Session with Cyan's Max / Plasma pros, for plug-in users

[Emor D'ni Lap]

For all current users of Cyan's 3DStudio Max / Plasma plug-in, there will be an online Q&A session with one or more of Cyan's professional agebuilders, probably held sometime in early October.

You don't need to have any burning questions to attend!
If you are a current user of the plug-in with some basic experience and a working understanding of how the plug-in functions, we hope you'll be there to take advantage of this learning opportunity.
Please see the announcement for details.

You can PM me here or at the mystonline fora, and we'll then keep you posted on further news!

[Calena]

Thanks for organizing this Emor. I'm definitely looking forward to the opportunity to at least listen in on this Q&A session with the pros.

Now, to get a question or two developed that doesn't make me look like I'm an idiot . I've had discussions with Tach and Hoikas, so I'm used to feeling stupid around here, but one of my goals is to get past this!!!

I will stay tuned for further information .

[Jojon]

I am sure this will be very interesting for PyPRP users to listen in to, as well.

Here's one potential seed of a question: Has any of you Max plugin users got normal maps working in a satisfactory manner?

Having tried (...and being a pyPRP user) a couple of times, to replicate the structure of the pathway and bas-relief materials used in Eder Kemo, using Prp Shop, I find myself wondering if I am just missing something (probably object/lightsource normal related), or whether the shader actually works as intended in the first place. I do get an effect -- only it is weak and not as as I'd expect it, regardless of which normal space I assume. :P

So in case even the Max users are failing; maybe you could ask what the trick is. :7

[Christopher]

Bump maps with the plugin are more than easy. You just apply a plasma bumpmap material to it.

Christopher

[Jojon]

And it looks right in game? (I've never been able to discern anything in Kemo - I guess one should be able to spot effects on directional texels during the times that the lightposts go on or off and when there is a lightning flash, but it's all happens so suddenly.) :7

[Christopher]

I didn't play much with them. but when I tried them out, the seemed to look right...

Christopher

[Calena]

It's been a while, but I've used normal (bump) maps with Cyan's plugin and they definitely worked. When I get some time, I'll see if I can set up a couple of examples and post screen shots. My initial tests were enough to determine that Plasma is capable of correct rendering of normal maps. The shortcoming is somewhere in pyPRP.

[Jojon]

@Chris'n'Cal:

Excellent! :)

As for PyPrp; It doesn't do normal maps at all - my attempts were with PRPShop, both with- and without some groundwork (setting up layers for modifying) first done in a pyPRP export.