Normal and Specular+Gloss Maps for Oolite v1.88+

Retexture pack of Vanilla game ships designed for higher-spec-graphics computers

About

This OXP is a supplementary texture pack for Oolite v1.88 and later. It adds normal maps (created by Griff) and specular/gloss maps to the default shipset of the game. It is effectively a demonstration of Oolite v1.88's new and improved lighting and materials system, since the default texture set distributed with the game is designed for lower end computers and does not really show what the game's engine is capable of.

So the really new thing here are the specular + gloss maps. The combination of those two properties on a single texture is very poweful and can lead to multi-material appearance on the same model. The way this was applied on the default shipset was to create the heavy, industrial and worn out look that fits Griff's creations so nicely. You can now see areas of rust on metallic surfaces and the way they reflect light differently to the non-rusty areas, Clean areas, depending on their material, can also reflect light in different ways and different quantities. Overall, this creates the illusion of much more detailed surfaces. An artist knowing how to manipulate material properties properly can create even more impressive results than what is seen here.

Note that nothing that you are likely to see for less than a fraction of a second for most of the time has been upgraded. So, missiles and q-bombs are deliberately left out. Also, asteroids and police Vipers have only normal maps, since their materials can look acceptable even without specular and gloss textures.

Hopefully this OXP can inspire others to go ahead and further improve the looks of the game. The engine is up to it. :-)