Game Development Community

Normal Map Filter for Photoshop ?

by Jerane Alleyne · in Technical Issues · 05/15/2004 (11:03 am) · 11 replies

I recently came across a filter for Photoshop that used to make normal maps. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I was curious if anyone has used this or anything like this, as opposed to the creation of a hi and low res model and generating the map from there. I always thought that was a kind of time-consuming method, to create a hi-resolution model and then have to do a lower one.

I haven't started working with normal maps yet, but I would guess using Photophop to do the work here would be a bit quicker at the least, and not sacrifice so much in terms of detail, if I'm understanding how it works. So I ask if anyone that has worked with such a filter in Photoshop (or any other images application for that matter) has had any better or worse effect than the "normal" method of creating normal maps.

Thanks a lot for the info :)
NextNext Thread
PrevPrevious Thread
More from Technical Issues


Torque 3D Owner Gareth Davies
#1
05/15/2004 (11:09 am)
Unless you have very simple geometry you're building the maps for (i.e. detail on a crate) this is probably vastly more difficult than doing the 'hi / low' res model version. 'Detailing' models is actually fairly simple compare to coming up with a decent low res model.

ZBrush 2 has some very powerful 'normal' features. Check out their demo.

Torque Owner Nicolas Quijano
#2
05/15/2004 (11:48 am)
Check out nvidia's Melody : it not only generates normal maps, but it can also help you do a low poly version of the hi poly model used for the normal maps
developer.nvidia.com/object/melody_home.html

Torque Owner Joe Maruschak
#3
05/15/2004 (12:38 pm)
The Photoshop plugin that you mentioned is the one that was used to make the normal maps for the TSE demo..

I find the results with it are pretty good, and it is a lot quicker than generating a high rez model of the shape.

Torque Owner Jerane Alleyne
Default Studio Name
#4
05/15/2004 (5:19 pm)
Thanks a lot for the feedback. For our us, using the Photoshop plugin would do is just as well (mainly mechanical objects). We will be using hi-res models for another purpose, but I might try to compare the two directly once I get to this stage (and have the time).

I gotta say I'm suprised to hear that the plugin was used for the normal maps in TSE...that is as much of a validation as I need to know that they work well. I hope to post my results once I get into playing around with this (as well as get TSE :)

Thanks again

Torque Owner Alex Swanson
#5
05/17/2004 (3:11 pm)
The plugin is free from nVidia, it is the nvTools NormalMapFilter
Works quite nicely - just create a greyscale heightmap, and it will convert it to a normal map. Be sure to flatten the image first, though :)

Torque Owner Kirby Webber
#6
05/17/2004 (4:22 pm)
I've searched but haven't found any definitive answers...

Has anyone successfully integrated normal maps into *.dts/ Torque?

If so - where can I get the information?

Thanks in advance.

Torque Owner Westy
#7
05/17/2004 (4:44 pm)
www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=5683

Associate Kyle Carter
#8
05/17/2004 (10:15 pm)
And, of course, TSE has normal map support.

Torque Owner Kirby Webber
#9
05/18/2004 (6:04 am)
Thanks Westy! I had run my searches for Normal Mapping specifically - didn't think to run anything else. =\

I've been out of it for a while - it'll take me some time to get back up to speed.

Appreciate the info guys. =)

Torque 3D Owner Jeff Wilkinson
#10
05/22/2007 (5:26 am)
Here is a nice tutorial
www.doom3world.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=483

Chris Willis
#11
05/30/2007 (9:23 am)
There are a number of programs out there to make nice normal maps, Zmapper for Zbrush is one of my personal favorites, but there is also Xnormal and Crazybump. I use them all from time to time, but I use the Nvidia plugin for Photoshop the most since I'm always in Photoshop anyways. I mainly use it for adding details to my character normals such as pores, stubble, small wrinkles etc.