Using Nvidia's Normal Map plugin

[Glitterati3D]

Just some tips and tricks I learned using this plugin.

Don't try to create a normal map from a grey scale image - the plugin needs the colored map to work.

Light colored details like stitches, folds, etc. should be converted to a dark color before creating the normal map. Otherwise, these details will be indented rather than upright.

Dark colors convert better than light colors so if you can apply some darkening hue/saturation to your image you'll get a better map.

Be sure to leave plenty of room at the margins of the map pieces to avoid a normal map edge that gets kinda crazy regardless of what you create it with. It will show in the render if you're not careful.

There's no range inside Poser for Normal Map strength. It's on or off - 1 or 0. It's not like bump and displacement where the value changes the look - the map itself is where your strength comes from, not the settings.

 

[kobaltkween]

Thanks for the information!

 

[Glitterati3D]

Thanks for the information!

You're welcome. Hopefully, it's useful information.

 

[Dreamer]

Thanks

 

[Dreamer]

@Glitterati3D do you have any tips for hooking up normal maps in Poser? I am kinda working by guess and experiment

 

[Glitterati3D]

@Glitterati3D do you have any tips for hooking up normal maps in Poser? I am kinda working by guess and experiment

Here's how. Ignore the 0.5 value.........set it to 1.0

Load it like any other image map in the Gradient Bump connector, but be sure to change the Gradient Mode to Normal Map (Tangent Space)

And be sure to change the GC setting to 1.00 - all non-color maps should have Gamma Correction set to 1.0

 

[Dreamer]

Thanks, is that the same for Superfly too?

 

[Glitterati3D]

Thanks, is that the same for Superfly too?

Yes.

 

[Dreamer]

Thanks Glitterati, I kinda feel like that irritating little kid that is all ways asking questions
So from what I have gleaned so far my normal maps suck lol in FF they will give a nice bit of texture but in SF I might as well not bother

 

[Glitterati3D]

Thanks Glitterati, I kinda feel like that irritating little kid that is all ways asking questions
So from what I have gleaned so far my normal maps suck lol in FF they will give a nice bit of texture but in SF I might as well not bother

Oooops, sorry! I use them in everything now since SF doesn't do microdisplacement.

 

[Dreamer]

Oooops, sorry! I use them in everything now since SF doesn't do microdisplacement.

All good Yeah that is why I am trying to work out how to make them and get them to work, so far not much luck and I have no clue where I am going wrong, its a tad frustrating lol guess I am just too use to Poser just working like so and got set in my ways

 

[Dreamer]

One last question, (I hope), can you use a bump map along side a normal map? I ask because I just worked out that every time I plug in a bump map it is negating the normal map

 

[Glitterati3D]

One last question, (I hope), can you use a bump map along side a normal map? I ask because I just worked out that every time I plug in a bump map it is negating the normal map

In Superfly, no. You can use a bump and a normal for Firefly, but your bump map should be very low settings or it will overwhelm the normal map.

 

[Dreamer]

Ok thanks

 

[Glitterati3D]

Ok thanks

You're welcome.

Here's a comparison for you.

Superfly Normal Map. The stitching, button on the pocket and wrinkles are the normal map.

Same shorts, same lights Firefly with Normal Map + Bump map set at 0.001 (the only thing the bump is supplying is the fabric texture)

 

[Dreamer]

I must say its a wee bit inconvenient that you can't use both together in SF. At lest I know now why the maps didn't want to work lol

 

[Glitterati3D]

I must say its a wee bit inconvenient that you can't use both together in SF. At lest I know now why the maps didn't want to work lol

Yes, that frustrates me as well.

 

[Dreamer]

*sigh* Now it looks like my normal map is inflating the mesh or some thing

 

[Bonnie2001]

Post some screen shots so we can see what is happening. But the Normal Map shouldn't do that as it should look the way it did when it was made, unlike a Displacement Map where you can adjust the intensity.

 

[Janet]

This is fascinating! I didn't know there was this much to texturing.