PBR - Road / curb shader questions

Discussion in 'Track Modding' started by McNolo, Sep 14, 2020.

  1. Alex Sawczuk

    Alex Sawczuk Administrator Staff Member

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    yes, although the lighting calculations in Substance and other tools are slightly different to ours in game, so you will always need to author to in game regardless of authoring package.
     
  2. TTM

    TTM Registered

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    Ok, thanks. So finetuning to material will and must be made with material editor as it's mentioned on developers guide.
     
  3. Alex Sawczuk

    Alex Sawczuk Administrator Staff Member

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    Substance is excellent software though and I fully recommend it, but it takes time to learn and it costs money. So whilst if I were hiring someone I'd expect them to use it, and our documentation shows using it in many places. When it comes to modding I just want to be clear there are many ways to skin the cat.

    And yes regardless of what you use, you got to author to how it looks in game at the end of the day.
     
  4. TTM

    TTM Registered

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    I recently bought Substance B2M3 from Steam (42€) and made some tests with it and i'm quite happy with results, although i have to made some things with Photoshop before all maps are ok for game, but i highly recommend it.
     
  5. trollray

    trollray Registered

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    @TTM , i didn't know about b2m3 but it looks like a great tool.
    I'm working on updating all 88 f1 tracks so i need some good tools.
    The main problem is that i don't have 3dsmax for now, can i just use b2m3 to convert dds and use them directly as tga, convert them with maps converter and use them in scene editor for fine tuning?
    I mean the most difficult part for me is the creation of different maps except normals that are a filter in photoshop or gimp.

    Thanks for the help.
     
  6. TTM

    TTM Registered

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    I haven't managed to open dds files with b2m3, so it will required to do some extra work to convert dds files to other format. I have used psd format, so i don't lose any quality of the texture.

    And yes, you can save .tga files with b2m3 and edit maps with photoshop/gimp and save final versions of the map files as .tga and then convert them with maps converter to dds.

    btw, you can see from developers guide (shader definitions) which channel (r,g,b) is applied example as metallic mask on texture/map etc.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
  7. trollray

    trollray Registered

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    thanks, i'll try with psd then
    cheers
     
  8. Alex Sawczuk

    Alex Sawczuk Administrator Staff Member

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    TGA / PNG / PSD are all lossless formats

    B2M3 is technically deprecated for Substance Alchemist btw, although that's more complex and only available through a monthly sub.

    I mostly use Substance Designer, but I come from a more technical background, a lot of people at S397 use Painter.
     
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  9. TTM

    TTM Registered

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    Is there any chance that there could be somekind of tutorial video how to make maps example with Substance Painter? I know that you all are busy with your projects, but it would help many modders to understand PBR materials/maps etc.
     
  10. Alex Sawczuk

    Alex Sawczuk Administrator Staff Member

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    There's hundreds of videos out there how to use Painter and Designer. I do intend to do some videos, but it's unlikely to go into the basics of using apps. If you want to learn how to do a specific thing someone already probably did a video and it can be found on google.

    This is a good starting point though, and they have a good forum and discord group too.
    https://academy.substance3d.com
     
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  11. trollray

    trollray Registered

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    Yep, so i just downloaded and trued b2m3 and it's very easy to use.
    Substance seems very good too but not the same price :s

    Anyway, i have a problem with curb shader.
    As i use iblcurb shader in scene viewer, i can choose ( with web link for material editor) the different maps to use for my curb.
    But, as all maps are checked ( except detail map, couldn't make it for now without 3dsmax), i have some problems with groove and marbles.
    I use my "track_main_gr" map and "track_Main_Mdm".
    I have the curb full of racegroove all the time. SHould i create another groove map specific for the curbs?
    ANd in this case, that will still stay as a texture all the time and not progressing like the racing groove.
    I don't get it.
    If i don't check the groove and marbles map, i have correct render in game but racegroove don't appear on curb.. :s

    Thanks
     
  12. Alex Sawczuk

    Alex Sawczuk Administrator Staff Member

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    is your curb object name prefixed with "racesurface"?
     
  13. trollray

    trollray Registered

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    OMG, i knew already this basic stuff and i answered "yes of course" just five minutes ago.
    I verified by automatism and you are right, it's named Track04 and not racesurface04.
    I'm stupid pff lol
    I'll change it and give you feedback, sorry
    cheers
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
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  14. McNolo

    McNolo Registered

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    One question, ideally do you advise all materials in the track be IBL (including buildings, etc)?

    Thanks.
     
  15. Jka

    Jka Member Staff Member

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    Yes, absolutely.
     
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  16. McNolo

    McNolo Registered

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    Hello again,

    I'm having some problems with the new alternate normal map that was added in the last build. It seems the UV coordinates don't match (same UV channel and scale). Obviously, it is the same map in its Normal version. I don't know, maybe I'm overlooking something, but I would say there is some kind of problem there.
     
  17. McNolo

    McNolo Registered

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    I think I know the cause, you need to delete the material json file and do it again.
     
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  18. Normark

    Normark Registered

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    I have a question about the roadshader.
    Is there a way/map that you can use to make part of the road transparent as you do with trees ( use the alpha map, and serch/inv serch in Max)
    I want to make a smal border along the tracksides, to make the roadsides blend with the undelaying terrain texture.
    I attach a jpeg file of what I meen.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Woodee

    Woodee Registered

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    You use an alpha blend to do that effect.
     
  20. Normark

    Normark Registered

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    Where to put the alpha mask in the new road material, the alpha in the albedo is already in use.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2020

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