Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 18.18.
Genetica-created cube maps find uses in unexpected areas, such as this
super-ecient skin shader.
The steps used to create the skin cube map are almost identical to the ones that
were shown in
Figure 18.17.
The main differences were that in Step 4 a gradient
with more fleshy tones was selected, in Step 5 normal blending was selected, and
in Step 6 a diffuse filter was chosen instead of scatter.
18.3.6 First Photographs, Then Procedurals
The extensive array of nodes offered by Genetica allows just about any material
to be created procedurally, but there are still trade-offs to consider. Procedural
textures require more attention to create but offer ultimate control over every as-
pect of the result. On the other hand, Genetica also includes a texture synthesis
tool,shownin
Figure18.19
,
thatcancreateseamlesstexturesfromphotographic
sources. Synthesized textures can be created much more quickly than procedural
ones while readily delivering photorealistic results, but they depend on the avail-
ability of photographs that resemble the desired surface.
Genetica's node-based system allows texture synthesis to be freely mixed with
procedural techniques to any extent, which means that each asset can fall anywhere
on a spectrum from the purely procedural to the purely photo-based. A good
approach for finding the ideal balance along this spectrum is to initially create all
new assets using texture synthesis, and then to begin adding procedural elements
to the extent that the desired look was not already achieved. This method allows
artists to take maximum advantage of the speed and realism benefits offered by
texture synthesis, while using procedural techniques to whatever extent they're
needed.
Figure18.20
showsanexampleresultingfromthismethod.First,aseamless
texture was created for a ship hull by synthesizing it from a photograph. A more
aged appearance was desired, so the result was run through a procedural node that
was configured to apply a number of weathering effects to its inputs.
