Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Vector Displacement in the
Sculpting Workflow
Craig Barr
16.1 Introduction
Vector displacement mapping in Mudbox provides artists with a very powerful
toolkit for the extraction and storing of complex, multidirectional displacement.
Intricate forms with appendages, undercuts, folds, and bulges, such as a human ear
can be stored and reused throughout the sculpting and detailing process. These
details are stored in a 32-bit floating-point image format that can be used as brush
stamps or stencils in Mudbox to paint complex detail onto meshes in a single
stroke. Artists can build up a library of commonly used forms and reuse them on
any model. Artists can access a library of specific features that follow the exact
look and style of a project and apply this data to the creation of characters, props,
or environments. A vector displacement map (VDM) library is a more e
cient
data set than a collection of high-resolution models or scene files, thus allowing for
a more portable and accessible pipeline solution.
There are many tools available to the digital artist today that allow for the
creation of highly detailed and sculpted models. Vector displacement mapping
provides artists with the ability to customize tools for specific sculpting effects.
Sculpting workflows can also benefit from the storage of VDMs in libraries that
are quickly and easily accessed. The use of vector displacement mapping to help
preserve, or maintain, a specific look, design, or style can aid in any sculpting-based
pipeline.
Vector displacement mapping allows artists to take advantage of these tech-
niques and, therefore, aids in the sculpting workflow. This chapter briefly examines
an effective and ecient means of storing, transferring, and sculpting with high-
resolution geometric data stored in a two-dimensional image format.
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