Gleaming Normal Maps

[Yossarian22]

Hi

 

Does anyone know how to create normal maps that aren't gleaming like hell? I have 1 plugin for adobe to create normal maps and 2 external programms for dds and normal map creation as well. But, whatever I do, they just always shine too bright. This isn't related to the general normal map brightness, because even if I save a standard fallout3 normal map as tga and convert it back into dds it suddenly starts to shine. So this can be only related to some issue while converting into dds, but I have no idea howto prevent it ! It's really annoying. Any ideas?

[cpoindex]

I think I may have had a similar problem with the maps. I ended up just using GIMP to create them instead of photoshop, and that seemed to fix it. It's worth a shot, since GIMP is free.

[ub3rman123]

Well, I had the problem with Oblivion. Open the Normal Map in GIMP, then go to Layers>Masks>Add Layer Mask. Then select Black (Full Transparency). The texture now will not be glossy at all. If you then take the eraser tool, set to a low opacity, you can run over areas you want to be shiny.

[Ghogiel]

you can't just say I saved it as a dds. dds has many options for compression. These various compression algorithms also include whether or not it contains alpha channel information.

 

anyway. you are probably saving your dds files universally as something that contains an alpha channel. I guess DXT5 or something. Please save the maps appropriately, it takes 5 seconds to set up, and takes 5mins to read what I am about to type.

 

So when you are saving it as a DXT5, you are probably not giving it any alpha information. If you do not make an alpha channel, and put something in there, basically what happens is when you save it, an alpha channel is created. as a default, the channel will be a flat white. In F3, If you didn't know, specular maps are stored in the normal maps alpha channel. so you are probably just make white specular maps. So you are getting really strong light reflection property.

 

90%* of all modders do not seem to understand this very basic thing. And for some reason 9/10 mods i DL the person saves everything as a DXT5, even diffuse maps, which do not contain anything but a white alpha channel. This is actually just doubling the maps file size and doing nothing. And when you consider 90% of modders do not actually make use of their usually ridonkulous map resolutions. and compensate lake of texturing ability by making a gun have 25mb of textures (heh even the good textures are usually massive). At its worst you get a slew of massive 2048x2048 maps.... that are entirely a flat blue..... I'm not kidding!. Seen it. 25mb of textures... that is basically a flat blue, with no AO, texturing or anything. so combined with the inefficient and svae incorrectly... it Makes me crazy.

 

So in short here is my advice, make a specular map, and put it into the normals maps alpha channel. save using DXT5. if it is an important map that is quite detailed/baked/has a lot of time spent on it, you may want to experiment with 8888ARGB > this will avoid the terrible artifacting that normal maps suffer from, but the file size is double, so i usually make mine half resolution and save. Most of the time this results in cleaner more accurate maps than with the artifacting... even when they are twice the size.

 

*completely arbitrary statistic used to make a point. Its probably a slight exaggeration, Probably its more like 80%.

 

BTW- GIMP is whack in this regard. It doesn't even properly read/do alpha channels like every other program. < why don't they just add it ffs!

 

ub3rman123- that is probably going to result in the worst specular map... just paint one properly.

[Yossarian22]

Thanks for helping everybody... I not using gimp, but corel photo paint and ati dds compressonator. But I got it to work with your help. I made a mask of the texture, then went into draw mask mode and applied a transperancy of 20% for the mask, then compressed it with dtx5 and alpha channel. So, it still shines a little, but not that intense.

 

Thanks for Ghogiel, I guess most people just see it as too much work to spend for the specular map. As I do myself for now. I think this solution stated above will do it for now.

 

kudos to all for the good and quick help

 

gretz

 

Yoss