How to add a detail texture into a material?

[FictiousWill]

There was an email sent to valve way back during the cs:s beta that confirmed that source supports detail texturing. I assume that it's a code in the texture script. Anybody know how how this is done? I'm very surprised that nobody has done it yet.

I don't mean bump maps, I don't mean normal maps, I don't mean full-size detail textures, I mean tesselated detail textures that fade into view as you approach the texture and fade in again as much as is necessary for the appearance that a texel on the screen never exceeds one pixel in size.

Now that cs:s is out and I'm starting to get back into mapping I'd like to enable this basic feature on some textures of mine.

 

[FictiousWill]

Nobody knows how?

 

[Ti133700N]

Well in 1.6 you use a txt file with _detail in the name... hum.. let me find the link where I've seen that... there you go: http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?doc=1076548934-94242500&page=1

It's for 1.6 but my guess is you can do the same with Source games.

 

[Pericolos0]

sorry for the bump, but has anyone tried this?

 

[RoyalEF]

OKay, I don't see any difference between bump/normal mapping and the "detail" texturing described for CS1.6. It works the same exact way with a grayscale bitmap defining how light is applied to it to simulate depth on a flat ploygon.

That said, there are textures with _detail on the end of them in HL2, but I don't know if they are special or jsut a desciprive name.

I may be confused about the whole LOD thing. I assumed, maybe wrongly so, that LOD (level of detail) was built into the engine in general. All textures/models would benefit from LOD. SO all textures would be applied at maximum detail and LOD would reduce it on the fly. Of course I could be confusing this with features from some other game. Please say that six years and an all new engine bought LOD functions! From the speed maps run with larger texture bases, I'd guess yes.

 

[Pericolos0]

a detail texture is not a pixel shader like normalmapping or bumpmapping. Its just a scaled down texture thats overlayed so the texture looks more detailed. Its used in ut2k3/4 alot. Its not affected by lighting or so

 

[StardogChampion]

In a nutshell, when you walk right up to a wall, the texture won't look blurred.

 

[RoyalEF]

Well that tutorial linked above say NO, that is incorrect. It is not a higher res texture at all. It is the same exact texture with a an additional grayscale "detail texture" applied to it.

"The detail textures themselves are simply images, usually with 50% grey used as a base colour. Darker and lighter greys are used to make shadows and highlights"

That is the same that is done with a bumpmap to show parts that catch light(rise) and don't(fall). It is NOT a higher res copy of the existing texture. I think they just used a limited amount of bump mapping to improve closeup appearance without bumpmapping everything. It a clever little optimization, since it imporves that close up blurring we always saw.

 

[Pericolos0]

It doesnt have to be a grayscale image, and its not always used to create a bumpmap effect. Its very useful for stuff like grass or so