Adding more channels to my object texture?

[Kerba Fett]

I'm used to building textures in layers in LightWave.

You start with a diffuse channel for color, then add another channel for specularity, then one for bump mapping, then one for luminosity, and so on. Each channel can use its own image or you might share a single image for multiple channels.

I finally managed to build an object in Wings3d, UV map it, make a texture in photoshop, import it into Unity, then export it to KSP.

While it worked, the texture needs improvement, but I can't see where I add new layers (channels) to my texture in either Wings or Unity? It's like you can have color OR normal mapping, but not both.

Which program should I be trying to do this in, Wings or Unity, and how do I do it?

[sumghai]

In KSP PartTools for Unity, the KSP/Bumped Shader allows you to specify both a color AND normal texture atlases.

[Kerba Fett]

I didn't notice that, but I was playing with the emissive shader and noticed that it allows for both diffuse and emissive images. So it sounds like there's no way to add more channels unless the shader supports it?

That brings up another question. Now that UV mapping is common, most models only seem to use a single material and a single texture image. Should I be building my models with multiple materials so I can get diffuse/emissive for windows and diffuse/bump for the hull?

[Dispatcher]

That's up to you. It can be done for sure. It doesn't seem to hit my game performance. Check my sig line for pics of parts I modeled and uploaded today. I used KSP/alpha/translucent specular for the outer tank and KSP/bumped specular for the inner structure of my fueled adapters. I just used KSP/specular for my fueled caps. See what you think. Actually you'd get a better idea in game due to the lighting and shadow dynamics.

[zzz]

So it sounds like there's no way to add more channels unless the shader supports it?

As well as anywhere else, if you not code shaders by yourself, even in your Wings3d i'm sure you can to use only channels slots which is available for particular shader. You choose shader depending on channels you need.

Should I be building my models with multiple materials so I can get diffuse/emissive for windows and diffuse/bump for the hull?

You can to use single "ksp/emissive/bumped specular" for this. But yes, you can to use multiple materials, but this is almost never realy needed. Only real need for multiple materials can to be transparent/translucent parts at least from my experience.

It's just optimisation - if you can reach your goal with less then not need to use more.

Edited September 17, 2013 by zzz