KOTOR Cube Map Tools/Guide for Photoshop - Beta (WIP)

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

So guys, I'm not sure really how to explain this, so if you ask questions i'll see how to flesh it out more.

Basically, here is some reading lol.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_mapping

http://www.nvidia.com/object/cube_map_ogl_tutorial.html

 

Pay special attention to this one:

 

http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=cubemaps

 

So now, how do cube maps work in KotOR? Well, basically when ever an envmap is called

 

I.E. (as found in a txi)

envmaptexture   CM_baremetal // often used for the metallic reflection effect
envmaptexture   CM_bright // often used for a blue glow effect

It uses CM_* as a environment map underneath the main textures alpha.

Now, creating/editing these textures was often thought to be impossible.

Because KotOR tool can't extract them properly and when you use any normal cubemap format, it won't work in game.

So after playing around with glintercept (I won't bore you with the details in what is already a somewhat terrible post) I figured out kotor's format and how to convert from horizontal and vertical cross cubemaps to the kotor version.

I now present you with the fruits of my labor . . .

 

Check out ref1.rar if you want to compare for yourself on Peragus, also note the tiny vanilla baremetal cubemap.

 

Here are the photoshop actions, tested on Photoshop cc only.

(hit download at the top of the page)

 

Again guys, sorry for this terrible post. LOL (It's been a while.)

[Malkior 476]

Pretty neat discovery

 

I've always wanted to change the cm-baremetal to something less.. well, for me boring.

 

Also, your post isn't terrible at all. In fact you've both solved an annoying limitation, and given me a pretty cool idea for a mod, or rather an addition to an existing one.

 

Very soon I will have my computer back, and will then have access to my old mod files.. I can't wait..

[Fair Strides 510]

Pretty neat discovery

 

I've always wanted to change the cm-baremetal to something less.. well, for me boring.

 

Also, your post isn't terrible at all. In fact you've both solved an annoying limitation, and given me a pretty cool idea for a mod, or rather an addition to an existing one.

 

Very soon I will have my computer back, and will then have access to my old mod files.. I can't wait..

 

Hey, I can't wait for him to update it with his bumpmap discoveries!

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

@fairstrides, I'm getting somewhere. They don't crash! They do affect the model, but it seems to turn off higher than 256x256 - but they can be animated, which has a slimy effect, but would probably look good on water.

 

As for cubemaps, im making a pack including improved vanilla and some bonus ones.

[LiliArch 115]

Awesome work. Too bad that I don't have Photoshop on my computer (having Corel Photo-Paint instead). Not that I could test the results anyway, the machine being what it is...

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

@liliarch, They did release photoshop cs2 for free, legally a while ago, http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-get-photoshop-for-free/

 

I don't if it'll currently work though

[Xedii 17]

Nice work on shines and bumps but I wish the bumps were at least 512...

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

@xedii, The bump maps I actually have working at 1024 right now. I think it just needs to be a multiple of 2 for them to work.

[Malkior 476]

@fairstrides, im getting somewhere, they don't crash, they do affect the model, but it seems to turn off higher than 256x256, but they can be animated , which has a slimy effect, but would probably look good on water.

but as for cubemaps, im making a pack including improved vanilla and some bonus ones.

Whoa! Yeah, water could be made to look extremely good! Also, the grass could get either a bumpmap or cubemap texture added to it for a pseudo-3d effect.

 

A quick question (well actually two)

 

First, have you experimented with opacity/alpha yet?

 

And second, would it be feasible to have both alpha and bumps for the same texture?

(I'm basically thinking smoke-explosions could get their own 3d bump to add up to a pretty cool effect if done right)

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

I have creative cloud photoshop. I'll check this out when I'm on my computer.

[Fair Strides 510]

@xedii, The bump maps I actually have working at 1024 right now. I think it just needs to be a multiple of 2 for them to work.

Yeah, KotOR 1 and 2 only do multiples of 2.

 

Not necessarily square textures, like 1024x1024, but it needs to be a multiple of 2. Most commonly used in KotOR are 256x256, 512x512, and 1024x1024l

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

Yeah, KotOR 1 and 2 only do multiples of 2.

 

Not necessarily square textures, like 1024x1024, but it needs to be a multiple of 2. Most commonly used in KotOR are 256x256, 512x512, and 1024x1024l

well, not always, but mainly vanilla textures are, however in reality, all sorts of resolutions work for textures, but for bump maps, it doesn't seem so.

[LiliArch 115]

Depends on the computer if they work or not, mind you. Mine can handle only the 2^n ones, and 512 x 1024 is biggest it can work correctly (bigger ones don't crash the game, but they became replaced with another random texture in certain places of the model).

 

So, the bumpmaps are just greyscale emboss pictures? Would it be possible to create one without a specific add-on (by just making a, you know, greyscale emboss picture)?

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

This sounds like a great idea with some good potential, but I'm left wondering what the best way to use these cube maps might be?

 

Clearly using it in space is a good idea, but what if you're in an area? Would it make sense to make a generic environment cube map for a specific set of areas in the game? It's not like we can ray-trace off of the games area models...

[Fair Strides 510]

This sounds like a great idea with some good potential, but I'm left wondering what the best way to use these cube maps might be?

 

Clearly using it in space is a good idea, but what if you're in an area? Would it make sense to make a generic environment cube map for a specific set of areas in the game? It's not like we can ray-trace off of the games area models...

 

Well, here's an idea: make bumpmaps for the skybox textures. Picture Dantooine, Malachor, or Duxn.

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

Well, here's an idea: make bumpmaps for the skybox textures. Picture Dantooine, Malachor, or Duxn.

But what if you're inside a cave or a building?

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

But what if you're inside a cave or a building?

kotor and tsl have cubemaps for every area-ish, they are just too low res to notice the difference lol. check out anything with a CM_ prefix in the texture packs, we can remake them, however ktool garbles them when extracted.

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

kotor and tsl have cubemaps for every area-ish, they are just too low res to notice the difference lol. check out anything with a CM_ prefix in the texture packs, we can remake them, however ktool garbles them when extracted.

I recall seeing some from k1, indeed. Perhaps we can either fix them or make somewhat higher resolution versions?

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

I recall seeing some from k1, indeed. Perhaps we can either fix them or make somewhat higher resolution versions?

already on it

[VarsityPuppet 1,085]

In that case, this will be a permanent addition to my override.

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

so we can change cubemaps by using a certain visualeffects.2da code. the effect is pretty cool. now how can we use this???

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

check out this screen

 

[Fair Strides 510]

check out this screen

output_CrRf0n.gif

Now just explain how you did that.

 

In the end, I can write all this up in a PDF for you.

[Darth_Sapiens 90]

CubeMap Pack v1.00 is out grab it here

[LiliArch 115]

Grabbed!