Hundred: I don’t know if this is the best thing to do, because there are different channels you map different textures (Col, Nor, Spec, etc.). So your approach to paint depth illusion in colour map is memory saving, but making, at least the three I named is enought to have nice textures that react to changing light conditions.
well hundred, i was actually trying to make somthing like one of the ships from the elitists consolidatary fleet (i dont think many other know what i mean but hundred does :D), i guess i need to take a closer look at them… 
To Myn. pheos: Please understand, that the technique I demonstrated is just a sample, on an actual model (one I would use), the dimesnions of the map would be something like 2048 X 2048 or higher; far too high to see any real detail in the textures, but just enough to see that it is a really large object with large plating on it’s surface, and to make it look just that more realistic. Other techniques are involed, ;).
To iliketosayblah: Oh I know, and it fits the rest of the fleet perfectly. I was just showing how to enhance texture look with a relatively small amount of work, that’s all. Now as far as the basic design goes, you’ve got that down, ;).
Hundred: You didn’t get my point exactly. I wasn’t talking about texture resolution, but about the illusion of highlights:
the light line for highlight, the dark line contrast, (this gives the texture the illusion of depth)
I’m not saying it is bad, actually it is better in some cases to have only colour texture and not to bother with the other channels. Thus you have less memory allocated, becouse there are fewer textures.
This is one of many ways to add more realism to a model.
I totally agree.
To Myn.pheos: Oh, I see, I think, 
. But in another instance, you could also add the same technique, draw lines, into the existing textures themselve, without even touching another channel.
I don’t know exactly what you mean, but if it is something like layers in PS/GIMP then yes. It is possible to have more textures affecting colour of material, so you can have a base one, e.g. with some masking pattern and second one, with panelling (which may be mapped also to Nor channel).
Basically, it is about drawing lines, which you described nicely.
To Myn.pheos: EXACTLY, ;), !!! One texture, (i.e. one image) displaying multiple fx’s.
I think that you could get the same line effect by just drawing black lines on a white background and then embossing it. That’s a Paintshop pro effect.
Iliketosayblah: What fleet exactly are you reffering to?
Iliketosayblah: What fleet exactly are you reffering to?
oh, sorry i forgot that you guys didnt know, well the other day hu8ndred gave me some ships that are in a .blend file called the eliteists solidary fleet (cool ships bw hundred!)
the ships in it are low poly and looks cool, i wanted to create somthing like that.
And what about Homeworld 2? I love the Mothership there, very nice, simple shape, easily distinguishable and slightly unusual…