Question Person and height map

hazmhox

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Before I start to debug the whole character and components through scripting inside VaM, i'm gonna try to ask, maybe someone knows.
Is it possible to add a height map ( with scripting ) to a person's shader ?
I'm trying to reproduce some skin detail for Eve, that would look like something like that :

cyber-girl-01.jpg
cyber-girl-03.jpg


This one being the best example :
cyber-girl-02.jpg


I'm talking about the deep / heavy traces over the skin. We all know that the normal is made for surface details. Trying to simulate heavy deformation of the skin with the normal is gonna be frikkin' ugly.

So I was wondering if it could be possible to add an height map which would definitely be better to simulate heavy depth differences without having to dig inside the concept of morphs creation.

Thanks in advance!
Cheers.
 
No, not possible :)
VAM's shader does not handle height maps.
Yes, yes, although there is no height map, there is a normal map.

I've been studying how to make skin materials in VAM recently. I found the following:
1. The diffuse image is the base color image. When making materials, you only need to make this image. VAM has its own skin textures for the characters, and these textures will penetrate our base color images. That is to say: even if your base color image has only one color, after applying it, the character will have skin texture.
2. Our own normal map will be merged with the normal map that comes with the VAM character. Usually, we may only need to make a normal map when making protruding blood vessels for the character. The texture of the blood vessels can be made through Substance 3D Designer.
3. I am carefully observing the difference between height maps and normal maps. I currently feel that there is some overlap in the functions of height maps and normal maps. Usually, they are also opened into two channels and used together. The purpose is to make the object more three-dimensional.

Then, my biggest problem recently is to make the base color map of the character's skin. I guess I need to use two tools, Photoshop and Substance 3D Painter.

Still studying...
 
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No, not possible :)
VAM's shader does not handle height maps.
Dude, I have discovered the tricks these authors use to make skin today. Without exception, almost all of them do the following: project a photo, then cut out the important parts such as eyelids, eyebrows, nose, lips, and nipples, and then apply them directly on the old skin material. The new skin material is applied on the old skin material, so there are two layers, and finally the two layers are toned together. A new skin material is made. Like this:

屏幕截图 2024-07-22 114146.png


屏幕截图 2024-07-22 114227.png


屏幕截图 2024-07-22 114256.png


屏幕截图 2024-07-22 114329.png


屏幕截图 2024-07-22 114344.png


To create a new skin material, you only need to cover the old default skin material with new eyebrows, new lips, new cheeks, and new eyelids. Then adjust the overall color level of the two layers to create a new character skin material.
 
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