great tool for making Normal Maps

#1

Like too many good ones, its unfortunately just windows-only. So far.

http://www.crazybump.com/

#2

Here is a simple tool for OSX.

http://homepage.mac.com/nilomarabese/Menu13.html

#3

I saw this around sometime ago. Does anybody know what kind of graphic file format does it require as input?

EDIT: oh, I see it opens JPEGs, as per the gallery images.
It crashes when I try opening them in my Mac Pro :frowning:

#4

CrazyBump works great in Windows under VMWare Fusion (no 3d view- just 2d).
Thanks for the link.
Dave :slight_smile:

#5

NMG understands JPEGs exported via Preview.app without crashing.

#6

What can be done with these normal maps after you make them?

#7

EIAS can use the normal map instead of a regular bump.

GI tends to flatten the look of regular bump maps, but normal maps work very well with IBL.

This little app will also output a displacement map, and specular map for the same input image.

#8

Thanks. I’m a bit behind on all the new lighting methods. I certainly am interested in IBL and anything that will help.

#9

Not as sophisticated as CrazyBump, but potentially useful, and on OSX.

http://homepage.mac.com/nilomarabese/Menu13.html

#10

Just installed VMWare. Great post thanks.

#11

Some notes about using Normal Maps.

EIAS currently maps these normal maps in “object space”. That means they are suitable for flat mapping only because the normals are read to be facing a specific direction. This measns these maps are best for better bumps on floors, walls, etc.

Further- this object CAN be rotated (it’s mapped in object space not world space),
but it cannot be deformed. Bad news for characters.

There is another style of normal mapping called “tangent space”, which allows spherical mapping, deformations, etc. This would be a very good feature for EIAS, since normal maps have so much potential with IBL.

Dave

#12

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