Displacement Walk-Through 3ds Max & Mudbox 2009:
1. Make your High poly mesh
2. Make your Low poly mesh
3. Unwrap your Low poly mesh
4. Create Displacement Map
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Specific Example for Mudbox 2009 Displacement Map Creation:
a. Export your High poly as .obj.
b. Export your Low poly as .obj.
c. Create a new scene in Mudbox.
d. Import your Low Poly in the new mudbox scene.
e. Import your High Poly (which should overlap your low poly) in mud.
f. Go to the menu at the top of the screen:
Maps > Extract Texture Map > New Operation
-The Dialogue will pop up: "Extract Texture Maps".
g. Check the box "Displacement Map".
h. Select your low poly mesh in the Mudbox Scene> Then press "Use Selected" button under "Target Model" section.
i. Deselect all.
j. Select your high poly mesh in the Mudbox Scene> Then press "Add Selected" button under "Source Models" section.
k. Choose "2048 x 2048" for the map size, in the: "Image Size" rollout; and take note of the Search Distance number.
l. Press the folder Icon at the bottom to select your map output file type.
m. Choose "TIFF [32 bit Floating Point, RGBA] (*.tif)" and name your file, then press the "Save" button at the bottom of the screen.
n. Leave all other defaults as is, and press the "Extract" button at the bottom of the screen. |
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o. Wait for a few minutes while it bakes, then Press "Ok" when its done.
p. Bake a second Displacement map following the process described in
(a. - o.) except this time select "Targa [8 bit, RGBA] (*.tga)" for
file output type INSTEAD of the .tif format. (In step ".m")
q. This time when its finished it will give you a negative and positive number. Write down these numbers as they will most likely be the best Strength setting for your Displacement map later.
r. You are now finished with mudbox, so go back to 3ds max.
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5. Get your low poly setup in a scene in 3ds max how you want it.
6. Convert your Low poly to an Editable Poly.
7. Add the "Mesh Smooth" modifier on top of your editable poly in the stack.
8. Check the box under "Render Values:" named: "Iterations" and set it equal to your high polys subdivision level. In my case I choose 4. This will make it so it doesn't slow down maxs viewport and only uses the full subd level when rendering.
Note:
However, you can increase the iterations under "Subdivision Amount" which will actually show the displacement real-time in the viewport when you have it all set up!
-Leave the other settings at the default values.
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9. Add another modifier to the stack this one called: "Displace"; so you will now have 3 modifiers in total: "Editable Poly", "MeshSmooth", and "Displace".
10. Enter the number you received from the targa bake as a decimal in the "Strength" of
the Displacement Parameter rollout.
So, I received -11.00 - 11.00 as numbers when baking the targa in Mudbox. So, I will enter: .11 for my strength value in Max's Displacment Modifier.
Note:
This is just a starting point, that may need to be tweaked. You will usually use a range between your "targa" map number you recieved, and the "Guess" number Mudbox came up with prior to baking.
11. In the "Image" section of the Displacement rollout; press the "None" button under "Map:" Here, select "Bitmap" and choose your "TIFF [32bit]" map you baked in Mudbox.
-Leave the other settings at the default values. |
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12. Now open the "Material Editor" in max by pressing the "M" key.
13. Remember the "None" button you just filled with your Displacement map? Click and drag it over to an empty grey Sphere in the "Material Editor".
14. A box will pop up if you did it right with radio buttons. Press "OK" to choose "Instance" as your Method.
15. Scroll down to "Output" in the "Material Editor" and press the plus sign to open the dialogue.
16. Check the box next to "Enable Color Map" So that it will allow you to access the graph section below.
17. Switch the Radio button over to "RGB" instead of "Mono" which is set by default.
18. On the left hand side of the graph there will be a black square set to "0". Drag the black square on the left down to -1. This will allow you to displace both positive and negative values on your mesh. |
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19. You should notice a difference in your viewport at this point like you can see some of the effects of the displacement on your lowpoly mesh. Again, if you go back to the "MeshSmooth" modifier and increase the "Iterations" under "Subdivision Amount"; you will be able to see your displacement map Real-time! However, if you increase the iterations too much you can easily crash 3ds max, so depending on your particular computer you may not want to do this.
20. Now, simply render your scene out to see your low poly mesh properly Displaced. If it seems like its not Displacing enough; increase the strength value in the "Displace" Modifier. Or, if its Displacement is too strong; decrease the strength value in the "Displace" Modifier. With a bit of tweaking here, you should be able to perfectly replicate your high poly.
Enjoy!!!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at: BradM3D@hotmail.com ... or checkout my website for contact information and more Tutorials at: www.BradM3D.com
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