Topic: normal map for imported textures ?

[Zdenek Fajfrlik]

hi everybody,
when i import a texture, which was manipulated in skp (uv, width, length), then the material name appears in the material selection and a sort of 'dummy' material is created. in this material there is no access to its values, until a lumion material is aplied.
by this, however, i lose the uv-mapping of the texture part.

so my question is:
is it somehow possible to apply a normal map to an imported texture, maybe even with the correct uv-assignment?

parameters: skp8 / texture manipulated with quadface tools // lumion 2.5 prof.

thanx a lot for ideas

stan

[Jared G.]

To adjust the settings of imported textures, you just apply the 'Standard Material' to it. You can then adjust all the sliders, and load a normal map. Your normal map should be manipulated the same as your diffuse map.

In Sketchup, right click on your texture to bring up the context menu. Then select 'make unique texture'. That will crop the texture to your face. Then right click again and select Texture->Edit Texture Image (protip: under Window->Preference->Application you can set Photoshop as your default image editor) then you can save the new texture somewhere convenient.

Now that you have isolated the manipulated texture, load into into your normal maker (http://www.smart-page.net/smartnormal/ is a great online tool for this) and there you have it.

[Zdenek Fajfrlik]

To adjust the settings of imported textures, you just apply the 'Standard Material' to it. You can then adjust all the sliders, and load a normal map. Your normal map should be manipulated the same as your diffuse map.

In Sketchup, right click on your texture to bring up the context menu. Then select 'make unique texture'. That will crop the texture to your face. Then right click again and select Texture->Edit Texture Image (protip: under Window->Preference->Application you can set Photoshop as your default image editor) then you can save the new texture somewhere convenient.

Now that you have isolated the manipulated texture, load into into your normal maker (http://www.smart-page.net/smartnormal/ is a great online tool for this) and there you have it.

hi and thanx,
this works well. so i could assign the standard material and see the texture.
i have to experiment more with making. textures unique, but it is clear, how it works, thanx.

limitations i found:

a street-surface build for ex. by 100 polygons has to be assigned one after each other 100 times (copy/paste material) , because collada numbers the polygons one after another in the export file.
by this there are 100 single materials in the lumion-file, which is unconfortable (because of the unconfortable editor menue).
so afterwards-changes of the street surface cannot be done at once, but again. step by step (terrible)

positive: copying material from one surface to another does not destroy the uv-mapping, thanx god....

so for lumion a 'collect colours'-function could be useful, in which one could group all surfaces with the same settings exept uv , to asign and edit ONE COLOUR for all grouped elements, even if the names are different in the import file.

regards stan

[Gaieus]

limitations i found:

a street-surface build for ex. by 100 polygons has to be assigned one after each other 100 times (copy/paste material) , because collada numbers the polygons one after another in the export file.
by this there are 100 single materials in the lumion-file, which is unconfortable (because of the unconfortable editor menue).
so afterwards-changes of the street surface cannot be done at once, but again. step by step (terrible)

Stan, when you manipulate a material in SketchUp and its UV's get distorted, the collada (and any other) exporter will "explode" that material into as many, small pieces as facets you have it applied (this happens with any advanced UV mapping tool in SU).

The solution is to triangulate these faces prior to export and SU will export the material image in one, intact piece keeping the UV co-ordinates nicely (and allowing you to only deal with a single material in Lumion).

[Zdenek Fajfrlik]

Stan, when you manipulate a material in SketchUp and its UV's get distorted, the collada (and any other) exporter will "explode" that material into as many, small pieces as facets you have it applied (this happens with any advanced UV mapping tool in SU).

The solution is to triangulate these faces prior to export and SU will export the material image in one, intact piece keeping the UV co-ordinates nicely (and allowing you to only deal with a single material in Lumion).

hi gai, that's fantastic, will test it this weekend (becoming surely a big triangulator....)
thanx a lot for this info.
stan