LightWave - Applying a proedural to a map

[Starbase1]

I'm trying to remember something I came across years ago in lightwave, and I can't remember the right words to even search for it in google, so I'm hoping someone can nudge my memory!

What I have in mind is taking a surface (which only really makes sense for a procedural), and applying it directly to an 'image' which isn't a real file you load,, but a virtual UV map. This 'image' with the procedural texture applied would then be used as a UV map.

This would be handy for (for example) getting a 2d texture to wrap around a 3d object - though there will of course be seams.

In this case, as a further example, I want to apply a 2d woven subtle cloth bump map to a complex bit of UV mapped clothing.

[Gordon Robb]

If you use nodes (and I don't have lightwave here, so I'm only guessing), and feed the 'procedural' node, into the colour input of an 'image' node, and feed that then into the colour of the surface (having set the 'image' node to the appropriate UV), would that work?

[Rigel]

You could also try to create the procedural texture on a flat surface, bake that to an image, then load the image to use on the curved/round surface.

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by Rigel

You could also try to create the procedural texture on a flat surface, bake that to an image, then load the image to use on the curved/round surface.

That does involve several steps - I'm sure there was a direct method, which would make tuning a lot faster...

[Rigel]

Probably the nodes then. I've been watching some videos about nodes by William Vaughn this past weekend and you can do as Gordon said and plug a procedural into an image and it will change things. But I don't know enough about that yet.

[Starbase1]

Solution located, over on the Newtek foums, from the ever wise SplineGod.!

http://forums.newtek.com/showthread.php?t=102512

Nick

[Starbase1]

And for the icing on the cake, here's a video by the inimitable William Vaughan showing you it in action.



Nick

[3D_CG]

oh ya now i remember..

wahooo

wow

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by 3D_CG

oh ya now i remember..

wahooo

wow

Wahoo indeed! I think its perfect for apply a 2d cloth bump texture to a UV map... I think it will be very handy for souping up imported characters from Daz / Poser - God knows how they survive without procedurals!

Nick

[Rigel]

Well now, I never knew about applying filters in the Image Editor.

And leave it to William to have a video for every occasion!

[Gordon Robb]

Good to know that it can be done with the node editor too though. I would have been surprised if nodes had no way of doing it.

[JackN]

I see Larry Shultz has posted recently on FB, so it looks like he is coming along better with his health...

[Afalk]

Originally Posted by JackN

I see Larry Shultz has posted recently on FB, so it looks like he is coming along better with his health...

Noticed that myself just yesterday and almost shouted for pure joy Haven't gotten to see or hang out w/Larry in many years but seeing his posts literally made my day.

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by JackN

I see Larry Shultz has posted recently on FB, so it looks like he is coming along better with his health...

What was the problem, if it's OK to ask?

[JackN]

Moved home to NZ in 2009 and began NZ Residency. Was diagnosed with Advanced End Stage Renal Failure while on a working permit.

He posted some images of his Birthday celebration recently on Facebook.

Dialysis and what not are still a part of his life but it's good to see him active and trying to live a somewhat normal existence.

The last few years have been difficult for him to say the least.

It was his spline tutorials that enabled me to advance my modeling skills back at Sierra.

[rustythe1]

Thanks starbase, that is another hand LW tip i have lerned today, and one that will be very usefull!

[Starbase1]

Originally Posted by rustythe1

Thanks starbase, that is another hand LW tip i have lerned today, and one that will be very usefull!

Well, I was basically sharing my ignorance - the good news is that the supply is almost unlimited!

Nick

[Starbase1]

Just trying out the technique on an OBJ imported astronaut, where I told it to make at5las UV's at default settings.

GRAB shows a basic panel pattern as seen in the open GL preview.
RENDER-TEXTURE shows the resulting render.
SQUARE-BUMP shows this applied in the bump channel.
WEAVE-BUMP shows a weave texture applied to try and add extra detail to the suit fabric.

There's something weird going on with the thigh tops, and the preview lights like its inside out = though its double sided, and I can see no problems in normal direction... But that's not an issue for the procedural image method, and overall I think it works well for applying a small scale 2d texture to a 3d surface.

Nick