Gradient Map!

cagdasx44 · Mar 2014

Thx for stopping by!
I am currently using blender atm while I am trying to learn 3ds Max. For now my problem is I want gradient map and I dont know how to create it. If anyone knows how to create it in blender, 3ds Max or in xnormal pls write how.
Thx for all help!!!!

Nannou · Mar 2014

Reyne · Mar 2014

I don't know anything about blender but there are a dew options for max.

There was a script on the front page of poly count that does this.

Or, the way I do it is:

-UVW unwrap model, leave the UVW unwrap on the top of the modifier stack.
-Apply a UVW map set to planar.
-Set the UVW unwrap channel to 2. Choose 'move'.
-Apply a gradient material to the mesh.
-Align the UVW map so that the gradient is oriented correctly
-Hit '0' to go to the RTT dialogue.

-In mapping coordinates section make sure channel 2 is selected
-In output add a diffuse map at the appropriate size and tell it to save to a good location.
-Hit render, ignore the pop-up.
-Ignore the render preview.
-Look at the file that you saved out from the output settings.
-It should be a nice old gradient map

If you would like I could spend some time making an image based tutorial of this.

Xajai · Mar 2014

any ideas on how to do the same process in maya?

Reyne · Mar 2014

In the thread accompanying that script:

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2010609&postcount=26

I don't know how to do it manually in Maya though

MdK · Mar 2014

Here's what you want for Maya, Belkun gave me the link a while back:

http://www.kostas.se/?p=343

pior · Mar 2014

I think that the easiest way of all, doable in any 3d program, is to simply create an image in photoshop with a black to white gradient on it, create planar UVs inside the secondary UV channel of your model, and apply the gradient texture to that. Then transfer this texture information from the newly created UV channel to the original.

If you are not comfortable with transferring texture data from one UV channel to another, you could also simply make two obj copies of your model (one with the regular UVs, and the other with the flat UVs), load them as "low" and "high" in xnormal or any other baking tool, and transfer the texture data that way.

Good luck !

Reyne · Mar 2014

pior wrote: »

I think that the easiest way of all, doable in any 3d program, is to simply create an image in photoshop with a black to white gradient on it, create planar UVs inside the secondary UV channel of your model, and apply the gradient texture to that. Then transfer this texture information from the newly created UV channel to the original.

If you are not comfortable with transferring texture data from one UV channel to another, you could also simply make two obj copies of your model (one with the regular UVs, and the other with the flat UVs), load them as "low" and "high" in xnormal or any other baking tool, and transfer the texture data that way.

Good luck !

Is that similar to what I do? Only I use the gradient option already available as a material in max?

pior · Mar 2014

Yeah it's very similar

Personally I quite like the idea of using a texture, because it give the option of controlling it nicely straight from within Photoshop. But yeah, there are many variants of that technique ...

Reyne · Mar 2014

Ok, cool. Just making sure because I had figured out how to do that myself and I wasn't sure if it was 'right'. Now that you have brought up the texture thing I will try it and see what sorts of results I can get with doing it that way.

Thanks

cagdasx44 · Mar 2014

Thx you all guys! 9 answers in so little time.
I think I will fo with the way Reyne wrote but I am quite new to Max so I will probably wont do it properly at the first try but pretty sure I will make it at last.
Anyways I will ask if I have any problems but till then goodbye!
And thx alot again!

polarbear · Mar 2014

A really newbie question here: What is a Gradient Map for?

It seems like everyone knows how to create one, but what do you use it for? what's the benefit?

GhostDetector · Mar 2014

@polarbear, its to create some focus in the item.

pior · Mar 2014

Also, for the sake of clarity it's probably worth noting that the term "gradient map" does not originally refer to what is being discussed here.

Here we are talking about a top-down gradient applied to a character in order to simulate lighting attenuation (and thus, like GD mentions it, creating focus on the top of the item), which is then transferred to a texture. (a "gradient" baked to a texture "map", shortened into the inaccurate term of "Gradient Map")

But originally the term "Gradient Map" refers to the action of mapping a user-defined color gradient of colors to an image according to the intensity of its original greyscale values - similarly to the old school technique of palette swapping. So, if you make a google search on "Gradient Map", that's mostly what you'll end up with.

And to make things even more confusing ... a common practice would be to take the "Gradient [baked to a texture] Map" ... and apply a Gradient Map to it, in order to colorize it

Hope this helps !

cagdasx44 · Mar 2014

pior: Wow!!!
No offense but I will still call it gradient map,

pior · Mar 2014

Haha yeah man whatever works

I don't think I could come up with a better name anyway ... maybe ... Gradient Bake ? Or something like that hehe

Spudnik · Mar 2014

Get out Dustin, this is no place for logic.

(But yeah, pretty much that)

chrisundrum · Mar 2014

...*Googles attenuation map*... *confused as hell
...*Polycount search*..nothing

how does one bake an attenuation map dustin and or spud?

pior · Mar 2014

Hehe - again, there's no proper term per say ... we were just trying to coin a term for "top to bottom gradient baked to texture" map

I thereby propose : Farbabstufung Map (german for gradient)
Or even cooler : Kōbai Map (Japanese)

GhostDetector · Mar 2014

@Chris
No that was a joke for another name for a gradient map. Since a gradient map really is to replace colors by value. This "gradient" map is about lightning information.

EmAr · Mar 2014

@pior Kōbai Map sounds cool actually. I hope that's not what gradient map is called in Japanese version of Photoshop

pior · Mar 2014

Hahaha yeah that would go full circle

kodde · Apr 2014

Axis directional gradient map perhaps? :P
Bit too long though. Think of the axises values as your black-to-white values like how the RGB luminance version in Photoshop does it. Then again maybe someone uses some other funky direction other than axises for all I know.