I need explicit help on bump/normal maps


Studio Name:
Studio Icon (32x32):
Show Download Count (Public):
Banner Image URL:
My Terms of Use:

Studio Tags:

Deleted
Deleted Member

Posts: 0

I need explicit help on bump/normal maps Jan 6, 2021 6:06:17 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2021 6:06:17 GMT -5

So, I have been redoing my bump maps over and over again. And yes, I have already seen every existing bump/normal map tutorial there is on the internet.
And I do not understand why, why, my bump maps are failing. I know that this issue; displayed in the picture is caused by missing alpha in the bump map. But I have done the exact steps that every bump map tutorial is showing. But my creations still end up with this issue.

Here is the exact process of how I make the bump maps :

First, I crop the diffuse texture to the 1024x1024 size.

ALSO, usually the texture has a transparent background so I assume I should fill the background with white. And not have it alpha/transparent.

FYI, I have adobe photoshop 2020 which has the 3D stuff.
So here i go to fliter - 3D - Generate Normal Map

So I do not use that nvidia whatever plugin for dds. Which seems to be what everyone is using, which does not apply for my mac computer.

THEN, this is where I do the exact process on every tutorial i've seen --
create the alpha channel - go to the red channel - select all and copy it - then you paste it into the empty alpha channel.

Then, I go to the green channel - copy it and paste it into the RED and BLUE CHANNEL.

there you go. NOW i think i end up selecting the blue channel and save it into a PSD. I think I am probably supposed to select the RGB Channel before I save it into PSD? I do not know. Whether or not that makes any difference. No one in any tutorial specifies that.

BECAUSE I HAVE NO WAY OF SAVING IT INTO A DDS ON PHOTOSHOP. I SAVE THIS FILE AS A PSD.

THEN I GO ON THIS WEBSITE ---- PSD TO DDS

Which converts my bump map psd file to a DDS. After i download that , I import it in the normal section of my package file. And there you go.

But in the end, it always ends up failing.

PACKAGE FILE

mauvemorn
Global Moderator

If you receive no reply from me in 24 hours, please bump the thread!

Posts: 10,970
Member is Online

I need explicit help on bump/normal maps Jan 6, 2021 7:34:56 GMT -5 lavsm and manybees like this

Quote

Post by mauvemorn on Jan 6, 2021 7:34:56 GMT -5

Hi. You do not need to save the blue normal map, it is of no use to you.
When you save the file in dds, photoshop offers you various settings where you need to specify that the alpha stays. Apparently that website does not preserve it because the map is missing its alpha.
You can make normal maps in .png. The logic is the same, except for instead of the alpha channel you use a layer mask.

How to make a normal map in .png:
- export the normal map from the package you cloned as png, open it in photoshop;
- open the diffuse and crop it ( i like to keep them as two separate files, it is easier this way);
- convert the diffuse to the normal map like you did ( although i do not like how blurred your normal map is );
- select the green channel, select everything with Ctrl A, copy, switch to the exported normal map, paste;
- switch back to the blue normal map, select the red channel, copy;
- switch back to the exported normal map, select the pasted green channel, create a layer mask, Alt-LMB-click on the layer mask to switch to it, then paste the copied red channel there;
- double click on the lock of the background layer, press ok, then delete this layer;
- RMB- click on the layer mask, choose Apply layer mask;
- save as .png

PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES OF CREATOR HELP:

• describe your problem and provide a picture of it (if possible);

• provide download link(s) to .package and .blend files.

If you have a Gmail acc, you can host all of the above on Google Drive

lavsm
Studio Member

Posts: 429

I need explicit help on bump/normal maps Jan 6, 2021 8:30:09 GMT -5

Quote

Post by lavsm on Jan 6, 2021 8:30:09 GMT -5

I never knew you could make normals from png! I just spent a long time looking for a working online converter, lol. One tip I read lately (and have confirmed with tests) is that for Sims 4 normals you must invert the red channel before pasting so the lighting comes from the correct direction (unless your normal exporter already has this option enabled - sometimes called "Invert X".)

Last Edit: Jan 6, 2021 8:41:58 GMT -5 by lavsm

Deleted
Deleted Member

Posts: 0

I need explicit help on bump/normal maps Jan 6, 2021 19:05:21 GMT -5 charredsky likes this

Quote

Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2021 19:05:21 GMT -5

Jan 6, 2021 7:34:56 GMT -5 mauvemorn said:

Hi. You do not need to save the blue normal map, it is of no use to you.
When you save the file in dds, photoshop offers you various settings where you need to specify that the alpha stays. Apparently that website does not preserve it because the map is missing its alpha.
You can make normal maps in .png. The logic is the same, except for instead of the alpha channel you use a layer mask.

How to make a normal map in .png:
- export the normal map from the package you cloned as png, open it in photoshop;
- open the diffuse and crop it ( i like to keep them as two separate files, it is easier this way);
- convert the diffuse to the normal map like you did ( although i do not like how blurred your normal map is );
- select the green channel, select everything with Ctrl A, copy, switch to the exported normal map, paste;
- switch back to the blue normal map, select the red channel, copy;
- switch back to the exported normal map, select the pasted green channel, create a layer mask, Alt-LMB-click on the layer mask to switch to it, then paste the copied red channel there;
- double click on the lock of the background layer, press ok, then delete this layer;
- RMB- click on the layer mask, choose Apply layer mask;
- save as .png

ok, i can't understand what the heck im doing. what is the "exported normal map"? do i go to layers? im so confused. i need a visual example.

mauvemorn
Global Moderator

If you receive no reply from me in 24 hours, please bump the thread!

Posts: 10,970
Member is Online

I need explicit help on bump/normal maps Jan 7, 2021 11:07:23 GMT -5

Quote

Post by mauvemorn on Jan 7, 2021 11:07:23 GMT -5

"Exported normal map" is a normal map you exported from the package you cloned, as i told you to do in the first step. You need to do this to know what the map should look like in png.
What you are doing is the same exact thing you've already done before, except for this time a layer mask is responsible for transparency instead of the alpha channel.

Here is a video, i'm using a nvidia plugin to make a normal map but you do it your way, just make sure the result makes sense ( the protruding areas are lighter and indentations are darker ).
You can also smooth the noise with Filter - Noise - Despeckle instead of blurring everything

Last Edit: Jan 7, 2021 11:08:31 GMT -5 by mauvemorn

PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES OF CREATOR HELP:

• describe your problem and provide a picture of it (if possible);

• provide download link(s) to .package and .blend files.

If you have a Gmail acc, you can host all of the above on Google Drive

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	I need explicit help on bump/normal maps Jan 8, 2021 6:11:35 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2021 6:11:35 GMT -5 Ok thank you so much for the vid. I got kinda frustrated... but it's all good now.


Screenshot URL:
Title:
Enable Comments:
Show Download Count (Public):
Download Link:
Tags:

Sims 4 Studio

My Studio

I need explicit help on bump/normal maps

Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2021 6:06:17 GMT -5

Post by mauvemorn on Jan 6, 2021 7:34:56 GMT -5

Post by lavsm on Jan 6, 2021 8:30:09 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2021 19:05:21 GMT -5

Post by mauvemorn on Jan 7, 2021 11:07:23 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2021 6:11:35 GMT -5

Problems with registration?