normal map maker???

[NolanK]

Does anyone know of a program that can make a normal map by taking a high and low poly version of a model? I dont have 3D Max or Maya so i cant use those plugins, and i dont have photoshop either. I use Milkshape 3D (thats all i can afford ). If anyone knows of a standalone program (not a plugin) that would generate a normal map just by taking the high and low poly versions of a model then please let me know. I've been looking around the net for some time now and ill i could find were plugins for 3D max, Maya and photoshop.

If no one knows of a program that could do that maybe you guys know of a different way to generate a normal map. I would probably not prefer to have to make a normal map by hand in a paint program, but.....that may be the only way..... .

Any help would be greatly appreciated! :D

Thanks in advance.

[QuestOfDreams]

Nvidias Melody
needs a GPU with PS2.0, Windows XP or 2000 and DX9
http://developer.nvidia.com/object/melody_home.html

[wxb1]

There are so many ways:

1) Gimp normal map plugin*
2) nvidia bumpmaker *
3) ati bumpmaker *
4) nvidia melody - takes a high res mesh and creates normal map from it, can also generate lod's for models.


I've used melody and the nvidia bumpmaker tool... I generally create a heightmap in gimp and apply that heightmap to alpha channel of my base texture, creating a *.tga file... I then feed the *.tga file into nvidia bumpmaker creating a normal map... goto the developer section of nvidia's website, and look around for it... http://www.nvidia.com


*works with height map textures...

[NolanK]

nvidia's melody looks like the way to go Im trying it out now.

I never knew there was a plugin for GIMP! thats awsome!

Many thanks to both of you! :D

[hike1]

\Demo072e (1.5MB)- Ingame map, different foot sounds, displacement and keeping
scripts from running
http://terrymorgan.net/download.htm

[NolanK]

Ok i have now created a normal map for my model and have tried to put in RF but it doesnt seem to work. I followed all the instructions on how to create in actor using actor studio. I put both the specular map and the normal map as extra textures with the prefix's BMS_ and BMB_ in the extra textures part of the actor creation. I then tried to put my model into rf using an staticentityproxy. I set the actor name in the entity to the name of my actor. When i compile my level i see my model, but it doesnt have the normal map applied to it . Is there something i did wrong? Am i using the wrong entity to put my model into rf? Is there soemthing i forgot to do? If someone could please help me i would really appreciate it.

[QuestOfDreams]

The three bump map textures must have the following prefixes:

dot3

BN0_ (base texture - that's a zero, not an "O")
BNB_ (RGB normal map)
BNS_ (specular map)

[NolanK]

did that, still doesnt work.

Oh i also made sure that the names after the BM0_,BMB_, and BMS_ were identical. Anything else you cna think of?

[QuestOfDreams]

hmm.. I'm not 100% sure if adding textures in the actor studio works, it's better to add them to the body before you export it
to make sure the textures are in the final actor you can use the viewer.exe in the tools folder which will show you a list of all materials of the actor

also open the d3ddrv.log and make sure that your video card supports dot3 bumpmapping; it should say:
D3DTEXOPCAPS_DOTPRODUCT3 : YES

[hike1]

Demo072.zip

New Sept 2004- (1.6MB)- covered:

a. Foliage flipbooks

b. Terrain shadow maps

c. Bumpmapping brushes

d. Dot3 Normal mapping for actors

http://terrymorgan.net/download.htm

RF FAQ http://terrymorgan.net/rffaq.zip

[NolanK]

argh, it still doesnt work!!

I checked the actor in viewer.exe and you were right, the actor didnt have the extra textures in it. So i remade the actor with the textures included and i made sure of it by checking the actor again in viewer.exe. I even checked the d3ddrv.log and it did contain: D3DTEXOPCAPS_DOTPRODUCT3 : YES. Am i setting up the entities wrong or something?

Sorry for all the trouble this is causing.


[edit] i posted this without seeing hikes latest post. Ill check that tutorial out and tell you how it goes [edit]

[hike1]

I haven't had much luck with DOT 3 stuff, Pickles' and
Wendell's actors look much better than the cube I made for
Demo072. 1 thing I noticed is that putting 'Extra Textures=0'
in d3d24.ini doesn't turn off the normal mapping on actors, must
just be the EMBM on brushes it turns off?

[NolanK]

1 thing I noticed is that putting 'Extra Textures=0'
in d3d24.ini doesn't turn off the normal mapping on actors, must
just be the EMBM on brushes it turns off?

When i put "Extra Textures=1" (it was 0 before), something seemed to changed. The model ingame appeared differently. I dont think the normal map showed but the specular map seemed to appear all messed up. Is there a certain way to make the specular map or something? I'll i did was take the normal map and convert it to black and white. If anyone knows whats going on, plz let me know.

Sorry for keeping on bugging you guys but i really really want this to work.


The first pic is the model when Extra Textures = 0

The second pic is the model when Extra Textures = 1

The third pic is what the model should look like with the normal map applied to it.


Oh and btw, i know for a fact that my video card supports dot3 and EMBV bumpmapping.

[QuestOfDreams]

I don't think you really need the specular map, try just using the base map and the rgb normal map

[NolanK]

k i tried it with just the base texture and the RGB normal map but still nothing.



If anybody has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. Maybe even if someone had a model that i could test out to see if the problem is my computer or if the problem is my model.

Thanks for all the help Quest, hike1, wxb1! I know you guys are all really busy so i appologize for keeping on bugging you guys, lol.

I was wondering where i could download that demo that pickles made a while ago to show dot3 normal mapping. I forget what its called but its the one that has that green monster in it. I tried to get it off his website but when i went there his website was down.