Loading...
> >

How Do YOU Make Normal Maps?

zombiewhackerzombiewhacker Posts: 670
in The Commons

I know  Blender can generate normal maps... what other methods are there?

Comments

  • latexluv13_65ebcf7300latexluv13_65ebcf7300 Posts: 79

    Try this online one. I use it all the time.

    http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,823

    Materialize 

    http://boundingboxsoftware.com/materialize/

  • AJ2112AJ2112 Posts: 1,416
    latexluv13_65ebcf7300 said:

    Try this online one. I use it all the time.

    http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/

    +1 I use same

  • caravellecaravelle Posts: 2,323
    latexluv13_65ebcf7300 said:

    Try this online one. I use it all the time.

    http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/

    +1. A very good tool - and free.

     

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,823

    I used to use that too

    Materialize is free too BTW and a self contained executabe so you can put it on a flash drive

  • CybersoxCybersox Posts: 8,762

    Filter Forge works in a pinch, especialally when you're generating seamless tiles.

  • itachanitachan Posts: 33

    I use Krita.

  • SBibbSBibb Posts: 596

    NVidia has a normal map filter plugin for Photoshop (I use CS5, currently), and that's what I've been using to make normal maps for seamless textures.

  • RafmerRafmer Posts: 564

    If you need baking, Substance Painter works great. XNormal is fine too, and free.

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,879

    There are several Normal Map filters for Filter Forge that will let you make a NM from any image and adjust the details and sharpness.

  • evacynevacyn Posts: 958
    I have Filter Forge and did not know I could do that... Awesome! Thanks for the tip!
  • JonnyRayJonnyRay Posts: 1,744

    Lots of good choices for making mormal maps based on existing flat texture files. This is a great way to fake it. There is some debate as to whether there's any real point to it or not.

    The main advantage of normal maps is that they have pre-calculated the effect on the surface normal at a given point. While a bump (height) map simulates moving the surface up and down, the rendering engine has to calculate how that will affect the angle of the normal to the surface. Normal maps have already done that. Saving those cycles is why realtime rendering enginges like them so much. But the effect of converting a bump map into a normal map is going to be negligible for most rendering purposes. Normal maps are not by definition "better" than bump maps, they're just faster for some rendering situations.

    The other problem is that the quality of the normal map is going to be highly dependent on the quality of the image you're starting with and the conversion tool that is processing it. I've seen a lot of them use light and shadow to determine the texture of the surface. If you are starting with a normal photograph, that may or may not get you the look you're going for depending on how accurate and well lit the original image is. I've done some conversions in the past and been very underwhelmed when I tried to apply them in various lighting situations.

    Technically, high quality normal maps should be created using two versions of a 3D object. One low poly and the other higher poly with more details modeled into it. The idea is to try to get the details of high poly model rendered onto the lower resolution one. This is how the technology was created and would always produce the best results. Again, for a game engine it allows a modeler to create a highly detailed set of armor, then project those details onto a lower resolution object to get the advantage of how the details should look while keeping polygon count lower for faster rendering.

  • Silent WinterSilent Winter Posts: 3,635

    I've used Materialize, the GIMP plugin, and Blender, depending on the situation and what I want out of it.

  • dracorndracorn Posts: 2,333

    I use Photoshop - especially when I need a normal map for an older 3DL item I'm converting to Iray.

    I first desaturate the texture, then use Filter, 3D, Create Normal Map (or Bump Map). 

    I've used Materialize, which works great if you don't have Photoshop.  Since I'm in Photoshop so often, it's easier for me to do it there.

     

  • DestinysGardenDestinysGarden Posts: 2,550

    Filter Forge. This one. Plug in your greyscale map and off you go. https://filterforge.com/filters/8536.html

     

  • McGyverMcGyver Posts: 7,005


    Here's one more free alternative... AwesomeBump...

    https://github.com/kmkolasinski/AwesomeBump

    It's a lot like Materialize, but I think at this point it has a couple more features, but I'm not sure what... there is a "grunge" filter and a map-mixer...

    I'm not crazy about the GUI, but it works okay and it's been around for several years... it's up to version 5.1 (2019) now and has occasional updates and tweaks, I really have to check it out because the copy I have is version 3, so it might be a lot better now.

     

    Since the subject has been brought up and answered with a lot of good choices, I figured I just toss this out there... 

    https://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/textures/how-not-to-make-normal-maps-from-photos-or-images.php
     

    That's a small article on how NOT to make normal maps... I keep seeing models that have been textured using images that were just run through a filter or program like Materialize or CrazyBump, fiddled with a bit and applied... that's okay for some stuff, but to make certain materials convincing, they really should be constructed differently and the article has some tips on stuff some folks might not have considered.

    Cheers.

     

  • 3WC3WC Posts: 1,095

    I have used Blender with a low poly and high poly version of a mesh to get a "real" normal map.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,823
    3WC said:

    I have used Blender with a low poly and high poly version of a mesh to get a "real" normal map.

    I have done that with Xnormal too

Sign In or Register to comment.