Micro Normals For Skin
Leonides02
Posts: 1,379
So, I have iClone 7 but have never gotten around to learning how to use it. Primarily, this is because Daz / Iray have much better characters and prettier renders.
However, iClone has updated their shader system with something called the "Digital Human Shader." And for a real-time rendering, I must say it looks pretty great.
Their characters are somewhat low-poly, but one of their tricks are "micro normals." These add some cool details to the skin that I feel like many Daz characters are lacking (despite the generally fantastic textures).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=53&v=KiNJipGgQVY&feature=emb_logo
Has anyone tried adding micro normals to skin?
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Comments
I have.
It can certainly improve the look. I found a tilable normal map that simulates skin pores and had it tiled on a character.
When your character already has normal maps it can create issues though. Its better to make your own normal map using the characters UV and bake that detail in.
Displacement does the job even better, but more computationally expensive
Interesting. I'm trying to edit the normals in Photoshop with a tileable micro normal map from texturing.xyz.
I also attempted to try it out with displacement, but my character's face blew up like he'd been stung by bees. I think I had the settings wrong, but I wasn't sure if the results were much better than normal maps.
Yes do it all the time bought micro displacements from texturing xyz use kald to make normals and concavity maps which i put into the diffuse roughness and play with the slider.
Saw this method being used with marmoset
I also use Kald to make normals and micro concavity maps and others from diffuse maps and more , it is better than Materalize in my opinion but both are good Materalise is free Kald is paid for
I use micro detail bought from texturing xyz and converting them to concavity and normal maps then put the concavity maps into the in the diffuse roughness as well as experimenting putting micro concavity maps into the dual lobe reflectivity and roughness and experimenting in that direction
One thing i find there is a hugh difference when you cut out reflectivity and use varing amounts of the top coat weight with the fresnel and the corresponding ior settings
Also another method I am working on is using the image editor and layering normals and or concavity maps in trying to replicate the micro, tertiary and secondary maps method shown on the texturing xyz site
Double post.
Cool! Could you show us an example?
I couldn't figure out where you'd put the concavity map... You put them in diffuse roughness?
If I'm reading you right, you don't edit the existing normal maps directly? How do you get the micro normals to tile correctly?
Here was my attempt, using the micro normal texture from texturing xyz and painting it onto the normal map of the figure.
The difference is subtle, but I think it makes it better...
First is without micro, second is with micro.
Ok the micro maps i have bought from textures xyz i put through kald and get concavity, convexity, normal , curvature maps, I have used the tiled concavity maps on the skin surface tab and play around with the settings of about .22
Like with your post its subtle and thats the point the roughness channel gives the skin the extra bit roughness so the light reflects off the micro detail reasonably well also try cutting out relective and take out a lot of the glossyness try dropping a convavity map from the diffuse map and play around with dual lobe, forget specular maps unless thay are really high quality with masses of detail try out concavity or and convexity maps instead in the reflective and roughness dual lobe settings and try top coat between .30 and .40 and fresnel around 1.44
also look at the thread where bluejaunte textures are discussed people have bought his products and have used the base shader with just changing the diffuse maps and played around with the normals
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/5156176/#Comment_5156176