Links to other parts of this tutorial series:
50 Cal Main | Box Model Gun | UVW Unwrap | Normal Map | Diffuse Map | Specular Map | Opacity Map
Part 6.1 – Specular Map in Photoshop
The basics of a Specular map is to add more realistic light reflection to your model.
In a Specular map, there are just black, grey or white colors. The white areas allow full Specular light, the gray not so much, and the black blocks any Specular lighting.
For the 50 Caliber gun, we will use the brightest highlights where we want the chipped paint to look like shiny steel.
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Start 3ds Max
In 3ds Max, you can setup the Opacity map with nodes, if your version of 3ds Max has the Slate Material Editor.
Or you can use the Material slots and Maps roll out.
Preparing the Specular Map in Photoshop
Open your Photoshop 50Cal Project. Merge Visible the three layers below.
Add a new layer called Specular. Fill it with black.
Go back to the AllEdges layer.
On the menu, go to Select/Color Range.
Click anywhere on the brightest white in the center of a rivet.
Just the brightest light gray and whites are selected.
Go to the Specular layer with the selection still on.
From the menu go to Edit/Fill. Fill the selections with white.
This is our Specular map, but any inside edges do not look realistic on the model with Specular reflection.
We want all outer edges to have Specular reflection. This will simulate chipped paint, with a shiny steel reflection. See the pictures at the end of this tutorial.
So, we will do a bit of editing with a black pencil, erasing all inner edges.
You will have to go back and forth between 3ds Max and Photoshop to do this.
Be aware that you have to save the Specular.TGA file after each edit, so don’t save the Photoshop .PSD project file until the edits are done properly.
The red circles show where most of the edits were made.
This will be our final Specular map.
Apply the Specular map to the 50 Cal
Remember that in a Specular map, the white areas allow full Specular light, the gray not so much, and the black blocks any Specular lighting, as you will see in the pictures of the model below.
Save your project as a .PSD file. Turn off the Template layer. Flatten the rest of the layers. Then Save As … Specular.TGA
Go to 3ds Max and check your model.
Arc Rotate around the model to see the specular lighting. Adjust the specular levels till it looks right.
Links to other parts of this tutorial series:
50 Cal Main | Box Model Gun | UVW Unwrap | Normal Map | Diffuse Map | Specular Map | Opacity Map
Next Tutorial
We will add an Opacity Map to create transparent holes in the first barrel segment for our Gun.
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