Help please

[ba2 0]

Hi everybody , I wonder if someone could explain here how to make a normal map with photoshop step by step please.

Thanks in advance

Regards

[versus 0]

never tried it but maybe this helps:

photoshop normal map plugin

personally i'd prefer zbrush for making a normal map;)

[VXR 9]

Hi everybody , I wonder if someone could explain here how to make a normal map with photoshop step by step please.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Step by step.. I think here

[nephilim 0]

there are 2 ways of producing normal maps.

1. using high-res geometry data and deriving the normal map using tools such as max,maya, mudbox, zbrush, nvidia melody.

these capture the highres geometry normals and bake them onto the lowres models uv coordinates.

2. using greyscale maps that are converted with the photoshoppluging.

the height is determined by the color

white= peaks, black = valleys, grey = everthing in between.

simply destaurating images often wont do as the resulting normal map height information will be plain wrong.

cheers

[Col. Faulkner 0]

2. using greyscale maps that are converted with the photoshoppluging.

the height is determined by the color

white= peaks, black = valleys, grey = everthing in between.

simply destaurating images often wont do as the resulting normal map height information will be plain wrong.

So how are these greyscale maps usually made? Are they

often drawn by hand?

[DieAngel 0]

it is very hard if not impossible to generate a truly 3 dimensional normal map using a 2D program, a normal map is a special texture that contain, coded in RGB the X,Y,Z difference between the "detailed" version of your model and the "game" version, using gray scale is basically using bump information (only height information) to produce a 3 dimensional information. Of course it can be done and photoshop has several plug ins for it but it won't look as good as a properly generated normal map

[Col. Faulkner 0]

it is very hard if not impossible to generate a truly 3 dimensional normal map using a 2D program, [...]

That presumably depends on what surface effect you want

to create. Just creating a few rivets or bolts on a plane

surface, for instance. Couldn't that easily be done using

a 2D program?

[DieAngel 0]

it can be done, but as i said , unless you know exactly what you are doing it will look quite different from a true normal map.

What i was meaning is that a tool to convert bump maps to normal maps in photoshop won't do the same job as you will only convert a 2D information (height in the case of a bump map to a shade of grey) to a 3D information (normal map is XYZ to RGB).

[nephilim 0]

true

its very hard to get "real" 3d data from 2d files.

for very minor things like cloth details (straps, cordura)

or chipped paint you dont need to create highres 3d objects.

an additional bump map will do that.

so in that case both of you are right.

well its a simple greyscale image.

its not very hard to make

only your abilities limit you

if you want smooth bumps eg to create creases

watch for smooth transistions between the greytones.

if you want sharp details (eg for rivets or bolts,nuts)

leave transistions