Converting Model to PBR w/ RoughMet Maps (Roughness / Metal) - Guide

Now to find said file and give it a shot, thanks Skate.

/DCS World/Bazar/World/Shapres/F-16x.edm.json

of course :doh:

Thanks Skate

How do you get the cokcpit to use roughmet?

I've been on this for a few hours and can't get the model viewer or the sim to load anything but the default specs. (bf109)

I've gone over the description.lua about a million times to make sure everything is right.

This is the Second of 3 Updated Posts I will Add Into this thread, One for Each Channel and How to Create and Edit the Textures for those Channels.

 

Next Up is the GREEN Channel, Which is the Roughness / Microsurface Map.

GREEN = ROUGHNESS / SMOOTHNESS aka MicroSurface ( BLACK = SMOOTH, WHITE = ROUGH)

-- Smooth results in Less Light Scattering / diffusion and a More Polished Look, Sharper Reflections

-- Rough results in more Light Scattering / diffusion and a more Matte Look, Blurrier Reflections

 

Here's some basic Materials, Please note, the M (Microsurface) Values for these Materials are Inverted (ie WHITE = SMOOTH), so when using them, one must invert the color for the Microsurface Value.

 

Unlike Ambient Occlusion, Creating a Roughness map does not Involve using 3D Studio Max, Everything can be done from Photoshop or other Imaging Suites.

 

The Quickest and Easiest way to do basic Roughness Maps is to create Layers and Overlays for Each material type, For Example:

- 1 Layer for Brushed / Bare Metal,

- 1 Layer for Rubber,

- 1 Layer for Painted Metal,

- 1 Layer for Glass

 

With Those Layers Created, You can Use the Diffuse Layer as a background, and paint over the parts one material type at a time.

 

It will Also be easier to create the Metallic map as well, as once you create the material overlays for the Roughness Map, you can group them, clone them and use them for metallic map, and adjust the Output values using color overlay.

 

For Me, for Creating the basic composite material surface w/ noise and smooth/rough spots,

I used the existing green Channel of my Specular, Inverted it and Applied custom curves to get the colors within range for the Material.

 

For Example

Before:

 

After:

 

 

Once you have your Roughness map is completed Goto Channels, Select the Green Channel, Select All, Copy Merged, and Paste into the GREEN Channel of your RoughMet DDS File:

 

 

Once Finished, the End Result should be something Like this:

Is there an video out for this section?

This is the section I am currently stuck on. Thanks

I am patiently waiting for this tutorial video!

I've a really basic 3d knowledge, less on how models/shader works here on DCS.

Without using the liveries with description.lua, how to create the PBR material directly on 3ds max with the ROUGHMET Channel 13? It's possible?

EDIT:

it's enough to create the <basemapname>_RoughMet.DDS into the .zip? that's all?

Thanks

I've a really basic 3d knowledge, less on how models/shader works here on DCS.

 

Without using the liveries with description.lua, how to create the PBR material directly on 3ds max with the ROUGHMET Channel 13? It's possible?

 

 

Thanks.

Yes, I think can be done, but I never tried personally

BTW, I've analyzed the materials.lua of the plugin, and should be the layer 2 of composite material for specular level.

In the slate material editor, after you have assigned a standard material for the object to export, click & drag from the Specular Level in a blank space of the mat editor: a menu will appear, choose General>Composite, layer 1 is for specular (unused if you put the roughmet, so leave it empty), add a new layer (then will be layer 2), select None and choose your roughmet texture.

Thanks for this thread. I'm just now coming up to speed on the PBR changes from the more simple diffuse/specular maps. The start of this thread was succinct and easy to follow. Much appreciated

I'm trying to force the KC-135, Hawk, and A-4 mod to read roughmets, but I can't quite figure it out. Can anyone help?

Let's say I'm working with this Hawk texture:

{"hawk-aft", 0 ,"hawk_aft_vt7",false};

Should the roughmet be hawk-aft_RoughMet because of the map or hawk_aft_vt7_RoughMet because of the texture being used? Can it be in the livery folder because it's associated with a false diffuse map? And should I change anything about the specular map assigned under {"hawk-aft", 2?

did you made the Youtube vedio cause i'm trying to do the new F-16 and i can't really get it .. i mean the roughMet.

thanx

This can really breathe a lot of life into old models.

Thank you Skate.

Once more, your efforts drive an entire community.

I for one wouldn't be able to wrap my head around this without your help

I am struggling to get the correct Substance Painter export setting for DCS.

Would someone mind posting a pic of their setting on this export screen?

It is killing me.

@SkateZilla is it possible to ask ED to fix the original post or maybe this tutorial is also on a wiki somewhere?

Thanks!

I'm currently traveling for holiday,

Once I get some free time I'll go through and edit the posts and move images and clean up formatting.

On 12/12/2020 at 4:14 PM, SkateZilla said:

I'm currently traveling for holiday,

Lucky you! Enjoy the well deserved holidays.

On 12/13/2020 at 2:51 PM, Stratos said:

Lucky you! Enjoy the well deserved holidays.

Traveling for Job, and Traveling is not safe, lol.

11 hours ago, SkateZilla said:

 

Traveling for Job, and Traveling is not safe, lol.

Oooops, sorry.

Hey guys! Due to the recent ED forum engine change, the table has lost its original formatting. Because of this, I spent a small amount of my time to re-format it here. Happy painting!

@SkateZilla, with the Opacity/14 channel, how does the renderer handle that? Does the model need to be flagged as allowing that to be used on a part before it will actually render things transparent?

A few of us on the DCS: Livery Art Group Discord have experimented with trying to use alpha channels to hide the extra antenna bumps on the C model Hornet to more closely represent an F/A-18A or A+ but without luck.

Tried adding a .lua entry for channel OPACITY in slot 1.  Cut those areas out in both the diffuse and roughmet textures but it renders black rather than transparent. I was hoping it would render the bump transparent so we could see the base fuselage part underneath since the bump is a separate part of the model with its own part of the texture.

On 11/21/2021 at 11:47 PM, Naijel74 said:

@SkateZilla, with the Opacity/14 channel, how does the renderer handle that? Does the model need to be flagged as allowing that to be used on a part before it will actually render things transparent?

A few of us on the DCS: Livery Art Group Discord have experimented with trying to use alpha channels to hide the extra antenna bumps on the C model Hornet to more closely represent an F/A-18A or A+ but without luck.

Tried adding a .lua entry for channel OPACITY in slot 1.  Cut those areas out in both the diffuse and roughmet textures but it renders black rather than transparent. I was hoping it would render the bump transparent so we could see the base fuselage part underneath since the bump is a separate part of the model with its own part of the texture.

 

You cant force a texture onto a material that did not have that texture slot already enabled and assigned in 3DS Max.

On 11/30/2021 at 9:10 AM, SkateZilla said:

You cant force a texture onto a material that did not have that texture slot already enabled and assigned in 3DS Max.

Ok. Thought that was going to be the answer. Thanks @SkateZilla

It would be nice to get an update where all of those extra bumps have an opacity texture enabled and assigned in 3DS Max. Unlikely I know. 

Obviously the whole plane should not have it enabled or people would try making Wonder Woman's invisible jet.