The Normal Tools V 01.1

[gOUJOSAMMA]

The Normal Tools is a suit of pluggins which allow for the creation of Normal Map images. Full control over specularity (alpha of Normal Map), and reflectivity (length of normal) is ensured through the use of separate grey scale maps for each of these data channels. When these Maps are combined with your bump map you have full control of every element of an expert quality Normal Map. 180 degree normal inversion is controlled via the alpha channel of the input image. If all this sound intimidating, have no fear! The Normal Tools comes complete with a 27 page Users Guide which will take you step by step through the process of making a Normal map that a professional game developer would be proud to call their own. Unfortunately the Guide is to big to post to this forum due to it containing 75 images most likely so you can get the Guide HERE

The full package can be downloaded from the SkyrimNexus HERE, in a single download

PDNV1_1.zip

Edited February 7, 2021 by Ego Eram Reputo
Updated link for guide (dropbox)

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Now that is a guide! Very nicely done. Thank you for going to the extra effort to fully document your plugin.

I shall enjoy reading through the guide later today.

[gOUJOSAMMA]

Now that is a guide! Very nicely done. Thank you for going to the extra effort to fully document your plugin.

I shall enjoy reading through the guide later today.

Thank ya, Thank ya, Wrote it for Skyrim modding. Didn't want to learn gimp.. Now I do all my texture work in PDN which is my #1

image editor of all time!

Thanx to all who contribute to PDN

All hail BoltBait

[ratty redemption]

hi, i often work with normalmaps for game engines, and am also grateful for these tools being added to paint.net, also kudos for the tutorial, much appreciated.

i did notice what i think might be a typo in your sub menu title. it seems to say 'the normal tools (with a ' before the t ) if that was a typo would you mind fixing it? as it does look odd compared to the standard menu syntax and i personally like the tools to be in alphabetical order.

[millerni456]

Looks like a great plugin! From someone new to bump mapping and shader programming as a whole, I'm supposing that this plugin would help to make realistic graphics. If I wanted to learn about game graphics, do you think Skyrim modding would help for me? I'm also liking the plugin because I could apply it to my own graphics programs.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with GLSL but if you don't mind, please point me to some resources that will tell me how I can achieve Skyrim-like graphics. Also, I was curuois how detailed geometry must be to show the effects of bump-mapping.

Thanks, Nick.

[ratty redemption]

@millern, yes these normal map tools would certainly help with the development or modding of current gen textures for games engines, i work with the idtech engines, and although the bethesda engines have subtle differences, most of the principles are the same as far as textures and shaders.

if you want to read some newbie friendly tutorials on games dev and modding, you can visit this link, there a few on normal mapping as well if you scroll down the page:

http://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/

also blender 3d, uses glsl materials and lighting and what we see in the realtime previews can be quite close to what we'd see in game, whether that be idtech, unreal engines etc.

the blendercookie site has some excellent video tutorials on blender, and even if you don't use that modeling app, you could learn a lot about the workflow of current gen models, materials and textures. again you might want to scroll down the page to get to the free tutorials:

http://cgcookie.com/...ormal%20mapping

i'm currently writing a tutorial on katsbits for the creation of skyrim type rock formations, and i've been using paint.net for the diffuse and specular textures. with gOUJOSAMMA's normal tools i might be using them alongside the normals i bake from blender.

hth

[gOUJOSAMMA]

I'm currently writing a tutorial on katsbits for the creation of skyrim type rock formations, and i've been using paint.net for the diffuse and specular textures. with gOUJOSAMMA's normal tools i might be using them alongside the normals i bake from blender.

hth

`The Normal Tools V1.3 (IN DEV) will contain an effect called "The Normal Stripper" which will be able to break or strip out the height / bump map, the Specularity map, the Reflect map and the Invert map from a preexisting normal map. This will allow users to use blender to bake a normal map in blender (to minimize geometry) and then edit that normal map in PDN (to maximize the artistry). I may also include one or two more normal inversion types in "The Normalizer", as well. I am currently banging my head against the algorithm for converting the normal map into a bump map.

Goujosamma

Some basic Normal Map Theory (non technical and no math) http://www.fileswap.com/dl/DkiNJLhgDi/N_Maps_and_Bumps.pdf.html

Edited November 20, 2012 by gOUJOSAMMA

[Mick Berg]

Can you tell me how to get the manual for Normal Tools from Fileswap? Sorry to be so thick

Mick Berg.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Mick Berg

[Maximilian]

You can't, at least not from that particular FileSwap link. As you can read when you open the link, there's a "There are no files shared in this folder" right there.

[Mick Berg]

The Normalizer is great but sometimes the normal map it produces seems to be transparent, ie is on a checkered background. Other times it works fine. 90% of the time I use it on .tga files with an alpha channel.

Any idea what the problem could be?

Thanks,

Mick Berg

Edited September 16, 2015 by Mick Berg