Color / Bump map. [Texture Modders Help]

[DaedricWarHammer]

I'm making a HD pack for the armor. I started COMPLETELY over because of my less-than-self-acceptable work ethic.

I've started on the iron shield and I'm trying to do custom maps as well - which I'm new. Anyone with an eye for this sort of thing know what I should look for?

Below is the original textures compared with my own.

I don't want to make the entire mod in this style and have issues.

Any tips and suggestions are welcome.

Notice my humorous anti-theft device xD

 

 

 

 

http://s12.postimage.org/ptd9tesi4/mine.jpg

http://s12.postimage.org/xamh8mi17/Theres.png

 

 

Edited November 29, 2011 by DaedricWarHammer

[DaedricWarHammer]

I think I'm creating them wrong. :(

I'm using the nVidia plugin for Photoshop but they look.. inside-out?

[STAVIUS]

I think I'm creating them wrong. :(

I'm using the nVidia plugin for Photoshop but they look.. inside-out?

I'm having the same issue while teaching myself how to normal map.

 

It's possible that messing with the X, Y, and Z-axes will affect which "direction" it is normal-mapped, but I've also found it helpful to do the following steps to give it a 'softer' feel:

 

1. Create normal map

2. Duplicate normal map layer

3. Add just a little bit of gaussian blur to the new layer (like 0.1%)

4. Right-click on this new layer, go to blending options, and in the top dropdown box, choose "overlay"

5. Repeat 2-3, adding a little more gaussian blur each time (+.5%, then +1, +2, +4, et cetera)

 

Also, here's a good article on how to make effective normal maps from scratch without too much difficulty:

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

 

You gotta remember that the devs are making these normal maps not from the 2D textures, but from very high-resolution 3D models, so you have to go through some loopholes to get good quality without firing up 3DS MAX.

[Werne]

I always use 5x5 with the height of 5 with the CS3 Nvidia plugin and my normals end up good. You need to add the height in order to have details and 5x5 is not too sharp. What STAVIUS said is also a good thing to do, but I'm too lazy to do it :tongue:.

[DaedricWarHammer]

I think I'm creating them wrong. :(

I'm using the nVidia plugin for Photoshop but they look.. inside-out?

I'm having the same issue while teaching myself how to normal map.

 

It's possible that messing with the X, Y, and Z-axes will affect which "direction" it is normal-mapped, but I've also found it helpful to do the following steps to give it a 'softer' feel:

 

1. Create normal map

2. Duplicate normal map layer

3. Add just a little bit of gaussian blur to the new layer (like 0.1%)

4. Right-click on this new layer, go to blending options, and in the top dropdown box, choose "overlay"

5. Repeat 2-3, adding a little more gaussian blur each time (+.5%, then +1, +2, +4, et cetera)

 

Also, here's a good article on how to make effective normal maps from scratch without too much difficulty:

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

 

You gotta remember that the devs are making these normal maps not from the 2D textures, but from very high-resolution 3D models, so you have to go through some loopholes to get good quality without firing up 3DS MAX.

 

Ha. Well I've got 3DS and can load up the meshes successfully.

I bought it a long time ago just to load meshes for much simpler games just to "see" what I was editing on the 2d.

Any quick ways to send out the bumps after I apply my texture to the shield from 3ds?

[nivea]

I find if the textures feel inside out I:

 

1. eye drop tool the most middle blue color

2. invert your normal map texture (it will be like yellowish now)

3. create new layer, use fill tool then set layer to pin light

 

That should now have flipped your textures around the right way.

[Ghogiel]

^ don't do that

 

...unless you are making a copy of the B channel and putting it back in. because it's getting wiped out if you do that.

 

And forget all that, normal map orientation is same as max, +x -y +z. Just either do it correctly, or mostly likly you just need to invert the g channel.

Edited November 29, 2011 by Ghogiel

[Witcher79]

^ don't do that

 

...unless you are making a copy of the B channel and putting it back in. because it's getting wiped out if you do that.

 

And forget all that, normal map orientation is same as max, +x -y +z. Just either do it correctly, or mostly likly you just need to invert the g channel.

 

^^This. Just invert the green channel (in Photoshop: select channels view tab, select green, then [Ctrl+i]). Also depends on a texture type alpha channel is sometimes used for specular (if there's no xxxx_s.dds and there's some alpha channel in xxxx_n.dds it most likely is specular information).

 

Also some useful reading here:

http://cs.elderscrol...ity_Normal_Maps

http://tech-artists....wiki/Normal_map

and enormously useful guide to normal map altering courtesy of Ben Cloward here:

http://www.benclowar...al_maps12.shtml

EDIT:

Actually, I just looked at that pic you submitted and the main problem is that you're using your high colour "texture" picture to create your normal map. That's wrong approach, especially with nVidia tool. You'll get better results by making second file with a desaturated (gray scale) copy of your texture and use nVidia normal map tool then.

Before you start creating normal map it's handy to alter contrast/brightness slightly to have bigger difference and less shades of gray in areas you don't want to be so grainy. Normal map is way better when created from grayscale because "bumpiness" depends on luminosity/contrast of pixel and not its colour.

 

 

Edited November 29, 2011 by Witcher79

[Ghogiel]

also don't do it blind, and hope for the best.

 

actually look at the channels and know which one is flipped. then correct it.