-right-way Generate Cubemap] conversion tool for Unity
* [http://www.skypaint.com/ Skypaint] ($) cube map painting tool that requires Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Photo Paint.

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Environment map]]

Environment map

2014-08-17T16:51:10Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page EnvironmentMap to Environment map: Convert old>new space and case.

EnvironmentMap

2014-08-17T16:51:10Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page EnvironmentMap to Environment map: Convert old>new space and case.

#REDIRECT [[Environment map]]

Environment map

2014-08-17T16:50:29Z

Throttlekitty:

VertexAlpha

2014-08-17T16:44:20Z

Throttlekitty:

__NOTOC__

= Vertex Alpha =
Each vertex in a mesh can optionally store an Alpha value, called vertex alpha. This is typically used for [[Multitexture|multitexturing]] or for [[Opacity Map|transparency]].

Because vertex alpha is simply a monochrome set of values it can be used for other purposes, like providing per-vertex sound effects in response to collisions, controlling foliage bend amount for a tree's animated vertex shader, etc.

Depending on the game engine and mesh format, a single vertex can be assigned multiple vertex alpha values. This duplicates the vertex, once for each alpha value, which allows the alpha to change suddenly from one triangle to the next, creating a hard alpha edge.

Vertices can also store [[VertexColor]], which is typically multiplied with the [[DiffuseMap]].

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]]

Vertex color

2014-08-17T16:44:04Z

Throttlekitty:

= Vertex Color =
Each vertex in a mesh can optionally store a RGB color value, called vertex color. These can be used for a variety of interesting effects and shader inputs.

Vertices can also store [[Vertex Alpha|vertex alpha]], and vertex color can be used for [[Multitexture|multitexturing]], [[Transparency map|transparency]], or [[Ambient Occlusion Map|ambient occlusion]].

== Usage ==
Vertex color is typically multiplied against the Diffuse Color, colorizing/darkening the color map.

Vertex color can also be used for controlling blends between different texture sets, providing per-vertex sound effects in response to collisions, controlling which foliage vertices are affected by a "wind" vertex shader, etc.

When used for non-color effects, typically each color channel is treated as a separate monochrome set of values, so for example RGB vertex color can control three different per-vertex effects.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

== Multiple Colors per Vertex ==
A single vertex can be assigned multiple vertex colors, depending on the game engine and mesh format. This duplicates the vertex when it is loaded into the game, once for each color, slightly increasing the memory cost.

When vertices along an edge contain two different vertex colors, the color may change suddenly from one triangle to the next, creating a hard color edge. Some authoring tools let you create this kind of effect by letting you assign vertex colors to a selection of polygons instead of just vertex by vertex.

== Tutorials ==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|<#000000>| [[Foliage Vertex Color]]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Ambient-Occlusion Vertex Color]]
|-
|<#000000>| [[Removing Vertex Colors]]
|-
|<#000000>| [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41232&page=274 Vertex Color Tutorial for 3ds Max]
|-
|<#000000>| [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80166 Vertex Color Use in Maya Questions]
|}

----
[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTechnique]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Color map]]

Texture types

2014-08-17T16:43:34Z

Throttlekitty:

These are some of the map types used when texturing game models. The textures are stored in [[Category:TextureFormat|bitmaps]], and how they are used in a game is determined by a [[Category:Shaders|shader]].

The most common types are [[DiffuseMap|Diffuse]], [[EmissiveMap|Emissive]], [[NormalMap|Normal]], [[TransparencyMap|Opacity]], [[SpecularColorMap|Specular]], and [[SpecularGlossMap|Gloss]]. Which types you use will be dictated by the asset itself, and the Art Direction for the project.

* [http://www.manufato.com/?p=902 Brief Considerations About Materials] by [http://www.manufato.com/?page_id=2 Pedro Toldeo] is an explanation of various map types, especially specular maps.
* [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/pdf/texturing.pdf Texturing for Dummies] by [http://www.leighvanderbyl.com/about-me/ Leigh van der Byl] is a PDF overview of texturing and texture types. ([http://www.3dlinks.com/downloads/texturing.pdf alternative download site])

== Bump Maps ==
Bump maps are often used to create the appearance of a more highly-detailed surface, instead of using complex geometry with a ton of vertices.

[[Category:BumpMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:BumpMap]])>>

== Color Maps ==
Color maps are used to create the albedo, the diffuse reflection of light from a surface. Emissive maps mimic surfaces that emit light, like a computer monitor or a vehicle dashboard at night.

[[Category:ColorMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:ColorMap]])>>

== Environment Maps ==
Environment maps are typically used for reflective surfaces, showing the scene around the model, what is being reflected. This is a cheap hack to avoid rendering an accurate view of the actual scene, which is typically too slow to render in real time.

[[Category:EnvironmentMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:EnvironmentMap]])>>

== Light Maps ==
Light maps are often used to store complex pre-computed lighting for a surface.

[[Category:LightMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:LightMap]])>>

== Specular Maps ==
Specular maps control how reflective the surface is, and can adjust the shape of the reflection. Specular usually simulates only the reflections of the brightest light sources in a scene. Specular maps can also be used to control how much [[Category:EnvironmentMap|environment maps]] will appear on a surface.

[[Category:SpecularMap]] pages:
<<[[FullSearchCached]](category:[[Category:SpecularMap]])>>

== Transparency Maps ==
Transparency maps are used to cut out parts of a surface, usually for alpha blending. For example: fire, grass, hair, smoke, water, windows, etc.

[[Transparency map]]

[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:Glossary]]

Spherical environment map

2014-08-14T17:56:54Z

Throttlekitty:

= Spherical Environment Map =
Spherical Environment Mapping (SEM) is one of the simplest [[Cube map]|reflection mapping]] techniques.

When the camera moves around the object, the reflection is not very realistic since the same image is always reflected.

The image is usually aligned with the camera, although you could align it to other directions. For example Mudbox aligns its SEMs to the light, or in Unreal you can align SEMs to the Up vector (world space) and other directions.

Also called MatCap or Lit Sphere.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:litspheres_cmp.jpg|Media:SphericalEnvironmentMap/attachments/litspheres_cmp.jpg
|-
|}

* [https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?13501-Matcaps-for-UE4 Matcaps for UE4] Unreal Engine Forum thread.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112129 UDK LitSpheres, world space and camera space] Polycount Forum thread.
* [http://docs.pixologic.com/user-guide/materials-lights-rendering/materials/matcap/matcap-basics/ MatCap Basics » ZBrush Docs] Pixologic documentation.
* [http://area.autodesk.com/tutorials/lit_sphere_material_closer_look Mudbox Lit Sphere] Autodesk video tutorial.
* [http://norman3d.com/blog/?p=62 Spherical Environment Mapping in Unreal 3] - by ''[http://norman3d.com Norman 'Norman3D' Schaar]''
* [http://www.ozone3d.net/tutorials/glsl_texturing_p04.php The Art of Texturing Using The OpenGL Shading Language - Spherical Environment Mapping] - by ''[http://www.ozone3d.net/about.php Jerome Guinot]''
* [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68125 LitSpheres in Max viewport] Polycount Forum thread has Max & Maya FX shaders and many example Lit Spheres.
* [http://blog.maginot.eu/index.php?p=till.1__scriptnstuff_shader_toon Toon/Comic Shader for 3ds Max] by ''[http://www.till.maginot.eu/ Till 'Rollin' Maginot]'' supports LitSpheres. More info in the Polycount thread ''[http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=64453 TF2 and TOON realtime viewport shader (3ds max)]''.
* [http://vimeo.com/7916648 Mudbox Litspheres creation] - by ''[http://www.pioroberson.com/ Pior 'pior' Oberson]'', timelapse video of him creating Lit Spheres.

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[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Environment map]]

Diffusely convolved cube map

2014-08-14T17:55:16Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap to Diffusely convolved cube map: Convert old>new space and case.

DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap

2014-08-14T17:55:16Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap to Diffusely convolved cube map: Convert old>new space and case.

#REDIRECT [[Diffusely convolved cube map]]

Diffusely convolved cube map

2014-08-14T17:55:06Z

Throttlekitty:

Diffusely convolved cube map

2014-08-14T17:54:50Z

Throttlekitty:

= Diffusely Convolved Cube Map =


== Introduction ==
A ''diffusely convolved cube map'' is simply a blurred-down version of a regular [[CubeMap|cube map]]. When a [[Category:Shaders|shader]] adds the cube map to the model's diffuse map the result is similar to global-illumination, except it is extremely efficient performance-wise.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.whatif_nmech_env-alone.jpg]]
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.whatif_nmech_env+lgt.jpg]]
|-
| The convolved cube map on a normalmapped model. [[attachment:whatif_nmech_env-alone.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick],[http://www.whatif-productions.com/ Whatif Productions LLC]
| Convolved cube map plus lighting. [[attachment:whatif_nmech_env+lgt.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick],[http://www.whatif-productions.com/ Whatif Productions LLC]
|}


== AMD Cubemapgen ==

[http://code.google.com/p/cubemapgen/ Cubemapgen] is great for filtering down cube maps. Sébastien Lagarde made [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ a physically based rendering mod].

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cubemapgen Cube Faces ===

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| c00
|
|
|
| Left -X (180°)
|-
| c01
|
|
|
| Right +X (180°)
|-
| c02
|
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| c03
|
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| c04
|
|
|
| Back -Z (180°)
|-
| c05
|
|
|
| Front +Z (180°)
|}

=== Cubemapgen Custom Meshes ===
You can load your own geometry in Cubemapgen using the ''Load Object'' button, really helps to see what settings are working well.

You can also load a bitmap for the model using the ''Load Basemap'' button. There's a bug right now that causes your Basemap to be mirrored vertically... to fix it pre-flip the bitmap yourself before loading it in Cubemapgen. An [[Ambient Occlusion Map]] map makes a great Basemap, or you can use your [[DiffuseMap]].

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.cubemapgen_nmech_cube.jpg]]
| [[Image:DiffuselyConvolvedCubeMap$tmp.320.cubemapgen_nmech_basemap+cube.jpg]]
|-
| Custom geometry in Cubemapgen. [[attachment:cubemapgen_nmech_cube.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick]
| Basemap is modulated (multiplied) with the cube map. [[attachment:cubemapgen_nmech_basemap+cube.jpg|Actual size]]< >image by[http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericchadwick Eric Chadwick]
|}


== Editing Cubemaps in Photoshop ==
If your cube map is in DDS cube format, you'll need the NVIDIA DDS plugin to load and save in Photoshop.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA Photoshop Plugins]

Unfortunately NVIDIA introduced some bugs when they updated the plugin, so now DDS cubes don't load mips properly. If you need to load cube maps with mips, here's an old version that does it right.
* [http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/files/2005.10.14_DDSformat_and_NormalMapFilter.zip NVIDIA Photoshop Plugins 8.21 beta]

== Links ==

* [http://zellersamuel.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/cubemaps/ Cubemaps how-to and why] by Zeller Samuel< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Nvidia's Photoshop plugin, AMD's [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen], and Photoshop to convert cubemaps to various layouts.
* [[Cube map]]< >Wiki page describing cubemaps.

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[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Environment map]]

VTF

2014-08-14T17:52:04Z

Throttlekitty:

__NOTOC__
= VTF =
VTF is a texture file format for Valve Software's [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Source Source] engine, it stands for '''V'''alve '''T'''exture '''F'''ormat.

VTF is a versatile container format that can contain compressed or uncompressed images, in a variety of bit depths, optionally with [[MipMap|mip maps]], and using 2D or 3D or [[Cube map]] layouts. VTF is very similar to [[DDS]] excpet it uses different headers and can contain a variety of [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Texture_Format#Image_flags image flags].

The DXT compression format can be used inside a VTF file. This form of compression is widely supported on current graphics hardware, meaning it will stay compressed in video memory, allowing the artist to use more or larger textures.

See the [http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Texture_Format Valve Texture Format] page on the Valve Developer Community wiki for more information.

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[[Category:TextureFormatRuntime]]

DDS

2014-08-14T17:51:50Z

Throttlekitty:

__NOTOC__
= DDS =
DDS is a texture container file format, it stands for '''D'''irect '''D'''raw '''S'''urface.

"Container" means it can contain a variety of image formats: compressed or uncompressed, various bit depths, optionally with [[MipMap|mip maps]], and can be stored in various layouts: 2D, 3D volume texture, or [[Cube map]] environment.

[[DXT]] is a popular compression format to use inside a DDS file. DXT compression is widely supported on current graphics hardware, meaning it will stay compressed in video memory, allowing the artist to use more or larger textures.

* [[PhotoshopTools]]#Export_Tools lists DDS import/export tools for Photoshop.
* [http://code.google.com/p/nvidia-texture-tools/downloads/list NVIDIA Texture Tools 2] - Command-line tools for creating DDS files, GPU-accelerated, 32bit and 64bit OS support.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/gpu-accelerated-texture-compression NVIDIA Texture Tools] - Command-line tools for creating DDS files, GPU-accelerated, 32bit and 64bit OS support.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb219744%28v=VS.85%29.aspx DirectX Texture Editor (Dxtex.exe)] - Microsoft tool for viewing, editing, and creating DDS files.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb943991%28v=VS.85%29.aspx Programming Guide for DDS] - Microsoft documentation.

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[[Category:TextureFormatRuntime]]

Cube map

2014-08-14T17:51:25Z

Throttlekitty: Throttlekitty moved page CubeMap to Cube map: Convert old>new space and case.

= Cube Map =

A cubemap is six images that are mapped onto a cube, creating a 360° panorama. Cubemaps are supported natively in graphics hardware so they're really quick to transform and render, because of this there's a unified method for rendering them in games.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[Image:CubeMap$cubemap_Sorsele_humus.jpg}}
|-
| A cubemap in horizontal-cross format.< >Image by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson]
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

The cube is usually centered on the current viewpoint or camera. This means, when used as a backdrop or skybox it always appears infinitely distant. If you turn on wireframe mode in any 3d engine using a cubemap skybox, you'll see the geometry of the box. In the end it's just a regular mesh object.

== Reflections & Lighting ==
When used for reflections, the reflection cubemap is usually centered on the mesh object. The viewing angle bounces off the mesh surface at an angle opposite to the surface normals, so it points to particular parts of the cube map.

Cubemaps can also be used for soft ambient-occlusion-like environment lighting, by using a [[Diffusely Convolved Cube Map|diffusely convolved cubemap]].

== Creating Cubemaps ==

=== Layouts ===
Different tools expect different cubemap layouts.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| '''Cubemapgen'''
| '''3ds Max'''
| '''Maya'''
| '''CryENGINE 3'''
| '''Unity'''
|-
| +X
| _RT
|
|
| Left -X
|-
| -X
| _LF
|
|
| Right +X
|-
| +Y
| _UP
|
|
| Top +Y
|-
| -Y
| _DN
|
|
| Bottom -Y
|-
| +Z
| _BK
|
|
| Front (+Z)
|-
| -Z
| _FR
|
|
| Back (-Z)
|}

=== Angular Distortion ===
A cube map has to be created with some angular distortion in order to display a seamless panoramic image.

A cube map is always displayed from a viewpoint in the center of a cube mesh. This means the center of each cube face is closer to you than the edges and corners are. To counteract this, a cube map needs angular distortion.

This distortion becomes more obvious when you view it at any other angle, other than from the center of a cube.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|}

=== Cube Map Formats ===
The bitmaps for each of the six sides need to be square, each needs to be powers-of-two in size (128, 256, 512, etc.), and all six images need to be the same resolution.

Usually for games you store the bitmaps all in one file using [[DDS]] or another compressed format, though some editors prefer them stored as six separate bitmaps (then compress them internally).

=== 3ds Max ===
There are two main ways to create cubemaps in 3ds Max:
# [[#Metal Bump9|Metal Bump9]] ... saves directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256 and you can't set the [[DDS]] compression format (it always uses ARGB, which is uncompressed).
# [[#Reflect/Refract Map|Reflect/Refract Map]] ... more steps, but you're not limited to a particular resolution or format.

3ds Max can display cubemap reflections in real-time if you use the DDS cubemap format and a DirectX Shader material.

==== Metal Bump9 ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The orientation of the object doesn't matter, and the object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Create a Standard material, open the DirectX Manager rollout, and change the None flyout to Metal Bump9.
# Press ''Pick object and create'' and select the object.
# Choose a name and a location to render to.

3ds Max will render it directly into DDS cubemap format, but it's limited to 256x256, and you can't set the DDS compression (it uses ARGB).

==== Reflect/Refract Map ====
# Setup a 3D scene you wish to render into a cubemap.
# Place some type of object at the viewpoint you wish to render the cubemap from, for example a camera or a point helper or a geometric object. The object itself won't be rendered into the cubemap.
# Setup your rendering options (texture filtering, anti-aliasing, etc.).
# Create a Standard material and load a Reflect/Refract map into any slot.
# In the map, set ''Source'' = ''From File''.
# Set the ''Size'' spinner to the resolution you want to render. If you're going to use the cubemap for a game it should be a powers-of-two number (128, 256, 512, etc.).
# Use the ''Render Cubic Map Files / To File:'' button to set the prefix name and bitmap format to render to.
# Press ''Pick Object and Render Maps'' and select the viewpoint object.

The six rendered bitmaps will automatically be loaded into the Reflect/Refect map, or you can convert them into a DDS cubemap with <code><nowiki>Dxtex</nowiki></code> or another tool.

<pre><nowiki>#!wiki caution
Warning: The render cannot be canceled once the object is picked, so save your Max file before rendering, in case Max freezes!
</nowiki></pre>

=== [[DxTex]] ===
Microsoft's DxTex offers a way to create a single DDS cube bitmap from six bitmaps. DxTex is automatically installed when you install the [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK]. Once installed it will be found in the folder (SDK root)\Utilities\Bin\x86 or x64. Use the x86 version unless you're running a 64bit OS. There's also a DDS plugin for Photoshop in the SDK, it expects a 1x6 layout in Photoshop:
* +X
* -X
* +Y
* -Y
* +Z
* -Z
The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The DxTex plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

How to compile a DDS cubemap in DxTex:

# Open an existing texture by selecting the File -> Open... menu item.
# Select the Format -> Make Into Cube Map... menu item.
# The current texture will occupy one face of the cube map. From the dialog that pops up, select which face you want the texture to occupy, and click OK.
# For each of the other cube faces, select the View->Cube Map Face menu item and select a face from the list that appears.
# Select the File->Open Onto This Cubemap Face... menu item and select a texture to open from the dialog that pops up.

=== Maya ===
The easiest way to render a Maya scene into a cubemap is to use six cameras, then stitch the six images together into a cubemap.

Workflow tips can be found in the Polycount thread [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75213|[Maya 2009] how to render an environment map?]].

=== Photoshop ===
The [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop NVIDIA DDS plugin for Photoshop] is one way to create DDS cubemaps. It expects you to lay out the faces of the cubemap horizontally: +X -X +Y -Y +Z -Z. In 3ds Max terms this is: RT, LF, UP, DN, BK, FR.

The DDS format does not actually store the images in a horizontal layout... each image is stored as a separate layer or slice in the DDS file. The Nvidia plugin merely lays them out horizontally to make the cubemap easier to edit in Photoshop.

=== Hugin ===
Hugin can be used to convert a 3ds Max cube map into a rectilinear panorama:
# Make sure the six cube map image files are in TIF format. Hugin doesn't load TGA.
# Start Hugin.
# "Images" tab.
# Load the six images.
# Yaw and Pitch:
1.a. _BK = Yaw 0, Pitch 0
1.a. _DN = Yaw 0, Pitch -90
1.a. _FR = Yaw 180, Pitch 0
1.a. _LF = Yaw -90, Pitch 0
1.a. _RT = Yaw 90, Pitch 0
1.a. _UP = Yaw 0, Pitch 90
# Feature Matching = Align image stack.
# "Camera and Lens" tab.
# Lens type = Normal rectilinear.
# Degrees of view = 90.
# "Stitcher" tab.
1/ Projection = Equirectangular.
# Canvas size = 4x the width of a single cube map image, 2x the height.
# Panorama Outputs = High dynamic range.
# Stitch!
# Use [[XnView]] to convert to low dynamic range (Gamma 1.66 seems good).

== Cubemap Seams ==
Cubemaps can show seams along the edges of the cube if they aren't mapped properly.

When a cubemap is rendered automatically in graphics hardware by a game engine, it will be seamless because it uses the '''Clamp''' uv address mode.

However if an artist manually creates a cube mesh and maps the six bitmaps onto it, usually this will cause seams from texture filtering. By default most materials use the '''Wrap''' uv address mode, which allows a texture to tile across a mesh. With a cubemap however this causes a sliver of the opposite side of each texture to be filtered into each edge. If your material has the option to use Clamp instead of Wrap, this will remove the seams.

There are some solutions for this:
# Set the texture coordinate address mode to Clamp instead of Wrap. Then the edge pixels will be sampled instead of the opposite side.
# 3ds Max doesn't support Wrap mode, but it does have Mirror mode. Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to apply the six cube faces to a Box model, and adjust the bitmap coordinates for each of the six bitmaps: change all four Offset and Tiling spinners to .5, and turn on both Mirror checkboxes.
# For each face of the cube: increase the canvas size by a couple pixels all around, copy the edge pixels out a couple times, scale each face bitmap back down to a powers-of-two size, and scale the UVs down a little too. The [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR SDK] has a tutorial about this in their docs.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg|Media:CubeMap/attachments/cubemap_powervr_seams.jpg
| width=500}}
| [[attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg|{{attachment:cubemap_powervr_borders.jpg
|-
| Seams on the edges of a cubemap.< >Image by [http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/ PowerVR]
|}

== Links ==
* [[Category:EnvironmentSkies]] - Topics about creating skies for environments in games.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96380 Big cube map pack] free cubemaps by [http://www.humus.name Emil 'Humus' Persson] and [http://www.kostas.se/ Kostas 'kodde' Gialitakis]
* [http://www.zdepth.ch/tutorial/an-introduction-to-cube-mapping/ An introduction to cubemaps - Tutorial] by [http://www.zdepth.ch/about/ Zeller Samuel]< >A great introduction to cubemaps.
* [http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps Cubemaps Tutorial] by CGTextures.com< >Tutorial using Photoshop, NVIDIA's Photoshop plugin, and [[CubeMapGen]] to convert cubemaps into various layouts.
* [[Diffusely Convolved Cube Map]] wiki page describes how to downsample cubemaps to use for lighting.
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82620 Correct uvmapping for a cub to preview cubemap] on the Polycount forum.

== Software ==
* [http://developer.amd.com/gpu/cubemapgen/pages/default.aspx CubeMapGen] from AMD.
* [http://seblagarde.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/amd-cubemapgen-for-physically-based-rendering/ Cubemapgen physically based rendering mod] by Sébastien Lagarde.
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/aa937788.aspx DirectX SDK] has the DxTex tool from Microsoft.
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop DDS plugin for Photoshop] from NVIDIA.
* [http://www.hdrshop.com/ HDR Shop] ($) older version is free for non-commercial use.
* [http://www.outerspace-software.com/bixorama.html Bixorama] ($) panorama conversion utility (warning... conversions are aliased and jaggy).
* [http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planettool Planettool] command line conversion tool.
* [http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify.html Flexify] ($) conversion filter for Photoshop.
* [http://wiki.panotools.org/PanoCube PanoCube] ($) conversion tool.
* [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ Hugin] stitching and conversion tool. [http://wiki.panotools.org/Extracting_and_inserting_rectilinear_Views#Inserting_cubefaces_again How to convert a cubemap into a panorama].
* [http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/32849-To-stupid-to-use-Generate-Cubemap-the-right-way Generate Cubemap] conversion tool for Unity
* [http://www.skypaint.com/ Skypaint] ($) cube map painting tool that requires Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Photo Paint.

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[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:Environment map]]