Bump maps, need some help!

[JensOle]

Hello

My painting skills regarding bump map textures are rather low, I have just made "ordinary" textures with blue background and a grey scale alpha channel. With a recent project this has proved to make very noticeable shine problems between the different texture mapped areas (and the root cause has been traced to my low tech bump map files).

It will be much appreciated if the community can give me a helping hand with how to make proper bump textures! My current paint software:
paintshop pro X14, DXTbmp and image tool. All the tutorials on the web are for photoshop or other paint programs and are of little help since I use paintshop, hopefully there are some common "rules" for making bump files that can be of use.

Thanks in advance!

[mjahn]

First, are you sure your model has bump maps else just adding the textures won't do any good. Usually you can use the bump maps provided...

Having siad that, basically you 1) download the NVidia Texture Tools including the filters, 2) Google for a tutorial on how to install and activate in PSP, 3) Once you have managed to create a Normal map in PSP via the Nvidia filter, save as .psd, 4) send thru Imagetool to get a .dds.

This is just the general direction. You might also google "Crazybump".

[DaveQ]

The only tool I know of that does it is the Nvidia plug-in for Photoshop (available here (https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop)). It also enables you to save files directly to .dds format without having to invert. However, I have Photoshop Elements 4 from way back and it's always worked with that, so you might be able to find a cheap old version of PS Elements for very little money just for making bump maps...!

I'm not sure how helpful the MS FSX SDK is but that does explain how they're constructed and work.

Sorry I can't be of more help Jens-Ole!

DaveQ

[roger-wilco-66]

Hi,

regarding the shiny surface, that's a bit difficult to say without actually seeing the maps. Maybe the alphachannel is too bright?

Some good tips are here:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Normal_map_creation

Also, Arno's ModelconverterX has a function that rearranges the channels in a proper way. That's a bit tedious if you do it manually. Another good thread which explains the technique is here:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4362 (expecially post#10 )


HTH
Mark

[JensOle]

Hi,

Thanks for the help. No easy way I understand..

Yes the model has bump mapping activated (it is a new model) and it is not the alpha channel (the problem is there even when the textures has no alpha shine). The issue is how shine or light is transported over from one mapped area to the next and it works without problem with a stock bump map textures (renamed) as stand in, but show the mentioned problem with my home made bump files ("the bumps" themselves works and show the panel lines and rivets with the low tech solution with traditional bmp textures made with the same color shades as bump files and then saved with dxtbmp).

To clearify; I currently make the bump files as a traditional psp file with the blue background and then makes the panel lines/rivets as darker/lighter shadows and saves them as bmp's files. For the "alpha channel" in the bump files I simply make them grey and saves the two bmp files with dxtbmp and then use image tool for making them ddd files. I guess this low tech way of doing it is the cause of the problem.

[Dangerousdave26]

Gimp also can create a normal map which is the format your FSX bump map should be in.

It requires the normal map plugin.

http://code.google.com/p/gimp-normalmap/

Here is a tutorial to create a normal map with Photoshop and Paint shop pro.

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Normal_Map_Creation_in_Photoshop_or_Paint_Shop_Pro

According to the tutorial above Paint Shop Pro uses the same plugin as Photoshop.

[Firekitten]

Dave is correct, the gimp 2.8 plugin normalmap does allow you to create them.

Simple process really. Don't treat it like a texture, treat it like a 2d model...

50% grey, is flat, darker than 50% on a greyscale, is depth, lighter, is higher. Create shapes, and angles and surfaces using this height principal, and when done, run the normal map plugin, preview, adapt scales, fiddle... and it provides you the map to pop in with dtxbmp or with a dds plugin (for gimp too).

practice makes perfect. I found this article very helpful when I first started...

http://mainescenery.proboards.com/thread/8361

[DaveQ]

Dl'ed a trial copy of PSPX4 to see what could be done. You can use it; use PSP Help and search 'load plug-ins' for instructions. Essentially you go files>preferences>file locations. Select plug-ins from the left-hand menu and add a location (wherever you have loaded your Nvidia plug-in). Enable all three types of plug-in and that should be it...! Your plug-in should be available from the Effects tab. Make your bump map (i.e. lines and rivets plus a neutral grey background, merge and lock transparency) then apply the Normalmapfilter. You can then save as a .dds (check the 'save flipped vertically' box) and you're done! Because you can't work with channels you may have to create an alpha separately and use DXTbmp to add it. I've used a desaturated image either directly, enhanced or tone inverted in the past.

Hope you manage it!

DaveQ

[roger-wilco-66]

Dave is correct, the gimp 2.8 plugin normalmap does allow you to create them.

Simple process really. Don't treat it like a texture, treat it like a 2d model...

50% grey, is flat, darker than 50% on a greyscale, is depth, lighter, is higher. Create shapes, and angles and surfaces using this height principal, and when done, run the normal map plugin, preview, adapt scales, fiddle... and it provides you the map to pop in with dtxbmp or with a dds plugin (for gimp too).

practice makes perfect. I found this article very helpful when I first started...

http://mainescenery.proboards.com/thread/8361

Wow, thanks for posting that link! There's some awesome information on how to mix specular maps into all that!
So much to learn, really.

Cheers,
Mark

[Firekitten]

That article taught me to experiment... and the water trick... PERFECT for rippling in panels and metal... ive used that and several others too that make a huge difference and bring the bump alive. I've never liked panel and rivet only bumps, I try to make mine as much part of the texture and model as any other part... the bump map provides us a brilliant opportunity to add to the creative detail of aircraft... its sadly underused.

[JensOle]

To all which have answered my call; thank you so much! This is what I was looking for and hopefully it will help out on the problem I mentioned. A lot to learn and test out though :-) I'll be away for one week, but looking forward to start the computer and get going when I get back.

The help and support you get in this forum is why it has become my FS "home" forum.

Thanks again! It might come a few follow up questions when I get going..

[JensOle]

Dl'ed a trial copy of PSPX4 to see what could be done. You can use it; use PSP Help and search 'load plug-ins' for instructions. Essentially you go files>preferences>file locations. Select plug-ins from the left-hand menu and add a location (wherever you have loaded your Nvidia plug-in). Enable all three types of plug-in and that should be it...! Your plug-in should be available from the Effects tab. Make your bump map (i.e. lines and rivets plus a neutral grey background, merge and lock transparency) then apply the Normalmapfilter. You can then save as a .dds (check the 'save flipped vertically' box) and you're done! Because you can't work with channels you may have to create an alpha separately and use DXTbmp to add it. I've used a desaturated image either directly, enhanced or tone inverted in the past.

Hope you manage it!

DaveQ

Dave,

I'm back from vacation and starting to give it a try at mastering the secrets of bump files. I have downloaded the plug in and installed it. I get as far as enabling the folder where the plug ins are located, but no joy with seeing the plug in the effects menu.

I have the following sub folders in the "master" plug in folder (after install:

Plug-Ins:
->File Formats
->dds64.8bi
->Filters
->NormalMapFilter64.8bf

Presets:
->Scripts
->Nvidia_CubeMapShuffler.js
->Nvidia_Mipster.js

I have tried activating the master folder and the different sub folders.

I'm running a 64 os and downloaded the 64 version of the plug in, can that make any problems working with psp X4?