UE4 Can I still use diffuse spec workflow?

kimchee519 · Apr 2015

Greetings,

Had a quick question about texturing in UE4. Does it work to create environments with the old texturing process of diffuse spec normal? or If working on assets in UE4 is it a must to use the albedo rough metal norm texture workflow to have the assets look right in UE4? I feel like I've seen environments done in UE4 with both styles but which one is right and which one is not?

ghaztehschmexeh · Apr 2015

As far as I know, you can't. I don't see why you'd want to use an out-dated method anyway?

ZacD · Apr 2015

You can do a handpainted or stylized looks with PBR, Pixar does it. There's no reason to use diffuse/spec over PBR.

GC_Vos · Apr 2015

I've actually been using single specs with pretty good results. Just customize color channels for more control over physical properties. Tbh the names aren't very relevant as long as the textures themselves are good enough. Here is a simple example (this does use a detail mask):

Screen%20Shot%2004-04-15%20at%2012.06%20AM_zpsl3fjvmer.png~original

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll152/GC_Vos/Screen%20Shot%2004-04-15%20at%2012.16%20AM_zpsycaannqg.png~original

There's some good info on here btw: http://www.marmoset.co/toolbag/learn/pbr-practice

In the end it's mostly about how (technically) realistic you want the properties to be.

kimchee519 · Apr 2015

So in UE4 you cannot use diffuse spec workflow anymore because the albedo roughness will ultimately look better and correct?

EarthQuake · Apr 2015

ZacD wrote: »

You can do a handpainted or stylized looks with PBR, Pixar does it. There's no reason to use diffuse/spec over PBR.

There's no reason that a diffuse/spec workflow would be mutually exclusive to PBR. Cryenegine uses a diffuse/spec PBR workflow, and both Unitry 5 and Marmoset Toolbag support both content standards in a PBR workflow.

kimchee519 wrote: »

So in UE4 you cannot use diffuse spec workflow anymore because the albedo roughness will ultimately look better and correct?

Nope, you can't use it because UE4 doesn't support reading the content.

The primary difference between the metalness workflow and the specular workflow is how the reflectivity data is stored. Metalness is not more accurate or more PBR or anything like that.

The only difference between gloss/roughness is the value scale, roughness defines the same content, but inverted so black = most glossy and white = most rough.

More here: http://www.marmoset.co/toolbag/learn/pbr-conversion

UE4 Can I still use diffuse spec workflow?

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