combining normal maps

[SHEPEIRO]

yes i do this all the time. infact i often dont even create a complete high poly model, its often seperated into bits

[ArchangelTalon]

Yes, it should be possible.

Just take one normal map and put the other on a layer on top with it's blend mode set to Overlay.

[benclark]

Cheers, I'll give it a go tomorow

[itsallgoode9]

Yes, it should be possible.

Just take one normal map and put the other on a layer on top with it's blend mode set to Overlay.

before you do that, you need do a levels adjustment on the blue channel of the one you are overlaying and and change the white output level slider to 128.

If you don't do that, some of the color in the exsisting map can be affected

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/341/temp1lk.jpg

[ArchangelTalon]

Never knew that, cheers :)

[itsallgoode9]

Never knew that, cheers :)

yeah, i learned it from Ben Mathis' great normal mapping tutorial. If you look at the channels, the blue channel is much stronger than the rest. So doing that brings the blue areas down to a grey color. that way, the blue is taken out of the equation when doing an overlay.

[ts-falcon]

sorry if this seems alittle ignorant but couldnt you just copy the layer overtop and erase the areas of that layer not pertaining to the uvs its covering? although now i think of it overlying seems faster...stupid me :P

[Poopinmymouth]

From the original posters question, yes you can generate normal map portions in different programs. Most will generate an alpha channel that lets you lift only the data you baked, for easy combining in photoshop.

Combining normal maps works like this:
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/process/normal_workflow/normal_27.jpg


http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/normal_workflow_3.htm This is the html page that deals specifically with combining normal map details.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/normal_workflow.htm And the whole tutorial.

Also as an aside, all the assets used to make this tutorial are available to download from my website in the 3d section, in the text above the jpegs of this skater. It's a zip file of the high poly, low poly, in both .max and .obj format. There is a rigged max version with shaders pre applied, and a PSD with all layers intact. Feel free to use it to experiment with normal mapping and see how I do my own personal stuff.

http://www.mr-chompers.com/images/poop.gif (http://www.poopinmymouth.com)

[itsallgoode9]

thank God for posting that Ben, I was searching for your site the other day but could not find it for anything! That tutorial of yours should really be a sticky in the "game art" section of CGTalk. It was the best, most easy to understand, and most imformative tutorial i've come across when learning Normal Maps! (I hope I explained what I said in my earlier posts correctly since it came from your tut)

Thanks for the contribution again man!

[benclark]

Thanks for the link Ben, your site is really cool too:buttrock:

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