the easy part is getting the basic shape of the objects down on paper (or screen :))and the more difficult part is getting the material surface of those shapes to appear realistic.

If you are using a laser to render a map of a surface of a real object, most of the work it is doing is the same thing that an artist would do in a few minutes. The subsurface levels a laser could fine tune are less important than the fidelity of the entire shape.

Also, the majority of what you would want a normal map to capture is in the shape that you created whereas the material surface you add to it creates visual noise and this produces a less precise height map.

http://www.katsbits.com/htm/tutorials/creating_bumpmaps_from_images.htm 

If youre doing a texture which is organic then you might as well get a computer to do it for you, but if you are doing a texture which is in-organic i.e. has lots of artificial-looking right angles and would have a much more precise 3D map, then you might as well do it yourself, because although it might take longer to do it manually, the end result will be better.

Or am a chipping into something I only half understand?!?! 

Companion Cube graphic? 

http://www.karljones.com/images/cambiaso-luca.jpg 

at http://www.quaddicted.com/?p=42
Thanks for the submissions! 

if you guys insist.

field-portable 3D laser scanners are still pretty goddamned expensive for something approaching the resolution you'd need. 

it reminds me of the advice Dustin Hoffman got when he was using sleep deprivation and exhaustion to get a grip on his role in Marathon Man,

"Why don't you just act."

No lasers, learn to draw. 

No lasers, learn to draw.

not aimed at Lunaran, and I don't assume Bambuz can or cannot draw either. Just saying it would be far cheaper to train a half dozen people to draw assets then it would to buy a laser. 

tx for the links bamb, cool stuff 

lasers can operate in the cold vacuum of space, and artists cannot. 

know what it is to feel love?
[cue nuclear annihilation] 

My site needs a new map reviewer as Im really busy and Tronyn is also.

you will write reviews for the latest Q1SP releases and have them posted with screenshots at my website.

If you wish to help out please email me at:

uwfan1 [AT] gmail.com 

but can a laser know what it is to feel love?

cool, now I have two things in common with lasers 

They wait. 

tonight we dine in lasers 

Do not look into laser with remaining eye. 

Loving the new logo :) 

nice new masthead, metl :) 

...nice job john 

 

As I said in site Help thread, I'd rather see a quake logo instead of a heart logo on the crate's faces.. Well, after all it's John's taste, and also John's website... 

I just forgot to say that except the heart, the crate is awesome :) 

The heart is for the warm french lovers here. :) 

now please replace all other icons and pictures on the site with the same thing please thanks 

i miss the old crate :(((((