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FEBRUARY 24, 2004 Cinema 4D Displacement Mapping
Creating a Height Map There are several ways you can create a height map. The most integrated way to create the UV map from scratch is to use Maxon's BodyPaint 2, available for both Mac and PC - and contains direct support for Maya, 3DS and Lightwave as well as Cinema 4D. However you can use any bitmap editor that exports to a supported file format. Aside from importing bitmaps, you can also use Cinema's Bhodinut shaders to create a multitude of height map variations.[an error occurred while processing this directive]Applying a Height Map Like any other bitmap import for a material channel, you can import any supported file type into the image path. You can type the name directly into the input box, or, if you don't know the file path, click the "Image..." button. C4D will help you locate it through your finder's interface, and even put it in the proper directory with your project file.  Preparing the Geometry Because your height model may be a polygon hog, you may need to break your model down into tiny bits to create a smooth render. There are two ways to do this, I use both. Note: When you create more polygons, you are creating more work for your computer to digest and process. This will lead to longer render times, so consider how much definition you need to put into your model. Unlike other major 3D packages, Cinema has no problems calculating several millions of polygons, but it does take time. Prep: Version One: Subdivision Subdivision is a formula which divides each polygon of your editable geometry into 2 or more separate polygons. In most subdivision options throughout C4D, you can subjectively determine how many subdivisions will be made by inputting an integer representing the division value. In primitives (cube, cylinder, sphere, etc.), subdivisions are called "segments" because they are unrealized polygons (think of them as "virtual polygons" until you make them editable, or have to render them). If you have a primitive, like a cube, you can add virtual polygons by increasing the segment value.  If you have a cube as an editable piece of geometry, or other polygonal object, choose the object you wish to subdivide. Then, from the pulldown menu: Structure > Subdivide. This will allow you to determine how high you want to make your subdivisions. "1" will subdivide each polygon once (leaving 2 pieces). Intermediate/Advanced Note: While using the polygon tool, you can right click on the object to bring up the Structure menu (or Command-click). Prev 1 2 3 4 Next Related sites: • Animation Artist • AV Video • Creative Mac • Digital Animators • Digital Media Designer • Digital Post Production • Digital Producer • Film and Video Magazine • The WWUG Related forums: [an error occurred while processing this directive] 
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