Romaq
10-07-2007, 04:41 AM
I wanted to create something special to upload to TM as replacement textures for plazas... gross textures for your Halloween enjoyment! I've worked out the details, and I'm comfortable that *IF* I create something in particular, I can make a plaza out of it. Unfortunately, I don't have the skill for creating specifically gross stuff by hand. So I started looking around for someone ELSE's work I could use to fit the process. And I stumbled upon something... well, it's gross:
http://www.filterforge.com/filters/1615-small.jpg (http://www.filterforge.com/filters/1615.html)<-- Click the photo for a link to a great site on textures you may use with SC4.
Because of the prepratory work I've done, I could tell what to do. Save the 'diffuse map' as 'brains.bmp'. Now save the 'normal map' as 'brains_bump.bmp'. The remaining maps offer various possibilities on how reflective the 'brains' are. I'll choose SpecExponent Map as 'brains_spec.bmp'. The lighter areas are, the more they reflect light. In this case, the light reflected should be grainy and bumpy. Try out different ones and see what works for you, and be sure to try out different images as well.
Now, make CERTAIN you have backups of your original files BEFORE you overwrite them. I'm using GIMP with the DDS plugin, so I save 'brains.bmp' as C4_Plaza_3.dds in my 'Caesar IV/Data/Graphics/terraintextures' folder. brains_spec.bmp as C4_Plaza_3_spec.dds, brains_bump.bmp as C4_Plaza_3_bump.dds.
AND... next time the Patricians complain you lack the brains to run the city, they will be far more charitable towards you when they find the plazas around their homes are simply paved with brains!
--Romaq
http://www.filterforge.com/filters/1615-small.jpg (http://www.filterforge.com/filters/1615.html)<-- Click the photo for a link to a great site on textures you may use with SC4.
Because of the prepratory work I've done, I could tell what to do. Save the 'diffuse map' as 'brains.bmp'. Now save the 'normal map' as 'brains_bump.bmp'. The remaining maps offer various possibilities on how reflective the 'brains' are. I'll choose SpecExponent Map as 'brains_spec.bmp'. The lighter areas are, the more they reflect light. In this case, the light reflected should be grainy and bumpy. Try out different ones and see what works for you, and be sure to try out different images as well.
Now, make CERTAIN you have backups of your original files BEFORE you overwrite them. I'm using GIMP with the DDS plugin, so I save 'brains.bmp' as C4_Plaza_3.dds in my 'Caesar IV/Data/Graphics/terraintextures' folder. brains_spec.bmp as C4_Plaza_3_spec.dds, brains_bump.bmp as C4_Plaza_3_bump.dds.
AND... next time the Patricians complain you lack the brains to run the city, they will be far more charitable towards you when they find the plazas around their homes are simply paved with brains!
--Romaq