CompuServe Messages

Sorry for the time lag – I was out of town for the Hollidays. >My biggest question is how would I generate a procedural texture that >looks something like space ship panneling? I'm currently modeling a Star >Destroyer, and I really need a texture for it, granite and marble just >don't cut it. Are you dead set on using a procedural texture as opposed to a simple color map texture? Procedure textures in Real 3D are not easy. It requires careful study of the first few pages in the Reference section of the manual where all of the procedural variable names and handler types are detailed. Then you must write a mathematical formula that describes the hull panel effect you are trying to achieve. I would recommend using a bitmap pattern of some irregular rectangles of slightly different shades and apply the bitmap as a shadow map. I have an example of this technique which was done quite well by Andy Jones. He even has a method for getting that random "dirty" look that Star Wars made popular. You can make a bit-mapped texture follow the curvature of a spline-based model by selecting "Spline Map" in the materials window. The easiest way to examine how to do a bump map (non-procedural) is to examine the "bumpy" material that comes pre-defined in the basic material set. Did you know that the material window has pull-down menus? If you really want to get into procedural textures, I have done a few simple ones in RPL that are mostly radial patterns – but nothing like a hull panel pattern. If you want "how to" details or an example, let me know.