As a continuation from this thread, here are my tests at using sculpting, normal maps and textures to make realistic looking stones. So here’s some new ones.
C&C?
Much better!
If you were using a cloud texture I would say try increasing the noise depth. If you can think of an analogous change for these, it might help.
I’m very impressed by the improvement from the other rocks.
Much better!
Thank you! I am much happier with the result (I needed the crits)
I would say try increasing the noise depth
I’ll do that.
So what about using RGB textures as normal maps? How does it work? Does Blender convert the image to grayscale and then move the normals up on white areas and down on black?
i’d suggest lowering the spec and using an image texture rather than procedurals 
lowering the spec
I like shiny rocks 
But I’ll lower it a bit.
using an image texture rather than procedurals
Both normal map and color texture were images. But yeah my color texture stinks. I’m working on that.
Thank you for the comment 
I actually have never seen a shiny rock in real life that is not either polished or wet. I don’t know why people always think they have to make their rocks shiny.
This is the link of a (kinda) tutorial i made a while ago about making photorealistic rocks, i hope it’ll be usefull for you 
@Azmisov: That is a funny thing…
@ludemi84: Thank you very much for the link, I will watch this and learn! EDIT: WOW that was amazing man this helps a ton thanks! And quick question, where did you get your texture?
Here’s another stone. Same normal map, different sculpting and this time a ramp shader for the color.
This is a good tutorial on making a stone for real-time. I still think yours is a tad bit too shiny.
Wow thanks for the link to that tut linuxpimp, that was a good watch. Amazing work. Very inspiring. With these new techniques, I will now get to work
So this normal map was created from the color texture so that the bumps and dents match the image just like how it was done in the video tut.
And this is, once again, my own texture photography.
It is looking better. You may want to try to make a specular map with the same texture as well. It would make sense if only the raised parts of the rock were shiner because they would have been more likely to rub against something.
#1 How do I make a spec map? Is it simply the same texture mapped to “Spec” in the “Map To” panel?
#2 I see what you are saying about there being too much specularity. But how else can you give that feeling of depth which the normal map simulates?
Thanks.
yeah. Map it to spec. Also it could be your lighting. Do you just have one spot lamp? If so try duplicating it and making the main one do only diffuse lighting and make the second one not as bright.
Map to spec, got it.
I was using 2 sun lamps. But I will try that about diffuse lighting only…I have been wondering what that button was used for…
Thanks again
So here’s 2 stones, with different color textures. One sun lamp is set to “No Specular”. No “Spec” on either material but “Hard” is set to 200. Color texture mapped to “Col” and “Spec”. Same normal map.
dude! this has been bothering me so much looking at this thread look at this picture of a rock, look no specularity…
nothing with that much specular is going to look realistic.
Brados33: Honestly, it bothers me too. But my problem is, how do you get that feel of bumpy surface if you don’t have lots of specular. Here’s the same render, with low spec. Does this look more realistic than the other shiny ones?
Also, the stone in the video tutorial that linuxpimp posted was quite specular.
EDIT: Here’s more shiny ones: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=39&t=753207
I think your confused about what specular is. Here is a definition from google.
“mirrorlike: capable of reflecting light like a mirror; “mirrorlike surface of the lake”; “a specular metal””
The surface is smooth so the light bounces right off it and more of the light reaches your eye. Diffuse is like the opposite. The surface is rough so the light bounces in more directions and less reaches your eye. To make it bumpy you are thinking of a normal map or a bump map. One way to do it is like he does in that tutorial and sculpt it and then back that to a low poly version of the model.
nice progress! those new ones are 1000x times better
now if you really want photoreal, you should render with lux! :eek:
