Normal / Glow Maps Tutorial?

[Running4Cover]

Okay, one of my limitations in texturing is that I don;t understand how to edit Normal/Glow Maps.  I was wondering if anyone new of a good tutorial for how to do this with the Gimp - Normal Maps plugin?  I read THIS, but didn;t find it particularly helpful.  Thanks ;-)

CC

[Happy-i-am]

with normal maps go to filters then to map, then normalmap thats all i know =/

nvm didnt read what you wrote

But i guess you could create a new normal map useing what i said before =/

"with normal maps go to filters then to map, then normalmap thats all i know =/"

[Vince]

Running4Cover,

Although glowmaps can be useful, normal maps are essential.  As a first step, you should really understand what a normal map is and how it works.  Once you understand that, making normal maps, in a variety of ways, becomes much easier.  Once you have that overall understanding, you will see why it's nearly impossible to edit one, but not that hard to make a new one.  A good place to start is: Ben Cloward's Normal Map Tutorials   Good luck.

[Running4Cover]

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Running4Cover,Although glowmaps can be useful, normal maps are essential.  As a first step, you should really understand what a normal map is and how it works.  Once you understand that, making normal maps, in a variety of ways, becomes much easier.  Once you have that overall understanding, you will see why it's nearly impossible to edit one, but not that hard to make a new one.  A good place to start is: Ben Cloward's Normal Map Tutorials   Good luck.

Thank you both for helping.  I have read a bit of the info Vince provided (thank you!), and I think I understand how they work, but I still do not know how to make Normal Maps with Gimp-Normal Maps Plugin, and really want to figure out how to make them!!!  :-D  Anyway, thank you both for your help, and I still hope I can find a good tutorial for this.  Thanks ;-)

CC

[Happy-i-am]

my way converts the texture to a normal map

i dont know what settings to edit tho =/ i have jsut seen normals maps their a few times

[Vince]

I haven't used the GIMP plugin, but understand what it does.  Maybe that would help.  What is does is convert a bump map into a normal map.  A bump map is a grey scale image where the brightness corresponds to height above the surface.  So, black represents low spots and white represents high spots.

Here is a bump map of our favorite TES Alliance dragon:

What the plugin does is convert that to a normal map, like this:

Once you have the normal map to go along with the diffuse map you can apply it to your model''s surface for the appearence of a surface relief, like this:    

.                                                                                          

I hope this helps.  

[Running4Cover]

Ah... okay, I'll have to try what you guys are saying.  I don't have a bump-map, though, will it some how automatically make one?  Thanks :-D

[WindmillTilter]

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 I don't have a bump-map, though, will it some how automatically make one?  Thanks :-D

No you'll have to make the bump map. If you're lucky desaturating a copy of the relevant portion of your texture and tweaking the Brightness/Contrast will be a good start, but you usualy have to paint in by hand. It's not hard with a little practice.

WT

[Running4Cover]

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 I don't have a bump-map, though, will it some how automatically make one?  Thanks :-D

No you'll have to make the bump map. If you're lucky desaturating a copy of the relevant portion of your texture and tweaking the Brightness/Contrast will be a good start, but you usualy have to paint in by hand. It's not hard with a little practice.WT

Gotcha, I will totally try this now!
So how exactly do glow maps work, then?

EDIT:
Also, anyone know of a different Normal Map generator I can use, as the Gimp one doesn't seem to be working for me?)

[Vince]

As WT said, you have to make your own.  Here's one example.  First, a texture of a stone floor from the web:

In this case, to make a bump map you actually have to blur the original image a bit.  Remember, the normal map encodes slopes (tilts) to the surface, so if the bump map has an area of white pixels right next to black pixels with no shading in between, that corresponds to a vertical slope which the normal map can't handle.  So, I converted the original image to shades of grey and blurred it a little bit (using a Gaussian blur).  After this, I adjusted the contrast and brightness to create this bump map:

Next I converted the bump map into a normal map.  I did it with Nvidia's Texture Tools 2 (free from the web).  You can do it with the GIMP normal map plugin.  I also changed the hue and contrast of the origional image for my diffuse map.  In the screen shot below, the right half is textured with both the diffuse map and normal map.  The left half is just the normal map with a uniform dark grey diffuse map.

As WT said, it takes a little practice and experimentation.  Well, I've got to get back to RL and preparing for the modeling class.  

[_echo]

Glow maps basically make parts of the texture "glow" or stand out in the dark.

The best way to make one is to take your texture, and color everything black where you don't want it to glow, and color where you do what it to glow with whatever color you want depending on the glow color you want.

Save it with the *_g.dds extension.

In the object nif, you need to change the Emissive color on the objects NiMaterialProperty block to white to get the full effect of the glow map.

Best i can explain it. Hope it helps.

[Running4Cover]

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As WT said, you have to make your own.  Here's one example.  First, a texture of a stone floor from the web: In this case, to make a bump map you actually have to blur the original image a bit.  Remember, the normal map encodes slopes (tilts) to the surface, so if the bump map has an area of white pixels right next to black pixels with no shading in between, that corresponds to a vertical slope which the normal map can't handle.  So, I converted the original image to shades of grey and blurred it a little bit (using a Gaussian blur).  After this, I adjusted the contrast and brightness to create this bump map: Next I converted the bump map into a normal map.  I did it with Nvidia's Texture Tools 2 (free from the web).  You can do it with the GIMP normal map plugin.  I also changed the hue and contrast of the origional image for my diffuse map.  In the screen shot below, the right half is textured with both the diffuse map and normal map.  The left half is just the normal map with a uniform dark grey diffuse map.As WT said, it takes a little practice and experimentation.  Well, I've got to get back to RL and preparing for the modeling class.  

Generator was the wrong word to use, what I meant was the program for changing a Bump Map to a Normal Map.  I will check out the Nvidia Texture Tools thing then, thanks for the info :-D

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Glow maps basically make parts of the texture "glow" or stand out in the dark.The best way to make one is to take your texture, and color everything black where you don't want it to glow, and color where you do what it to glow with whatever color you want depending on the glow color you want.Save it with the *_g.dds extension.In the object nif, you need to change the Emissive color on the objects NiMaterialProperty block to white to get the full effect of the glow map.Best i can explain it. Hope it helps.

I will try this :-D

[Running4Cover]

Okay, the Nvidia Texture Tools thing said I needed some other Nvidea downloads, which I don;t really want to get, and I can;t figure out why the Gimp plugin isn;t working.  There are 4 files, with directions on where to extract them.  The readme says you put two of them into your Gimp Plugins directory (so I put them in C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0libgimp2.0plug-ins), and the other two are supposed to go in C:Program FilesCommon Filesgtk2.0bin... this address didn't exist (only up to the Common Files), so I created it, and added the files to it.  I wasn't sure if perhaps they wanted the files to be added to this directory instead; C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0bin, so I put them there too.  Anyway, when I'm in Gimp, if I go to Filters => Maps => Normal Maps, the Normal Maps option is greyed out (even if the texture I have open is a Bump Map).  Does anyone have any idea how to make this work, or another really simplistic "load your bumpo map and we'll make a normal map" program I could download?  Thanks ;-)

CC

[_echo]

I had the same problem with the plugin. There is a folder within the GIMP program directory in wich those 2 files that supposedly need to go into "Common File" need to be placed instead. I dont recall what the folder was... give me a few to look it up

[_echo]

Ok, found it.

Place libgtkglext-win32-1.0-0.dll and libgdkglext-win32-1.0-0.dll

in the C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0bin folder

[silver_fox_rival]

Cool, I've always wanted to learn how to make bump and normal maps for my models. Is are there any more tips I should know about? Sorry for budding in like this .

[Running4Cover]

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Ok, found it.Place libgtkglext-win32-1.0-0.dll and libgdkglext-win32-1.0-0.dllin the C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0bin folder

It sorta... didn't change anything?

[_echo]

Are your sure your going it right? Did you go to the Filters>Map>Normal Map options? Are the other files in their correct locations?

[Running4Cover]

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Are your sure your going it right? Did you go to the Filters>Map>Normal Map options? Are the other files in their correct locations?

Yes, I go to Filters => Maps => Normal Map, but it's still greyed out.  My files are installed like so:

normalmap.exe   is in C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0libgimp2.0plug-ins
glew32.dll  is in C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0libgimp2.0plug-ins
libgtkglext-win32-1.0-0.dll  is in C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0bin
libgdkglext-win32-1.0-0.dll   is in C:Program FilesGIMP-2.0bin

...I'm confused...

[Vince]

@Running4Cover, I believe I read somewhere that the two .dll files should go in the plug-ins folder.  You might give that a try.

[Running4Cover]

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@Running4Cover, I believe I read somewhere that the two .dll files should go in the plug-ins folder.  You might give that a try.

   
That TOTALLY just worked, thank you!!!  I'm going to read a few tutorials I found, and if I need more help with this later, I'll revive this thread, but until that happens, thanks all for helping me with this!!!

CC

EDIT:
Okay, I just feel inclined to note, I just made my first (admittedly simple)  Normal Map using only what I learned on this thread, and it worked beautifully!  Now I need to make the Glow Map to match it! ( )  It proves that you guys are awesome, that you managed to get me to understand this :-D

EDIT2:
Holy crap, the glowmap works too! (although admittedly it's a bit bright for the weapon I was doing... still, easily fixed :-D  Thanks so much, guys!

[_echo]

Glad you got it fixed and all working.

[DarkRider]

I have a question on this same topic. When saving a new normal map, what if any compression should be used? And does a normal map require mipmaps?

[Vince]

Relative to the best normal map format, like many things, it depends.  DXT1 will give you the smallest size, but since it doesn't handle alpha, you have no control over the specular reflection (shininess) of the surface.  Both DXT3 and DXT5 compress to the same size, but handle alpha differently.  DXT3 handles sharp transitions in alpha well, but doesn't do well on alpha gradients.  So, if you are creating a normal map with a uniform alpha, either DXT3 or DXT5 will do.  For things like chests, where the wood and leather parts should be dull, but the brasswork should be shiny (so you will vary the alpha to accomplish that), use DXT3.  If you have a special case where you want to simulate relatively large variations in contours, you should consider A8R8G8B8.  Although it's uncompressed, it does such a good job in this case that you may get better looking results using a 256x256 A8R8G8B8 normal map, than a 512x512 map in DXT3/5 format.

You should have mipmaps for your normal map.  This is an instance where quality of the algorithm counts.  Since each RGB pixel encodes the direction cosines of the local normal, making smaller versions isn't straightforward.  If surfaces using your normal maps look fine to you as you move away from them (so the mipmaps come into play) then don't worry about it.  If you want to make sure you have the best possible normal maps, including their mipmaps, use nVidia's Texture Tools 2 (available free on the net).  I believe the Texture Tools 2 routines are used by the PhotoShop normal map plugin, but not having PhotoShop, I can't be sure.

[DarkRider]

Thanks, Vince!