Photogrammetry

[philippelamoureux]

I'd like to start using photoscanned textures (especially for HQ heightmaps) but I can't really find em. Is it just not yet available or not popular? This is for use in Unreal Engine. Look at what DICE's artists did with Star Wars Battlefront...I need that for my future visualisations :-)

 

Besides Quixel megascans that I feel will never come and what this guy did here https://www.artstation.com/artwork/RqvmD, is there any other options?

[Devin Johnston]

If you want high quality textures check out Arroway. Battlefront is amazing.

[Francisco Penaloza]

Is it just not yet available or not popular? https://www.artstation.com/artwork/RqvmD, is there any other options?

 

that's correct. I think it would be better to get a Quixel suite to create your own Normal, Diffuse, spec and other maps out of photos.

As mentioned Arroway is the close thing to those megascans, but the technology is different, one is actual scanned geometry the other are Height Resolution textures.

[RyderSK]

As mentioned Arroway is the close thing to those megascans, but the technology is different, one is actual scanned geometry the other are Height Resolution textures

 

It's actually the very same thing, using the very same method :- )

 

Both use cross-polarized photography to scan surface details and reproject them as flat textures. Arroway just did it manually and only for rather flat surfaces.

Megascans is service that does the same using their own self-built photogrametry "scanner", which really is just box with cross-polarized LED lighting and camera, operating in automated fashion so it disregards the environment and doesn't require "as much" touch-up. The end result is the same, high resolution texture.

 

 

There was other source available for past two years but the guy doesn't seems to update it as much, Surface Mimic. Although it could be because he provided mainly just height-maps, and not tiles because he intended them for projection texturing (Mari), and sculpting (Zbrush/Mudbox). So, not that broadly usable as full tiled Albedo/Specular/Normal/Height as is Megascans.

 

 

The real-displacement textures from Christoph seem to be superb, but lot of work because he has to reconstruct the lighting (he uses single normal DLSR, not cross-polarized box like Quixel), so hence the rather high pricetag. (for what is currently very limited sample, Quixel already boasts 10 000+ materials !!, but procedurally tiled and stiched, so perhaps they won't be as perfect out of the box as these. But who know, they're not very eager to push this into masses yet.

 

Quixel suite to create your own Normal, Diffuse, spec and other maps out of photos.

 

Quixel Suite2 moves away from this proceduralism. It's always too heavily fake, and why do it when you'll have 10 000 big fully physically correct library.

[philippelamoureux]

I already use some Arroway textures (concrete and wood) and it looks awesome. Scans would be useful for complex ground mats to use on displaced planes.

 

I'll have a look at DDO. Looks like it comes with a material library. I bought Allegorithmic's suite in the meantime and started to use bitmap2materials to generate my maps.

[RyderSK]

When you're at it, make sure to look at Dubcat's guide to using DDO2's Smart materials with his Corona profiler :- )

 

https://corona-renderer.com/forum/index.php/topic,10436.0.html

 

I also used B2M but honestly just couldn't learn to love it.

 

[philippelamoureux]

Thanks Juraj, I'll check that out!!!

[adamsargeant]

Them Arroway textures are superb. Who competes best with them for VRAY compatible ones? I don't use Maxwell.

[philippelamoureux]

Arroway works with vray...with any render engine actually.