parallax mapping in lightwave?

[delonious]

this is what it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3U0S...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcAsJ...eature=related

People say that normal mapping is the same thing - but Lightwave's results are nothing like the above -these videos have REAL depth in the texture... I see it all the time in video games.... How do I get that in lightwave?

Help! Thanks!

[SMFloris]

Yes, i would also like to know how this is possible, maybe even a little tutorial

I think it can be done with some well made bump maps set to a really high value (200-500%) or maybe even some displacement maps (i haven't went in depth with these,yet)

Interesting topic, keep us posted if you learn anything !
Flow

[delonious]

yeah... but its more than a bump. Watch the second video with the brick - it's true depth - you can see into the grout.

[SMFloris]

I searched the web a little bit, real depth can be achieved with displacement maps, fake depth with bump maps.

Here is a little informational video i found :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mdR2...eature=related

It sounds to me that you need displacement maps !

Cheers,
Flow

[delonious]

Sorry guys - I know displacement maps and bump maps.

I have used both many times before. Parallax mapping is something different - these examples, if you watch closely are ONE polygon - not a displaced mesh.

[VanMan]

According to wiki, parallax mapping is also called relief mapping.
Would DP Kit's Relief Map node do it?
http://dpont.pagesperso-orange.fr/pl...l_Nodes_2.html

[aeres]

As far as I know there are no parallax shaders for LW.

Normal or bump mapping can only manipulate the shading of the surface.
Parallax mapping can make use of normal maps or bump maps, it adds depth to the final render by offsetting the pixels (as a post-effect, I believe).

[tobian]

Paralax mapping is a kind of fake displacement mapping, so yes DP's node is what you want. Quite if it works right I don't know, but it's sure worth trying out!

[aeres]

I just tried out DP's relief mapping node. I loaded a normal map on flat plane and...uh...it looks just like any normal map on a flat plane, not the parallax effect we are seeing in those videos.

If it is a post-process effect like I mentioned, we'll also need a pixel filter for that.

[aeres]

Well whaddaya know...It works. That's what I get for talking outta my a$$ without doing the proper research.





The illusion stops at the edges of the surface, though.

Wish I discovered this node earlier, would've save me a lot of headache in my previous projects.

[SMFloris]

Thanks Aeres ! It is a nice set of plugins to have.

Now, the question is: Displacement vs Relief mapping/fake displacement ?

I haven't tested collision on relief mapping, though ...

[tobian]

It's terribly easy to break Paralax mapping, and it's going to be better for low-relief stuff like that brick work over any real displacement you could do. Good to see it worked too, and it looks really cool!

Displacement has to work on either proxy (via fx linking) or real geometry. Since the paralax mapping is a shading trick, it won't interact with the collision objects.. except for the base geometry it's mapped too.

[VanMan]

What did you find you had to do in your research? Wouldn't you just apply a greyscale or normal map to the inputs, or is an embedded alpha needed or something?
I'll be trying it soon, but stuck at work.