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Post by Fwecka (Lolabellesims) on Nov 13, 2021 4:41:51 GMT -5
Alright. Thanks for the clarification.
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Post by Fwecka (Lolabellesims) on Nov 13, 2021 5:27:20 GMT -5
I have one last question to ask if you don't mind.
For the main specular file (not the .mask but the other one), if it's a DDS, the alpha channel controls the strength of the sun's reflection. Well, a PNG cannot support an alpha channel. I'm thinking that the opacity level in the PNG itself is what controls the strength of the sun's reflection. Am I getting this right?
My understanding is this:
Red channel controls blur of cube map Green channel controls strength of cube map Blue channel controls falloff of cube map Alpha channel (if DDS) controls strength of sun's reflection OR PNG opacity (if PNG) controls strength of sun's reflection
Specular.mask (both PNG and DDS) controls if and to what degree another object's specular affects your item if both items occupy the same spot on the CAS map.
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Post by mauvemorn on Nov 13, 2021 8:26:17 GMT -5
Your understanding is correct but Little Dica explained the function of every channel a bit differently sims4studio.com/thread/23520/working-on-specular-map-simsLike, there is the sun/moon reflection and the cube reflection. Blue - how blurry/sharp the sun/moon reflection is; Red - how blurry/sharp the cube reflection is; Green - opacity/intensity/strength/whatever you want to call it of the cube reflection; Alpha channel - opacity/intensity/strength/whatever you want to call it of the sun/moon reflection. But yes, transparency in png = alpha channel in dds. But all of that said, if you’re going to include all of this information in the beginner-oriented tutorial, start by saying that they can simply copy the colors from maxis items that are meant to be made of the same materials. Otherwise they will simply decide not to bother making specular maps at all and we will be getting a lot more issues like this (not as if they often do them to begin with, but you know how it goes, one says something in the tutorial and the rest repeat in their own)
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Post by Fwecka (Lolabellesims) on Nov 13, 2021 22:44:58 GMT -5
No, I wanted to have a deeper understanding of this for myself, not to try to bombard a beginner with it. I'm done doing that. Some of this stuff is too abstract for someone with no experience. Heck, a lot of it is too abstract for me and I spend hours every day on this stuff.
I wondered if there was a difference between the blue and alpha channels, and the red and green channels re: the reflection of the cube map. Does the blue channel and alpha channel not interact with the cube map then? If the blue channel doesn't rely on a cube map, what does it use to create reflection? Do you know? Or do they use the cube map but do so in a specific way when the object is outdoors but not when the object is indoors?
I'm sorry for all the questions but I really want to have a solid understanding of these things. Knowing these things can help you troubleshoot problems that inevitably crop up.
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