Texture Swimming

[homiJ15]

How can you fix texture swimming or at least make it less severe?

Thanks

[homiJ15]

I think I heard this can be fixed by "offset limiting" but not sure how to do that either lol

[Graylord]

"Texture Swimming"

Never heard of anything like that.
Can you describe the issue?

[homiJ15]

It only happens when I use BumpOffset (parallax mapping)

EDIT: And that's an A/C Unit btw

EDIT: Also called "Pixel Swimming" http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/Devel...edMapping.html

[jak_carver]

why are you using parallax bump mapping on an AC unit? this makes no sense

if you want it to have high detail, model it, sculpt it, decimate it (talking about using ZBrush by the way)

[Graylord]

That doesn't look right at all, that isn't just the issue demonstrated by the UDN page.
It looks like things are moving along the wrong axises.

How have you setup your parallax map?

[homiJ15]

why are you using parallax bump mapping on an AC unit? this makes no sense

if you want it to have high detail, model it, sculpt it, decimate it (talking about using ZBrush by the way)

A/C is not important, that's just an example of what happens to most of my textures when using parallax mapping on any type of model

[homiJ15]

There's no alpha channel in the normal map which is why I'm using the blue channel

[Graylord]

There's no alpha channel in the normal map which is why I'm using the blue channel

And there's your issue. A bump offset uses a mask type texture (Similar to classical bump maps or opacity masks). You cannot just connect the blue channel of a normal map and expect it to work.

You need to make a black and white texture where white is heightened areas and black is crevices.
The reason the example used the normal map's alpha is because you can store black and white textures in the alpha of images that otherwise don't use them. This will is in order to save some space.
There's also one of the color channels of a normal map UDK does not use, where you can also store such maps. Though I cannot remember which it is at the moment.

[mAlkAv!An]

Also check the BumpOffset node settings. The height value needs to be a quite small number, something like 0.01-0.05 for example.

[homiJ15]

It still looks the same, "wet", even with a Alpha Channel in the Normal

[mAlkAv!An]

So you are doing it wrong. You do need a proper height map and correct values for the BumpOffset.

Mind posting a picture of your map and the node settings?

[homiJ15]

Also, the alpha I tried in my Normal earlier was a black background with all the "trailer" part white. That didn't work either

[homiJ15]

I sleep now, for I have been up for too long. Thanks for all the help so far everyone, and sorry my Bump Mapping skills are noob level

[Graylord]

All you have done is make the Normal map black and white. It won't work like that.
As I said, white is height, black is crevices.

Also, the "wet" look has nothing to do with bump offset. That's what a specular map handles.

[jak_carver]

A/C is not important, that's just an example of what happens to most of my textures when using parallax mapping on any type of model

Fair enough. I will ask you to go back and read the UDN docs again; nowhere does it say to use the blue channel of a normal map to create the offset- it specifically says to use the alpha channel. Do more research into how parallax mapping works.

[homiJ15]

Like I said in an earlier post, as far as I know, I made a correct alpha (trailer parts white, background black) if not then sorry and only reason I tried the blue channel is because for some textures it gave me a nice effect. I have read and watched more things over parallax mapping than my lack of skills with them seems to imply. I have tried different ways to do parallax mapping and all of my results have been mediocre. I also have read the UE3 doesn't handle them well, is this true? Either way, pixel swimming has always been a problem for me regardless of how hard I try with parallax mapping

[Graylord]

as far as I know, I made a correct alpha (trailer parts white, background black) if not then sorry

You haven't. Look at the alpha image you posted. the bottom is black due to shading (There should be no lighting or shading when making bump and specular mapping!), the top is white, and the rest is all bulgy. The background is equally gray as the body of the caravan. You are getting the result one would expect.

Make all you want to be one height the same brightness, and as I said, crevices and holes black. Don't just adjust saturation, contrasts and brightness, that won't work.

[Graylord]

Not really. It suffers from the same issues, it's not bulgy the same way, but the grayscale is still off, all flat areas are the same brightness, despite some being pits and some being heights. It still also suffers from shading.

It seems you are looking for a shortcut, you will not get any good results by trying to use maps that are made for completely different things. You need to make the mask properly yourself.
If you're so reluctant to put in the work required, why not just use the plain normal map? They can give quite a lot of depth, and is a lot less glitchy.

Edit: This was a response to a post about using an AO map, that he deleted for some reason.

[homiJ15]

yeah I didn't mean to delete it, sorry, it double posted then I tried to delete one of the posts and it deleted both, so let me repost the deleted repost image lol

EDIT: And yes, I am looking for a shortcut at the moment since I have a demo deadline coming up lol Not the way I would prefer to do things but time is my enemy right now. And if Normal maps are less glichy then I shall go that route and this is probably a dumb as hell question, but an alpha needs to be in the normal correct? Thanks




This is an occlusion map but could it be used for the same thing?

[Graylord]

No, a normal map does not need an alpha.

[kaleden]

The bump offset map needs to be grayscale and can come from the R, G, B, or A channel of a texture map. If you wish, you can embed it in an existing texture map - for example, the Alpha slot of a normal map - or it can be it's own image. Just remember to use the R,G,B,or A slot when working with it.

As for the content of the texture map used in a bump offset - Ambient Occlusion maps will not work because they are meant to describe lighting exposure and not necessarily depth information. Bump offset uses height maps which describe the depth of a model. Darker areas exist further from the surface of a model and lighter areas appear closer. Flat surfaces and areas with the same depth should be all one shade.

The reason the ambient occlusion map doesn't work is because flat surfaces, such as the windows, are not one shade. The tops of the windows are dark and the middle/bottom is white. This tells the engine that the top portion of the window is further away than the bottom portion. Instead, the windows should be a single, somewhat darker shade.

I've had luck using displacement maps, you may consider trying one of those.