I generated a normal map reference bitmap for painting the normals by hand. This will take me some time, it is something an artist should do…
Written by MM. Posted at 7:12 am on December 11th, 2009
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You’re going to paint the normals by hand? Woo. :S
Then why are you doing it?
i don’t understand what this image does…anyways mr procedural u don’t need an artist cuz u can do anything yourself.
Man, please get an artist. There are so many people here willing to help without even asking for much in return. Maybe just their names in the game credits.
It would cost less time and the results would be better, because, well, that’s just what an artist does. Especially for the sprites.
I’m probably not gonna make it myself, I would need a sprite artist.
Lies! What you need are more algorithms and procedural egenration! Deep inside you KNOW it’s true!
@archont: LoL
uhm what actually does “normals” mean ? ( im not a game designer : (, instead i suffer from chronic noobness. )
@TLD
it’s a technique for making a texture look pretty and shiny.
@TLD: This was posted by Makron a while ago (regarding normals): http://www.cgtextures.com/content.php?action=tutorial&name=normalmap
A normal map is an image based off the texture that captures low-difference elevations. The colour of the image interacts with the games lighting and greatly enhances the detail.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
Here is a wiki article that will surely, enlighten you.
@MM I hope you are fucking kidding, painting normals by hand looks like ass. They need to be computer generated. And only someone with prodigy worthy skills can actually do a good job.
I beg to differ with the statement that computer could generate proper normals. It can’t. Unless you can define the shape and dimensions of the object to the computer. It is NOT possible to use the greyscale of the texture as a normal map and make it look good. The normal maps for the textures have to be hand made, or then the textures itself have to be drawn differently. The alpha channel of image format could be possible solution. (Depending on the file structure, the alpha channel may only be just as little as 8-bits wide, meaning a range from 0 to 255 possible “levels” of “depth” in the normal map. Should be well enough. And even if transparency would be needed, the 8 bits could be split to two segments, 6 and 2 bits, giving 64 “depth” levels and 4 transparency levels(e.g. 0, 33, 66, 100 %)). Using the available resources wisely is the key.
ah i get it now, thanks guys : )
@clawbug
there are programs that generate normal maps from gray scale bump maps. here’s what I use fo my 3D models:
http://www.mapzoneeditor.com/
it can make some beautiful textures that will always tile.
Still the bump map has to be hand made. I don’t see much importance in normal mapping in a 2D game though, hence whatever method is the easiest should be used.
I think you would be surprised at how well programs like crazybump can generate normal maps straight from the texture image.
Agreed with Chutem. There are also other industries that compute similar data either from 2d images or from 3d surfaces into 2d (such as one of the processes in sheareography – a type of deep surface inspection, common at NASA). I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of that data and resources transferred over into the tools used in 3d tools. And.. there is a hell of a lot of data and research.
I didn’t mention anything about the texture. I’m saying the normal can’t be done. If CG is done a modified grayscale is a must, or baked of a 3D model. The results crazy and all those other programs give are bad, unless they are created off a modified grayscale.
what I suggest is getting the greyscale image, smooth out areas of equal depth (leave a bit of noise, don’t smooth too much) then run a tool that generates a normal map on it and then fix the normal map by hand.
Hey MM, you should check this guy out : http://flyingdebris.deviantart.com/
its a mecha/sci fi artist whom i accidentaly found on deviant, he has some nice concepts, maybe as him for some new inspiration for your mechs and soldiers?
There is no way a computer can know how to generate proper normal maps on complex things such as armor. You can tell a computer to generate anything procedurally, but it cannot guess your intentions (just as a human cannot).
A human CAN guess your intentions.
Hey MM, you should check this guy out : http://flyingdebris.deviantart.com/
Funny cause we did work with him. He made a poster and title screen for Link-Dead. I didn’t show it anywhere yet.
A human CAN guess your intentions.
ask any CEO or someone in charge of a group of people if his employees can guess his intentions.
Well I’d guess they don’t know his intentions because they are not there to know it but to receive orders and execute them.
Theres a difference between guessing and knowing if your gonna get fired 😛