3ds max

Allegorithmic – Substance Designer – Basic Tutorial

Allegorithmic – Substance Designer – Basic Tutorial

With Substance Designer you can create great materials for your favourite 3D application.
A ‘Substance’ is a file with the .SBSAR extension that can be used into 3DS Max, Maya, Unity3D, Unreal Engine.
Let’s go on!

Where can you use Substance Designer in your pipeline?
You need create a model and the UV Map using for example 3DSMax or MudBox, then import the mesh inside Substance Designer and here create the maps, see the workflow below:

substance-designer-workflow

Initial setup

1. Open Substance Designer

2. 3D View> Materials> Default> Shader> physically_based
– LMB to rotate View
– SHIFT+LMB to move light

3. Tools> Switch Engine…> Direct3D or SSE2

Create new substance

1. MAIN TOP MENU> File> New Substance…

2. ‘New Substance’ Window> ‘Outputs’ label> BOTTOM RIGHT ‘Add Output’ to add a channel, expard the roolout of the channel to select the type of maps that can be:
– diffuse
– baseColor
– opacity
– emissive
– ambient
– ambientOcclusion
– mask
– normal
– bump
– height
– dispacement
– specular
– specularLevel
– specularColor
– glossiness
– roughness
– anisotropyLevel
– anisotropyAngle
– transmissive
– reflection
– refraction
– environment
– IOR
– scattering
– any
– metallic
– panorama

Not bad!

3. DRAG AND DROP a bitmap file over New_Graph Window> Import resource(s)

4. DRAG AND DROP from BOTTOM LEFT Library> Material Filters> 1-Click> ‘Bitmap to Material Light’ over New_Graph Window

5. Connect the Input/output values as you can see in the graph below

substance-designer-material-diagram-1

6. Click over Bitmap to Material Light Box, setup parameters on the right box

Add simple dirt

See the diagram below

substance-designer-diagram-2

Notice the blocks:

Library>Generators> Dirt ———————————> | Filters Add/Sub Foreground |
Library>Material Filters>Bitmap to Materia Light -> | Filters Add/Sub Background | -> Diffuse Output
Library>Noises> Dirt Gradient —————————> | Filters Add/Sub Mask |

Make tileable

See the diagram below

substance-designer-diagram-3

Notice the blocks:

Bitmap -> | Library> Filters> Tiling> Make It Tile Photo | -> etc…

Save the project

1. TOP LEFT> Explorer> RMB over ‘New_Graph’> Rename> Bricks

2. TOP LEFT> Explorer> RMB over ‘Unsaved Package’> Save As…> Bricks.sbs
This is our project file. In order to edit a substance, you must then have its .sbs file.
In your hard drive you will find Bricks.sbs + Bricks.resources Folder with bitmap files.

Export the substance

1. TOP LEFT> Explorer> RMB over Bricks.sbs> Publish…> Bricks.sbsar
SBSAR files are heavily optimized for performance and contain only the data required to render the Substances they contain, thus SBSAR nodes cannot be opened for editing. This file is created to be imported in your 3D Software (3DSMax, Unity3D etc…).
In your hard drive you will find ONLY Bricks.sbsar, all resouces and code are embedded in this file.

Import the substance in Unity3D

1. Open Unity3D> Project> RMB> Import New Asset> Bricks.sbsar Done!!!

2. Setup in Inspector if you want.

Import a mesh of 3DS MAX

1. Inside 3DS Max create:
– a mesh
– assign UV
– assign a material from using Material Editor

Export in fbx format.

1. Open Substance Designer> File> New Substance

2. DRAG AND DROP the .fbx file over Substance Designer> Unsaved Package
It will be created a Folder Resources> Your Mesh> RMB> Open

3. 3D View> Geometry> Display UVs in 2D View
3D View> Materials> Your Mesh Material

4. DRAG AND DROP the bitmap texture of the Mesh over New_Graph Window and create your substance

5. RMB over New_Graph> View outputs in 3D View

By |3D Graphic|Commenti disabilitati su Allegorithmic – Substance Designer – Basic Tutorial
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Allegorithmic – Bitmap2Material – Basic Tutorial

Allegorithmic – Bitmap2Material – Basic Tutorial

With Bitmap2Material you can easily convert a simple bitmap texture as for example a .jpg image into a complex material with a lot of different channels as Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, Normal, Height, Ambient Occlusion. This is a must have tool for every 3D Graphic! It looks like great also in games development! Let’s go on!

Create a material

Start your standalone copy of Bitmap2Material

MAIN TOP MENU> Options> Switch engine…> choose between DirecX (Microsoft Engine) or SSE (PhysX Engine)

3D View>
> Geometry> Primitive List or Load a Mesh
> Materials> Default> Shader> physically_based

1. Bitmap2Material needs a power of 2 square image in order to work. Create it.

2. DRAG AND DROP the bitmap over the area that says: ‘Drop a bitmap here’> Load in ‘Main Input tweak’

3. Outputs roolout> activate Diffuse, Normal and all channels you need to show in 3D Preview Window

4. Bitmap2Material roolout> setup Output Size

Relief setup

1. 2D Window> Height label to focus about height map

2. Global roolout> Method> Slope Based> Light Angle> setup the light selector on the right to improve the height map. Tips: better results can be obtained if ‘Light Angle’ is the same of the image in the photography.

3. 2D Window> Normal label to focus about height map

4. Relief roolout>
a. setup Normal Intensity
b. setupRelief Balance
c. setup Relief Pinch and Relief Radius

IMPORTANT: sometimes the normal map will be inverted, if this happens use Global roolout> Invert Relief

Make it tileable

1. Global roolout> Make it Tile> Edges Quincunx, Linear (good for bricks), Linear X, Linear Y, Random (good for ground, rocks etc…)

Diffuse setup

1. Diffuse | Base Color roolout>
> Luminosity, Hue Shift, Contrast and so on…
> Light Cancellation, to remove darkest shadows

Roughness setup

1. 2D Window> Roughness label to focus about roughness map

2. Roughness | Glossiness roolout> setup Roughness Value and others

Tips: 3D Window> LMB+SHIFT to rotate light in the scene

3. Grunge roolout> Grunge On> Grunge Choice> select a grunge map to add dust, dirt and scratches

Metallic setup

1. 2D Window> Metallic label

2. Metallic | Specular roolout> Metallic Creation Method> From Metallic Input
3. Bitmap2Material roolout> Matallic (optional) slot> load your specular texture

OR

2. Metallic | Specular roolout> Metallic Creation Method> From Main Input
3. Metallic | Specular roolout
> Metal From Diffuse Keying Type> RGB
> Metal From Diffuse Keying Color> pick color box on the right> Pick> pick color, white color in the map will be a metallic material
> Metal Fron Diffuse Keying Settings> setup Range / Softness

Tips: 3D Window> LMB+SHIFT to rotate light in the scene

Export

Export> Export as Bitmap… Done!

Presets

TOP RIGHT CORNER> Presets> New File

Export to Unity3D

Bitmap2Material> MAIN TOP MENU> Export> Export as Bitmap…>
– Substance metadata: Enabled (embedded)
– Tweaks values: Embedded
– SBSAR file: Embedded (only once)
– Format: jpg

‘Export’ button

Unity3D> Project Window>
– create a folder and put inside all maps were generated
– RMB over Project Window> Create> Material> Inspector> Shader Type> example: Bumped Diffuse
– DRAG AND DROP Texture over empty slots
– select the Normal Map> Inspector> setup Bumpiness and click ‘Apply’ in the BOTTOM RIGHT of Inspector Window.

By |3D Graphic|Commenti disabilitati su Allegorithmic – Bitmap2Material – Basic Tutorial
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3d-io Unwrella – Optimal Automatic Unwrapping

3d-io Unwrella – Optimal Automatic Unwrapping

Unwrella for 3DS Max is a single click solution which allows you to automatically unfold your 3D models with exact pixel to model surface aspect ratio, speeding up texture baking UV map production significantly.

Unwrap UVW modifier

1. Select your Mesh

2. RIGHT COLUMN> Modifier List> Unwrap UVW

3. Unwrap UVW>
– Edge
– Peel> Seams -> ‘Point-To-Point Seams’ icon

You will draw now the seams lines. Just click at one vertex and then follow the edge flow and select the next one.

Surrond the body parts with BLUE SEAM LINES.
The BLUE LINES are only a representations of the seams. They did not create physical UV Edges

4. You need to convert the BLUE EDGES to GREEN UV Seams:
Unwrap UVW> Peel> ‘Quick Peel’ icon, the BLUE converts to GREEN

See Also ufficial UVW Unwrap lesson at:
http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/3ds-Max-Tutorials/index.html

Unwrella modifier

1. RIGHT COLUMN> Modifier List> Unwrella

2. Unwrella>
– Parameters> Gutter Padding: 4 pixels
– Preserve Seams: check
– Unwrap as: Polygons
– ‘Unwrap’ button

DONE!!!!

The final UV map is being displayed on your screen
You will notice new BLUE LINES on the mesh. Thin indicates that Unwrella was not able to unfold this part of the geometry without stretching it too much, so Unwrella automatically decided where to split the UV Map in order to get the best result.

If you are not satisfied you can try an alternate map calculation checking ‘High Quality’

By |3D Graphic, 3DS Max|Commenti disabilitati su 3d-io Unwrella – Optimal Automatic Unwrapping
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Autodesk Mud Box – Paint Textures – Import/Export Layers

Autodesk Mud Box – Paint Textures – Import/Export Layers

Import Layers

1. Select a 3D Model with UVs

2. Right Colum> TOP LEFT> Small Arrow Icon> Import Layer

Export Layers

1. Select a 3D Model with UVs

2. Right Colum> TOP LEFT> Small Arrow Icon> Export Selected…

Blending Layers

Occlusion Map -> Multiply

By |3D Graphic, Mudbox|Commenti disabilitati su Autodesk Mud Box – Paint Textures – Import/Export Layers
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Autodesk Mud Box – Paint Texture – Grab Occlusion Map

Autodesk Mud Box – Paint Texture – Grab Occlusion Map

L’ambient occlusion è un metodo di shading usato nella computer grafica 3D che contribuisce a conferire realismo ai modelli di riflessione locale in quanto tiene conto dell’attenuazione luminosa in prossimità di volumi occlusi.

1. Load a 3D Object with UVs map, Subdivide it to increase detail, sculpt the higher level

2. MAIN TOP MENU> UVs & Maps> New Operation…> Ambient Occlusion Map

Target Models -> yourmodel level 0
Source Models -> yourmodel level highest
Method: Subdivision
Output Options: ‘…’ give it a name and a position into your hard drive

3. ‘Extract’, RIGHT COLUMN> Paint> layers> ‘your-occlusion’ Layer appears.
Push PGDOWN on the keyboard to see the effect over the lower mesh level 0.
Push PGUP on the keyboard to see the effect over the higher mesh, select on RIGHT COLUM ‘Multiply’.

Proietta Occlusion Map ricavata dal livello con più dettaglio -> sul livello con meno dettaglio
Method Subdivision perchè si tratta della stessa mesh con suddivisione differente.
Notare che la texture è stata salvata su disco e applicata al modello in un Paint Layer.

Una volta estratta visualizzare il livello più basso della mesh (level 0) per vedere l’effetto finale.
Per vedere l’effetto sul livello più alto premere PGSU e nella colonna di destra selezionare come metodo di fusione ‘Multiply’, così si sommano solo le tonalità di grigio senza influenzare il colore del modello.

By |3D Graphic, Mudbox|Commenti disabilitati su Autodesk Mud Box – Paint Texture – Grab Occlusion Map
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