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General => Open Discussion => Topic started by: TheBadger on September 12, 2014, 01:03:16 AM

Title: Convert Dem to simple displacement map.
Post by: TheBadger on September 12, 2014, 01:03:16 AM
Hello,

Can anyone give me a clear and quick (hopefully quick) way to take some satellite data (anything as an example would be fine) and make a really nice displacement map? OR really, to be clear, ultimately I want to make a sculpting brush with it.

I am sure I have seen a way to do this here or somewhere else. I just cant remember where. Anyway, just getting the DEM into some kind of displacement map is what I need right now.

Also,
I would like to know if it is possible to keep the the high level of detail that I have in some DEMs in a dis map? OR I guess it does not have to be a displacement map, but something that I can use in a similar way.

I think Big Ben talked on this to some degree in one of his threads. But I cant find that either now...

Please help me break this subject down to bite size bits.

The soft I have access to is TG, Maya, Mud, and Photoshop, and GeoControl2. I think that I should be able to workout some kind of conversion flow from these?.. Or not?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Convert Dem to simple displacement map.
Post by: j meyer on September 12, 2014, 11:56:26 AM
DEMs don't have overhangs or undercuts as far as I know,
so why do you want a disp map? A Depth grab should be fine.
Title: Re: Convert Dem to simple displacement map.
Post by: RArcher on September 12, 2014, 12:35:21 PM
Based on your software:

1. Load DEM data into TG3
2. Position Camera
3. Use the Micro Exporter to export the landform http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Micro_Exporter (http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Micro_Exporter)
4. Open in your sculpting tool

Note: Satellite imagery is not DEM data and does not generally contain height data.  Download DEM data for the areas you have satellite imagery for.
Title: Re: Convert Dem to simple displacement map.
Post by: TheBadger on September 12, 2014, 05:05:16 PM
THanks for the steps Ryan. I had thought about that too, but when I started to try it I thought, no, this must be wrong  ;D Well, now I know. Thanks for the correction on terms too.


J,
I guess I just lumped a bunch of stuff into the word DEM that does not belong, thats all. Sorry for the confusion.
The displacement won't have over hangs no mater what. But once I make the otherwise detailed sculpt using the sat data, then I can get in there and make overhangs and everything else, and from that make a vector for a brush or map

I have been looking at a number of tuts for UDK workflows. As well as some tuts on vectors in mud. I have gotten some pretty fun ideas from them. I just have to divert from the UDK part and translate to TG.
IF you want to take a look just say and I'll post. Maybe you know everything that the tuts show already, but maybe something new for you too.

One thing I learned was that you can take any object, import to mud, and make a top down displacement map, then from that sculpt up a high detail plane with overhangs and everything else, then make a vector map for a brush from that.

So what Im trying to do is build up a little library of vector brushes of highly detailed terrain parts, to paint new landscapes with... Its an easy process, but I am finding it difficult to pull off. There are lots of little things to screw the flow up.


I do believe that I can get a black/white depth/hight map from the same place I get the data I use for TG3. Sorry, but for some reason I just can't remember the right word for the right file :-\
Title: Re: Convert Dem to simple displacement map.
Post by: TheBadger on September 12, 2014, 11:26:42 PM
QuoteI do believe that I can get a black/white depth/hight map from the same place I get the data I use for TG3. Sorry, but for some reason I just can't remember the right word for the right file :-\

Never mind! All sorted  :)
Once again I went to the wrong site http://nationalmap.gov/viewer.html instead of http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ I was like, why does this not look right?! >:(

;D Im mental ::)