normal map problems

[Killjaeden]

Hi, has anybody info about how a correct normal map should look like in skyrim?

I modelled a Helmet with rivets, and no matter what i try the "shiny point" of the rivets always show in different directions to each other.

This is what i mean:

http://www.abload.de/thumb/tesv2011-12-1921-02-2cdj0o.png

 

Should i imagine each face beeing iluminated by a certain light-direction, or is it a specific point and all faces are iluminated relative to that point?

I don't have mirrored geometry in there

[dazzerfong]

From what I've seen on most textures for Skyrim, they adopt an object space normal map. In your case, since the rivets are not consistent, I would advise that you (at least it works in Blender, not too sure in 3DS Max) bake an object space normal map of the mesh which already has a tangent space (the ones that are blue) normal map on it, so the normal map's details are converted to the object space map.

[Ghogiel]

OP: normal map orientation is +X -Y +Z. You probably need to invert your G channel.

 

Do a test to see, run a height map similar to what is on the right in this image, and check your result against what is on the left. The colors should be the same. If you are getting something else, search for a flip Y tick box or just invert the g channel.

 

http://www.skyrimnexus.com/imageshare/images/209926-1324375704.jpg

 

 

From what I've seen on most textures for Skyrim, they adopt an object space normal map. In your case, since the rivets are not consistent, I would advise that you (at least it works in Blender, not too sure in 3DS Max) bake an object space normal map of the mesh which already has a tangent space (the ones that are blue) normal map on it, so the normal map's details are converted to the object space map.

Don't do object space normal maps for anything but the bodies. Every other asset in the game is using tangent space normal maps.

[dazzerfong]

Problem is, the textures for armors are object spaces: and, if you look carefully, one side is outwards, the other side is inwards (the rivets, I mean).

[Ghogiel]

Problem is, the textures for armors are object spaces

no they aren't

[dazzerfong]

Ah, I though that all normal maps were object, thank God it isn't! But why are bodies only in object space, that beats me......

 

Though, if it's a tangent map, invert the green channel, as stated above.

Edited December 20, 2011 by dazzerfong

[Ghogiel]

thank God it isn't! But why are bodies only in object space, that beats me......

 

I know right. It would have made things a lot messier if was all object space, you need to start messing with geometry to make them. Also compressing object space :yucky:

[Killjaeden]

The problem is that i had the "correct" normal of one rivet and copied it all over the texture by hand

So it should have been right. However i still got wrong sided rivets on some parts. If you have UVW's that are rotated (in other words - "up" of the mesh is not "up" for the uvw), does the normal information has to rotate too?

Edited December 20, 2011 by Killjaeden

[Ghogiel]

The problem is that i had the "correct" normal of one rivet and copied it all over the texture by hand

So it should have been right. However i still got wrong sided rivets on some parts. If you have UVW's that are rotated (in other words - "up" of the mesh is not "up" for the uvw), does the normal information has to rotate too?

No. You shouldn't rotate any part of a normal map, they only have one correct orientation regardless of the direction the UV shells are mirrored, rotated or other wise laid out. If you rotate any of it, the normal direction will bend very strangely because the RG channels wil be skewed, ie say the R information that bends the tangent vector won't be orientated from right to left (+X), it'll be randomly rotated to some other orientation.

Edited December 20, 2011 by Ghogiel

[Killjaeden]

But how do i solve my problems then? Here is my normal map, the diffuse with markings etc

http://www.abload.de/thumb/vhelmettex_normalm6jq0.jpghttp://www.abload.de/thumb/vhelmettex_difftojtz.jpghttp://www.abload.de/thumb/vhelmettex_renderx9jp2.jpghttp://www.abload.de/thumb/tesv2011-12-2023-05-2pskmh.pnghttp://www.abload.de/thumb/tesv2011-12-2023-06-0uejha.png

 

 

Could you please tell me what i did wrong? Thanks for your help so far

What i meant with "rotating" was that switching or flipping the red and green channels according to the orientation the uvw pieces have

Edited December 20, 2011 by Killjaeden