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Game Editing => Video Channel => Topic started by: kat on December 18, 2020, 10:52:06 AM

Title: [IMVU] Creatormas 2020 - IMVU Studio & Normal Maps
Post by: kat on December 18, 2020, 10:52:06 AM

Description
As IMVU Studio is out, this year for Creatormas we take a look at editor and making some simple products that utilise the new Normal and Shininess map options, adding detail and highlights to meshes that react to light sources placed in rooms or included with furniture, accessories or other items.

Video I : using a simple mesh we take a look at the basics of what normal maps and shininess maps are, how they are generally created and used in IMVU Studio.

Video II : the best way to make a normal map is to 'render' them from high-resolution meshes, here we make a simple box, add a material and then UV unwrap it before making a high-res version that is then 'baked' using Blenders Bake feature (Cycles Render only).

Video III : the easiest way to make a normal map is to 'convert' or 'filter' a specially made grey-scale image, here black represents depth, white equals height, so together different forms and features can be painted, and when converted, give the impression of three-dimensional structure.

Video IV : baked normal maps and converted images  can be used in combination, so we make a high-res big book that is baked out to a normal maps to provide generic structure to which an image based normal map is blended (image editor 'merge mode') to create surface texture like old leather.

Duration
- Video I - Studio Overview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LsROGCT3L8) - 1 hr 45 mins (01:45:00).
- Video II - Baking Normal Maps (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l1fjmuWYqo) - 1 hr 50 mins (01:50:00) | project files (https://www.katsbits.com/files/imvu/katsbits - studio normal bake.zip) (c. 10 MB - *.blend, *.fbx, *.psd, *.png).
- Video III - Image-created Normal Maps (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSzzg-LIr58) - 2 hrs (02:00:00) | project files (https://www.katsbits.com/files/imvu/katsbits - studio normal image.zip) (c. 10 MB - *.blend, *.fbx, *.psd, *.png).
- Video IV - Combined Normal Maps (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kF1xWxQTiY) - 1 hr 50 mins (01:50:00) | project files (https://www.katsbits.com/files/imvu/katsbits studio normal book.zip) (c. 10 MB - *.blend, *.fbx, *.psd, *.png)

More
- Blender 2.8+ Starter Files for IMVU (https://www.katsbits.com/codex/imvu-starter-files/).
- Learn to make furniture for IMVU using Blender 2.8+ (https://www.katsbits.com/codex/tag/furniture/).
- For more on creating items for IMVU see IMVU Basics tutorials (https://www.katsbits.com/codex/blenderimvu/).

Twitch Alternatives
- Video I (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/846108987), Video IIa (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/846118509) IIb (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/846118509), Video III (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/846124792), Video IV (coming soon).