Trying to bumpmap a sphere. I cant use uv layout for it because the size of the polyies varies near the hemispheres, and also as well, need to fit square/rectangular dimensions for the repeating pattern Im trying to put on.

Max built in 3D maps. Is there a way to convert a greyscale repeating texture into one? That would then lay the bumpmap out correctly. Then I could render to texture that.

Otherwise what suggestions? Geosphere uv layout suffer the same issue, actually worse since they are triangles

(this sounds weird, sorry, about to crash)

Have you tried doing a blended box map?
http://www.neilblevins.com/cg_educat...ox_mapping.htm

Quad-sphere maybe? They're as easy to unwrap as a box. They give a few more seams but a lot less distrotion and you don't have a bunch of tris all over the place.

Max quad didn't work, it just scrunched up in the corners. The blending wont work, because its not a random texture, its a fiber like/consistent texture.

Would there be a way to do this in Zbrush? I thought not because the texture projection is flat unto the surface versus curved along the surface.

If there was some way to convert the repeating texture into Max 3D texture format?

Here is what it is

the max built 3d maps are procedural so you'd have to either program a new one or use the blended box mapping posted above

Face-map a quad sphere, and to solve the distorted corners you could paint a custom bitmap.

Here is what blend got me.



Eric, the issue is I'm attempting not to paint such because it wont line up easily because the surface will curve. and thus will have to attempt to make the horizontal and vertical lines match. I will be up front and say I know no way to do that will look correct. Paint it in zbrush?

As well, as quad spheres don't seem to keep there sphere shape after 1-2 divisions. Using this to burn normals onto a low poly geosphere.
Unless... I burn the height-map as a texture for the geosphere then burn a separate high polysphere for the roundness. Then in normalize the heightmap texture and overlay on the normal map.

Ok. That could work. But still have no way I can see to curve/squash the fibers

I would head to the sporting good store, see how they do it on the real thing.

Oh snap.

Why cant I ever find the good pictures. I suck at google search. Oh snap as far as? The original uv of the sphere squish the textures as they get closer to the hemispheres.

Ok here is what Im thinking... Box UVw. The top and bottom I have the pattern in cylindrical loops. The sides normal. Then burn that as a diffuse unto the high sphere then use that as a bump on the high to burn to low.

How would I get a pattern or a brush to follow the path of a curve in photoshop? Like I was trying to stroke a path and the pattern and the brush I created from the pattern keeps its same horz and vertical position. So it wont follow the angle of the curve when I try to use it as a stroke.

How would one do this?

Edit: Here is what currently happens when I try to stroke a path with the pattern (as a pattern or a brush).

Well I guess there was no easy way. Here is what I ended up doing. Baking one copy of bump on to another high poly sphere as a diffuse with my manually tweaking the uvs so I could get as close as possible to having less squished textures at the hemispheres.. Then baked another based around A cube I split into triangles enough that I could somewhat fake it twirling around the hemispheres..

I then baked both those out and manually blended them in PS (tooka few hours.. maybe shouldnt have baked it 2048 :P ). I know the blend in max now (thanks for the point out, downloaded that guys tool pack off his site), but from above as could see, wasnt giving right effect.

So anyhow this is what I ended up with. I know this is overkill and still isnt that great. But it is a weapon in game so closer to gamers view than just an environmental asset.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just wish there was a simpler way to create procedures for us laymen.


(the nipple is on purpose per to blow up)

Yeah this is a tough problem, no doubt. You can see the shortcuts the original designer took in laying out the pattern, duplicating it here and there, and packing it haphazardly into the apex.

To do that pattern in a texture would be a pain in the ass. I think you arrived at a good compromise.

The Oh snap was because after I typed out my first sentence, I did a Google Image search and found that image. No need to head to the store!

The search term I used was "red rubber ball", and set the size in the left menu to "Large". That ball photo was the 2nd hit!

I think Eric is onto something, buy a ball, cut it open like you would unwrap it, study it, scan it and figure out how they laid out the pattern. It looks like the pattern near the poles and seams isn't evenly square chunks but each patch is skewed a bit to help accommodate the distortion.

There definitely are some areas where the patches have 4-5 lines and areas they have 3, I also see some overlap and gaps as they rotate the pattern. So I don't see a way to get the results you want with a flat pattern texture... =/