You're right pjz99. We use a 3D digitzer and the process of making a 3D image that way is easy enough.

Thanks for that link, it makes the 2D to 3D a bit clearer. I'm going to try using 3DSmax again unless anyone can suggest a program better suited to this task?

Cheers, Hoofd!

You're right, Captain Jack, there is a bit or pre-processing to be done in Photoshop. The figure is usually isolated and placed on a black background then the brightness/contrast is altered to highlight the details.

After that though, you've lost me. I think it might be out of my league....
I've tried to use a heigth/displacement map in 3DSMax but all I get it a raised-but-flat moutain. Like a plateau! Not exactly the desired effect.

Thanks for your help, lads.

Thanks for your reply!

In the past I've tried to use Bryce to make a height-map 3D face from a 2D photo but its never been nearly smooth enough to be useable.
I've done some research on 3D programs but can't seem to find one that would do this. Iv'e found plenty of terrgen-type programs that use heigth maps to make 3D terrain but not one that seems like it would make a decent-looking face.
I don't want to be a pain but can you reccomend one (if you know of any) or point me to a tutorial?

Right.

I was playing around with .asc files this morning. I found one .asc file that loads perfectly in my laser software.  It has a point count of over17,000. I have tried converting other files to .asc but they all come out around 2000 points so they look as though they are missing pieces.

Does anyone know a way of increasing the point count on a .asc file? 

 I am using Deep Exploration, by the way. But if anyone knows of another program that will do the job, I'm all ears! :)

That's great, thanks. I'll mail you later on. (Sorry, I didn't see your message to me!)

Ok. Thanks for all your help, mate.

Thanks for your reply!

However, you've gone right over my head!! I've never scripted anything before and not sure I'd know where to start...

As for wether or not our files as the right ASC format, I'm really not sure. Here is an abbreviated version of one of our .cad files, showing the start and end:

0 594 L0
0 590 F01
0 591 ZKONST 1 BCOD 856 ABXY 0.10 ABZ 0.40
0 528 0 2.00
0 591 ZKONST 0.000000
0 530 54687
0 501 -34.90 -15.60 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -15.40 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -15.20 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -15.00 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -14.80 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -14.60 0.00
.
.
.
.
.
0 501 34.90 -15.40 0.80
0 501 34.90 -15.10 0.80
0 531
0 529

Um.. what I might be asking here is "How do I convert a polygon model to a point cloud?"

That's great Draculaz, thanks! Being able to actually see the settings made a difference and it works now. Thanks again!

That's excellent! There's some really great stuff in that link, thanks!!!

Thanks, man! It was postworked in Photoshop. It's a detail from "Bob's Diner" that I just turned black and white and enlarged to give a grainy, newspaper picture effect.

I'm a fool. I didn't actually click on the *.pl ! I just assuemed it wouldn't do anything and I needed to run the file on my local hdd. Yes indeed, clicking on the file does indeed generate the required image. You may all kick me now! (And thanks again!)

I couldn't get it to work but it doesn't matter because I hunted around his folders and found the *.png image. Thanks for your help.

Thanks, but how do you run the make_waves.pl in the first place? (Sorry, not good with this stuff!) You say "load it into the terrain editor" but I don't know how. I tried to load it in the "Picture" area but it doesn't show up unless I select . and even then it gives an error...

Exactly. That's why the volume material is the way to go. You fill up your secene, but only see snowflakes up close. The distance ones are just white dots.