Parallax Mapping -> VTF Edit options

[jorre22225]

Hi people!

I've recently came across Parallax Mapping after that I have found out about bumpmaps for some time, and basically as I understand it, it draws a texture as if it was a bit 3D.

I know how to make them (greyscale/heightmap texture) and I also always have a bumpmap applied with them for the maximum effect.

However I use VTFEdit, and I save the textures usually as BRG888 as an environment texture with mipmaps enabled.


I get very nice effects in-game, but I'm actually wondering if the settings that I use are correct.

(for the bumpmap I use the 'Normal map' option)


Can someone plz explain me correctly which parameters I have to fill in before saving my parallax map in VTFEdit? Is there anything I have to check, should I use mipmaps or not? Should I use BRG888 or instead something else?
I fully know the creation of normal textures and normal maps, but not confirmly the parallax ones. Any help is greatly apprectiated ^^ Many thanks beforehand

[jorre22225]

bumpyhumpy

[episoder]

paralax is usually rgba8 with the heightmap in the alpha channel of the bumpmap.

[jorre22225]

Originally Posted by episoder

paralax is usually rgba8 with the heightmap in the alpha channel of the bumpmap.

Ok many thanks!

Also I have another question:

I've seen on the SDK Docs site that Parallax Mapping is apparantly supported only on the ep1 Source Engine version. Do they mean ONLY on the Source version of Episode 1 or just the Episode one version (which is called the MP Version now I think)?

The thing is, I DO see a difference in my textures, they really look as if they were 3D (however only from a distance, from very close you can still see it's a bit flat (but not as flat at the original either)).

So my question is if Parallax Mapping IS supported for CS:S or not. Many thanks beforehand

[episoder]

ep1? i dunno. the engine has been modified. right now the paralax shader mods only work if you got a client that is "moddable" to supports custom shaders.

as for me.. and now.. the only games that suppport it are the pure source 2007 sdk mod ones and the shader editor mods that can handle it.

i dunno if this is of any help. but sure thing is.. css won't do it. maybe with a lil more "hacking", but else not.

[Kosire]

Originally Posted by episoder

ep1? i dunno. the engine has been modified. right now the paralax shader mods only work if you got a client that is "moddable" to supports custom shaders.

as for me.. and now.. the only games that suppport it are the pure source 2007 sdk mod ones and the shader editor mods that can handle it.

i dunno if this is of any help. but sure thing is.. css won't do it. maybe with a lil more "hacking", but else not.

Valve have released the shader files for Alien swarm in an recent update few days ago.

http://store.steampowered.com/news/8357/

- Added shader source code.
- Matchmaking system supports mods with more than 4 players.
- Mods store their config.cfg separately from the base game.

[jorre22225]

Originally Posted by Kosire

Valve have released the shader files for Alien swarm in an recent update few days ago.

http://store.steampowered.com/news/8357/

What does this mean ? That parallax map is now supported in all Source games, or simply the posssibility to implement it?

I've again tested it in-game, a texture with only a bumpmap, and one with parallaxmap (heightmap) onto it, and there's a real difference. Although not directly noticable, it does render in 3D if you look good enough at it. It's nothing like Parallax Occlusion mapping though, or even Steep Parallax mapping, but it does give the cool effect. So that's the strange thing if the SDK Index still says it's not supported at all