Project Snowstorm/Normal Specular User Stories

This page is to provide information to users on the new Normal and Specular Maps feature, which is a open source project being done in concert with the Exodus team. For a broad overview of this feature, please see the blog post, and STORM-1905 .

Normal & Specular Maps: Preliminary User Stories

In order to determine what functionality needs to be supported, we have identified several user stories. We reviewed these user stories with the Informal Content Creators User Group and pulled feedback into the stories. Once we have a project viewer and working sim, we will solicit additional feedback from content creators. Without further ado, here are the stories:

As a resident-builder I want to...

1. Apply a normal map to an in-world object, and specify how it is mapped onto the object (offset, repeats, scaling)
2. Apply a specular map to an in-world object, and specify how it is mapped onto the object (offset, repeats, scaling), as well as choose reflectance color, environmental reflectance intensity, and shiny light exponent (i.e. sharpness)
3. Apply a normal map, specular map, texture, color, glow, and full bright all to the same object
4. Preview how my chosen maps and settings will affect the object [ Note: The Viewer already provides a preview in-world. The user can cancel the changes if desired. However, shininess and bumpiness cannot currently be canceled. ]
5. Choose from presupplied normal maps [ Note: would likely be located in the Library along with other presupplied textures ]
6. Import normal maps and specular maps into SL from my computer
7. Export normal maps and specular maps from SL to my computer so I can edit them in suitable tools, to the extent that perms permit
8. Access all of these functions easily from the build floater, which will likely already be displayed as I edit an object... ...but keep my window on the world cluttered as little as necessary by floaters, so I can see what I’m working on. If I’m not using a floater I don’t want to see it.

Stay tuned for more wiki pages about this feature...

Material Data

describes how the various images used for materials are interpreted and other settings related to materials