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. Iā€™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 ā€œobject spaceā€. 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 (itā€™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 ā€œtangent spaceā€, 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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