I'm still a bit confused as to what the difference is between a bump map and a normal map. Is it not possible just to use an image, say a scan of a texture, as a bump map on a material? I could then also use that same image as the texture, no?
I've noticed that all the normal maps are sort of a blue-pink gradient, is there a way of creating these files myself, and what is the benefit to using proper coloured normal maps as opposed to just images loaded into the bump maps?
Thanks
Yes you can just use an image. KeyShot is very powerful in allowing to use an image as a bump map. With a normal map, you may have finer control. You can create it yourself, but it may require a standalone app or a plugin to PS.
I use FilterForge to create normal maps.
Bill G
Normal Map Generator (...currently in the programming/testing phase)
http://normalmapgenerator.yolasite.com/
SSbump Generator (with Cuda)
http://ssbump-generator.yolasite.com/
nDo (Create advanced normal maps straight in Photoshop CS2-CS5, Win and OSX)
http://cgted.com/
Blender / Normal Maps
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Manual/Textures/Maps/Bump_and_Normal_Maps
Crazybump
http://www.crazybump.com/
Genetica
http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/gen2tour/index.htm
Genetica tutorial video:
Importing images and making them seamless (http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/videos/importing_images_and_making_them_seamless.htm)
Thanks ralf
I'm going to try out the photoshop nDo and crazy bump for mac. Do you have a preference which is better?
Crazybump is great!
http://www.zarria.net/nrmphoto/nrmphoto.html
From this link at least now I understand the difference between bump & normal.
So where bump only creates .. well .. bumps on your surface, with a normal map you can create 3D texture, even on flat surfaces and the light/camera movement will show different results ..
The difference is that a normal map may give you better/finer control over your bump map, rather than just using a jpeg. Most of the times a jpeg is enough, though.
I just did a search and downloaded this program that is free open source SSBump Creator located here:
http://ssbump-generator.yolasite.com/
Below is a quick render I did using a normal map I mad, it only took a few minutes to create the map.
The left side is a render using only the regular bump map and the right side is using the normal map I made.
(http://content.screencast.com/users/Neilreed/folders/Default/media/9e85f612-4b63-444f-87e2-4c361407f63c/Normal%20test.jpg)
Grab Crazybump for Mac while it's still free. I think it's the best one to work with.
Free is always good :-)
Here are some metals I have been working on most have normal maps I did with SSBump. I would upload the library but this board doesn't seam to like that.
(http://content.screencast.com/users/Neilreed/folders/Default/media/8276d8ca-d320-4033-9e93-29dcd1ab1c25/Metals%201.jpg)
What do you mean - you can't upload?
It just keeps timing out when I try and upload the zipped up bip file...I will go through the docs and find out how to export just the materials this evening....
OK I found it was easy to export the group I created for the metals. Please check them out and let me know if you improve on them.
You will need add the textures separately.Export materials only exports the materials, but not the textures or bump maps that are applied.
Will be fixed in KeyShot 3.
OK so it is very hard to share materials now....guess that is why I don't see anyone else do it :-)