7 replies to this topic

[DPRoberts]

Just wanted to share a workflow on procedurally painting a bunker mesh. This is a modification of the original technique spearheaded by Dr. Rob on the Glen. I could never handle the Unity lag in hand painting with Splat Painter. After watching a few videos on Substance Painter, I realized I might have a shot to create a bunker texture that could do all the painting for me.

Well....it's not exactly that easy but I can do it in under 5 minutes per bunker when I'm not flapping my gums at the same time. I know this isn't for everyone. Experimenting with a project is my way to learn new computer programs. I love the Substance programs (Painter and Designer) and am using a Teacher's license as I am a part-time Resident Faculty at a local hospital.

My result is a bit clunky but the base texture is infinitely modifiable and will likely improve as my knowledge base improves. I am just trying to give someone out there an idea and see what they can do with it.





You will need Unity, Course Forge, Blender, Photoshop and Substance Painter if you want to follow along. Obviously, other variants of those programs such as 3DSMax, Maya, GIMP will work as well. Just different keystrokes.

This really needed to be like 60 minutes but I know you guys don't have the attention span for that...

 

If anyone actually attempts this method, here is the bunker material I created that I'm using in Substance Painter, you have to follow the video where I change out all the Fill Masks for your specific bunker or it won't look correct.
https://www.dropbox....unker.spsm?dl=0

[highfade]

When we  started beta-testing CF it was one of the first things we asked; why can't we paint on the meshes? Great work DP!

[Mike Jones]

Interesting, personally I would not jump through hoops like that although it's incredible to watch.

 

I think for procedural painting like that I would have been tempted to use the terrain overlay method. While you could not get quite as much detail you can still vary the shade in the bunkers. The steps I took were as follows

1 changed the usual bunker texture in the layers library to a pink texture - time to do that and recalculate the meshes - approx 5 mins

2 took top view images in isometric camera mode - approx 10 miinutes

3 piece them together in photoshop to create a big overhead image - approx 1/2 hour

4 selected all the pink bunkers change it to a light  grey and uses an internal stroke to lighten the inside edge of the bunkers simulating dryer sand - approx 5 minutes

5 bring the overlay into the course and re add the sand texture in the layers lib and tweak the colour - approx10 mins

 

Still hoops for sure but less of them but obviously not as flexible as your approach here. I never tried painting inside of unity using the various options for mesh painting so I might have to check that out.

 

The big thing missing in CF is a 'mappable' normal  to simulate bunker rake marks in a circular form around the inside lip of the bunker like EA sports used to do in maya or some such.We had the idea of adding a per mesh normal function but I abandoned it as being too labour intensive

[DPRoberts]

I like that idea Mike. What I didn't show was finishing it with some hand painting so they aren't all identical. You can add about 1 minute of hand painting to produce something that the overlay can't.

Hand painting in Unity is with Splat Painter. You get 1 diffuse and 1 normal for 4 textures for 1 material. Only bummer is that it doesn't have a detail texture overlay like CF. But, for a bunker, you can probably make it look pretty good.

The cool thing about Splat Painter is that it can maintain a much higher resolution because it's a projection overlay much like the Unity terrain texture painting.

I'm still trying to figure a few things out with Substance. It can create masks based on normal and curvature data from the mesh. So, if you create a bit more geometry to the mesh, you can push out a better result.

I'll have to research what you are referencing for EA. Substance can easily create a rake line normal that I can use to follow one of my edge masks. The problem is I don't know that it can run that line continuously versus a bunch of random aligned brushstrokes. There are world space normal, position and curvature options in relation to the mesh that could be used but I'm a few YouTube videos away from that... Haha...

[NoPutt]

Whoooosh! Supersonic flyby right over my head. 

I'm not worried though, in a few years I'll look back

and say, "Oh that's what they meant".

[DPRoberts]

No worries Neal. I reside in the unproductive think tank for CF.

You just keep cranking out courses. Love the texturing on your latest. That place is sparing no expense on the greens keeping budget.

[andrewjjones43#]

......and already way over budget on that clubhouse too.

[slewin]

Had no idea that you could export splines out to a 3D application
Brain thinking...............