mapping a realistic wood grain

[schmoron13]

I'm having an impossible time with the uttermost basic task today. All I wanted to do was to model a simple 6x12x140" wood beam (a douglas fir type generic construction beam). IT IS KICKING MY ASS!!! I don't get it. I've tried everything to get a realistic skin, from various online tutorials, to using the included maps that came with max 5 to creating my own in photoshop. Since this is for an online encyclopedia of earthquake engineering, it has to look somewhat realistic, and no matter what I do, it doesn't look right. I tried UV mapping, UVW unwrapping, procedurals (abit a simple one of mainly using the generic wood texture with noise, etc), and nothing...and I mean NOTHING looks right. Either the image gets stretched out along one plane, or the curves look downright "fake." THis is asinine. Here's a couple of pics, and if anyone has any clues as to why I'm so suddenly struck with idiocy, let me know

[Diego Rosales]

If your Douglas Fir is something like this:

 

You could start by finding a nice wood map to work with. Get/paint another for the section. Tweak these in PS and make the extra maps with it (diffuse, specular, bump, etc.). Apply these maps to the corresponding channels. Judging by your images, you could be using vray. Then, you could even try the vray_displacement. I've seen incredibly beautiful wood materials with it.

For mapping, I would just go for a simple, multi-sub/object mat for the sides and the section, with box mapping for the first and planar for the 2nd.

 

This should be a very straightforward process. Don't even think about unwrapping or other esoteric modifiers. Simple problem: go classic.

 

BTW, what part of the material are you most interested in mimicking? What is exactly bother you right now?

 

/Diego

[schmoron13]

Thanks Diego for the super quick response. FIrst off, you're correct in that I'm using vray, but I'm using the FREE version, so the only vray map is for reflection/refraction.

 

In terms of importance, by far the endgrain (the forefront of the pic you supplied) is the most important in that it shows which way the wood will shrink. Second is the long side where knots and such can have an impact.

 

I moved on temporarily to work on a reinforced concrete beam, but I'll post a pic as soon as I get a chance using your techniques.

 

thanks again.

 

-Doron

[Jeff Mottle]

In terms of importance, by far the endgrain (the forefront of the pic you supplied) is the most important in that it shows which way the wood will shrink. Second is the long side where knots and such can have an impact.

If this is the case then you need to either create or find a bitmap of wood endgrain becuase MAX won't accuratly create this from standard wood grain texture.