Chrome blends not shiny?

[DrSquishy]

As you may know, the chrome texture is usually shiny but when I put it into a blend, all it's shine disappears. How can i fix this?
And is there any way to keep the reflectivity but just tone it down a bit?

 

[henke37]

You mean a blend material. Post the material files involved and wait for someone to point out the missing code in the blend material file.

 

[DrSquishy]

"WorldVertexTransition"
{
"$basetexture" "metal/metalchrome001"
"$basetexture2" nature/dirtground009
"$blendmodulatetexture" "nature/snowwall_blendmask"
"%tooltexture" "metal/metalchrome001"
"%keywords" "tf"
"$surfaceprop" "metal"
}

 

[Lampenpam]

Add a "$envmap env_cubemap". Isn't that also in the original chrome VMT? You should look at them to figure out how they do things

Though I dunno if it will only apply to one of the two texture or on both. try it out.

 

[Pocket]

Somebody was able to blend cobblestone with water, of all things, and make it so the water had the usual reflections, so it might be doable with a hack.

 

[DrSquishy]

nope. Adding the $envmap doesn't do a thing

 

[Lampenpam]

have you build cubemaps?

 

[DrSquishy]

yep

 

[Pocket]

OK, I opened up the cobblestone-to-water blend texture that @Bakscratch made, and fiddled around with stuff. I got a better understanding of the wizardry involved and figured out how to use, for example, the metal/metalchrome001 texture that's in the game files. Try this mess on for size:

LightmappedGeneric
{
    $basetexture [whatever you want to blend to/from]

    $blendmodulatetexture [whatever blend mask you want to use]
    $basetexture2 "metal/metalchrome001" [or whatever]

    $bumpmap [normal map normally associated with the basetexture]
    $bumpmap2 [blank normal map so the chrome part stays flat]

    $envmap "env_cubemap"

    "$normalmapalphaenvmapmask 1 [not sure if this is necessary]

    $surfaceprop [dirt, rock, whatever]
    $surfaceprop2 "metal"
}

Notes: For whatever reason, $envmap only affects $basetexture2. I suspect it might just be attaching it to whichever basetexture it read last, so if you stuck it in between the two it would be the other way around, but I haven't tested this. For the $bumpmap2, you'll need a VTF that's essentially just solid #8080FF. There might be one buried in the files somewhere; I just made my own.

Be sure to only use this for good or for awesome, and always remember to build your cubemaps! Pocket out.

 

[DrSquishy]

OK, I opened up the cobblestone-to-water blend texture that @Bakscratch made, and fiddled around with stuff. I got a better understanding of the wizardry involved and figured out how to use, for example, the metal/metalchrome001 texture that's in the game files. Try this mess on for size:

LightmappedGeneric
{
    $basetexture [whatever you want to blend to/from]

    $blendmodulatetexture [whatever blend mask you want to use]
    $basetexture2 "metal/metalchrome001" [or whatever]

    $bumpmap [normal map normally associated with the basetexture]
    $bumpmap2 [blank normal map so the chrome part stays flat]

    $envmap "env_cubemap"

    "$normalmapalphaenvmapmask 1 [not sure if this is necessary]

    $surfaceprop [dirt, rock, whatever]
    $surfaceprop2 "metal"
}

Notes: For whatever reason, $envmap only affects $basetexture2. I suspect it might just be attaching it to whichever basetexture it read last, so if you stuck it in between the two it would be the other way around, but I haven't tested this. For the $bumpmap2, you'll need a VTF that's essentially just solid #8080FF. There might be one buried in the files somewhere; I just made my own.

Be sure to only use this for good or for awesome, and always remember to build your cubemaps! Pocket out.

thanks