DDS normal map generation

[H1mself1to]

Hi peeps!!

 

I'm using the normal map plus plugin to generate normal maps for dds textures used in games (fallouts/elder scrolls).

https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/111602-normalmapplus-codelab-implementation/

 

Question: The plugin brings 3 bars, X - Y - Z, each of these seem to affect a different parameter, can anybody tell me what these parameters are or how to generally scale each bar??

 

Are normal maps useful for mostly everything, or just the things that are static? (like for example, yes to trees and no to creatures)

Also, when saving a DDS image, theres a checkbox with the option "cube map from crossed image", should I leave this option ON? Doesn't seem to have an effect in image size (bytes).

Big thanks to those who can spare a little time to answer!! (hopefully this will aid other people as well)

Edited November 15, 2019 by H1mself1to

[null54]

4 hours ago, H1mself1to said:

Question: The plugin brings 3 bars, X - Y - Z, each of these seem to affect a different parameter, can anybody tell me what these parameters are or how to generally scale each bar??

 

That would most likely depend on how the game you are trying to modify uses normal maps.

A tutorial for Skyrim character model normal maps can be found here.

 

4 hours ago, H1mself1to said:

Are normal maps useful for mostly everything, or just the things that are static? (like for example, yes to trees and no to creatures)

 

Normal maps are a method of applying bump mapping on 3D models, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping.

In Skyrim normal maps are used by many model types: character, tree, weapon etc.

 

4 hours ago, H1mself1to said:

Also, when saving a DDS image, theres a checkbox with the option "cube map from crossed image", should I leave this option ON? Doesn't seem to have an effect in image size (bytes).

 

That option is only relevant when creating or editing cube maps, it should be left unchecked for other texture types.

[MJW]

9 hours ago, H1mself1to said:

Question: The plugin brings 3 bars, X - Y - Z, each of these seem to affect a different parameter, can anybody tell me what these parameters are or how to generally scale each bar??

 

It's kind of misleading. Those are actually, more or less, the weights used to convert the color pixels to grayscale values, from which the normals are computed. I say "more or less" because the code actually computes the deltas for each color component, then combines them using the weights; but unless my brain is playing tricks on me, it amounts to the same thing. The X control is the red weight; the Y control is the green weight; and the Z control is the blue weight. The defaults are pretty typical of the values used to convert color to grayscale, and roughly correspond to the eye's sensitivity to each color.