Produce a detailed Height Map

Corona Corona for 3ds Max Help Required
1

Hi all,

I was wondering if there is a method other than Render to Texture (the classic 3ds Max one) to produce detail height maps from a geometry by using Corona.
I have a terrain model which I would like to import as height map in World Creator to add details and then bring it map in Corona for the final render.

Thanks,

Dionysios -

2

You can use an ortho camera (so there’s no perspective) and use a lightmtl on the geometry with a falloff map set to distance blend using camera viewing axis.
Make sure that the falloff extents lie within min and max distance of the terrain from the camera (similar to how you’d do with ZDepth), and best save either a 32bpc or minimum 16bpc image to avoid banding.

See attached scene for max 2018. Hope that helps.
Terrain_Height_Map_max2018.zip (30.4 KB)

3

Pokoy what is the benefit of this approach compared to just setting distance limits on Zdepth channel? No need to faffle around with numbers (but instead need to guess extents in IR?) ?

4

Interesting approach and then I agree with Juraj, why don’t use a ZDepth channel?

Thanks for helping,

Dionysios -

5

Actually, I didn’t even think about using Zdepth… yeah, it’s probably easier :smiley:

6

Actually, I didn’t even think about using Zdepth… yeah, it’s probably easier :smiley:
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Great, thanks both of you for helping in any case, much better than dealing with the old school render to texture method!

Dionysios -

7

I know that you asked about using Corona, but you can also do this using ZBrush.

There is the Grabdoc option that capture and creates an alpha/texture. You only have to set your document size to be the size of your texture.
Just another option. :smiley:

8

Good to know! Thanks!