Bump Map editor for nXt materials

Standard Bump Maps are created by using one image to represent the height of the bumps, and a base color, or another image is used to represent the underlying material.

The IRender nXt Material editor can create Bump Maps with underlying textures (beside the bump map) and other special features.

Bump map editor

There are two ways to do bump maps.

1. You can use the original texture as a bump map (See: Automatic Bump Maps ) or
2. You can provide a separate image to use a bump map.

With IRender nXt, you can use the nXt material editor to create your own materials, with many additional material features, including bump mapping.

After creating an nXt material, the user can automatically create a material for SketchUp which appears similar, (but of course with no bump mapping or reflective properties). This SketchUp material will automatically render using the nXt material with IRender.

The bump map applied. The black dot was added to demonstrate a large bump effect. (The darker the bump image, the more the bump)

A close up rendering of the bump-map wall. You can see the bump effect more dramatically. Bumps do not create new geometry which sticks out of the wall. But they do effect lighting by creating a shadow effect around the bumps.

Creating a Bump Map Image

Creating your own "true" bump maps of complex images is probably difficult. You would take a standard image of the surface and color it by depth. A good Photo Shop user may be able to do this.

But you may be able to add realism to some images more easily. Emacs!

Here you could use a paint program to define bump levels - even just black and white.

Here is a brick wall image:

Here I have used a paint program to put the bricks at one level, and the mortar at another level:

Here is a rendering of the base texture on a brick wall with no bump maps:

Here is a rendering with this bump map applied to the rendering as well.

But we also have another feature, called "auto Bump" which provides a similar effect to this simple bump map.

See also

• Rendering Tip - Water Effects

For more information on Bump Maps:

• Bump Maps
• Bump Maps - Additional Information
• Automatic Bump Maps - use SketchUp texture as texture and for bump map.
• Procedural Bump Maps - Water, sandpaper, and other bump effects.
• Standard Bump Maps - Use a second image for the bump map.
• Material Wizard
• Water Materials