Difference between revisions of "GIMP: Quality Normal Maps"
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[[Category:Texturing_Tutorials]] | [[Category:Texturing_Tutorials]] | ||
[[Category:Tutorials]] | [[Category:Tutorials]] | ||
{{Tools|req0=[[GIMP]] + 2 Plugins|req1=[[BSA Unpackers]]|req2=[http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/file/DDS_Converter%3B29412 DDS Converter 2]}} | |||
== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
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[[Image:NormalMapDialog.jpg]] | [[Image:NormalMapDialog.jpg]] | ||
''All these settings are correct'' | ''All these settings are correct, except possibly the wrap option (see appendix)'' | ||
Using the settings from the image, you can start making modifications from there. For the most part, the only other setting you should change is the scale, which often is too low to be noticeable at "1.00000". I generally go with a scale between five and fifteen to get a noticeable effect. To get an idea of what your map will look like in-game, you can click the "3D Preview" button, and you should be able to rotate the plane in the 3D window by left-clicking and dragging your cursor, to see the effects light will have on your texture. The shine of your surface is not apparent in this preview, and is ignored, so do not worry if your wood appears shiny in the preview. | Using the settings from the image, you can start making modifications from there. For the most part, the only other setting you should change is the scale, which often is too low to be noticeable at "1.00000". I generally go with a scale between five and fifteen to get a noticeable effect. To get an idea of what your map will look like in-game, you can click the "3D Preview" button, and you should be able to rotate the plane in the 3D window by left-clicking and dragging your cursor, to see the effects light will have on your texture. The shine of your surface is not apparent in this preview, and is ignored, so do not worry if your wood appears shiny in the preview. | ||
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You have now created the "directional" part of your normal map, but the other part of your normal map is shininess. This is determined by the transparency of the parts of the normal map (or the "Alpha Channel" as it is technically called). The more opaque a pixel is, the shinier it will be in-game, and likewise the more transparent a pixel is, the less shiny it will be. | You have now created the "directional" part of your normal map, but the other part of your normal map is shininess. This is determined by the transparency of the parts of the normal map (or the "Alpha Channel" as it is technically called). The more opaque a pixel is, the shinier it will be in-game, and likewise the more transparent a pixel is, the less shiny it will be. | ||
First, go to Layers>>Transparency, and select "Add Alpha Channel". Next, select areas of your normal map that should have less shine to them, and then click on the "Eraser" tool. Under the settings, make sure the opacity is '''not''' set to 100%, as this will also get rid of your directional data. I repeat, '''make sure the opacity setting is below 100%'''. A value of 90% is usually pretty good for rough woods, and a value of 85% for shinier woods. Material such as leather should be set even higher (higher opacity on the eraser will make pixels more transparent, and likewise less shiny). If you click and drag to erase all of the pixels you have selected at once, you should not run into any problems, however if you let go of the left mouse button, and then continue erasing, you may erase the pixels completely and therefore get rid of your directional data, which will ultimately make your normal map useless. An easy way to check this is by looking at the "Channels" dialog, and making sure there is no solid black in the color channels (not the alpha channel). If there is solid black, you should undo your erasing and start over, being careful not to let go of the left mouse button as you erase. You may still see a faint ghost-image remaining where you erase, and this is a '''good thing''', however do not be worried if you do not, it just means the opacity of the eraser was rather high. | |||
''A value above 95% on the eraser may eliminate some directional data, although I am not sure why, so be careful.'' | ''A value above 95% on the eraser may eliminate some directional data, although I am not sure why, so be careful.'' | ||