I use CGtextures.

I really would like to use mapzone, but i don`t get any realistic looking material.

But while using mapzone you have a perfectly fitting bumpmap and reflection map, which is not possible or
easily possible with a photo.

A while ago i`ve searched for 3d-Cameras and a program which produces a bumpmap from that but i only found
industrial solutions. I think a 3d-camera with software to produce a bumpmap from it would be a perfect fit.

Maybe we could start here at moi-forum a material thread with techniques to produce highquality textures with photos, crazybump, mapzone ect. (but i`m not sure if here are enough people interested in such things).

Dirk

Manz
Making your own textures in Carrara are greatly helped by the DCG Enhance C plugin (brilliant!)
(Note. 1 There are some free plugins from nVidia that are for Photoshop--worth having.
2. The recent issue of 3D World has the Luxology ImageSynthe Photoshop plugin for free--it may be free elsewhere also?)

Dirk.
Fresnel--a quote from a Guru

My understanding is that Fresnel efffects are written to interact only with transparent and reflective objects. It does add another layer of calculation to the render and can add to render times

ps. I scream blue murder if I have a render taking an hour!
Brian

PS2!!!---nVidea "Gelato" is now FREE!---WOW!