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Geek Culture / Bump Mapping - What colors are which?

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JoelJ
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Posted: 13th Dec 2005 22:24 Edited at: 13th Dec 2005 22:26
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So I was thinking. All the bump mapping programs I can find, are ALL automatically generating the normal maps. Not ONE I can find will let you MANUALLY place where you want it to BUMP, DENT, etc.
So i got to thinking, how hard can it be to make a simple paint program with a brush and do it for me? the HARDEST part would be to get the colors right.

so what I want to beable to do is this:


but with the correct normal map colors.

from what I understand is that there is a color(s) for light comming from the TOP of the texture, one for the right, one for left, one for bottom, and a last one for top.

I just can't seem to find anything online to help me out with that. Does anyone know of a source that I can look at to find the colors? or does anyone KNOW? and I have searched google, a LOT.

anywho, thanks

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Ian T
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Posted: 13th Dec 2005 22:48
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Well the idea with the normal map generators is that you handcraft your heightmap first, and then turn it into a normal map. Not that you just feed the diffuse (standard) texture into it.


Arr
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blanky
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 00:03
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your PINK is death.

But HOW????!?
NO idea.

But it is murder. REVENGE!!!?!!!!!1111

Ok, ok. Ian T's right. Listen to the dude, he has a banana in his ear.

16-colour PNGs pwn.
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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 00:42
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are you drunk?

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BenDstraw
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 01:05
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just invert the colors if you get it wrong your using greyscale so its either one or the other

God modelled man in his own reference image.
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Dave J
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 04:11
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A bump map does indeed use a greyscale image however, a NORMAL MAP does not. And I believe, it is indeed a normal map that the original poster wants to create.


"Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
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BenDstraw
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 04:29
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thread title threw me off sorry guyz

God modelled man in his own reference image.
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JoelJ
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 05:30 Edited at: 14th Dec 2005 05:31
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yeah, sorry, i realized my mistake after i hit POST

but yeah, it's normal maps i want

and I'll do as suggested and use a heightmap first, and put that through the normal generator

but I'm still currious to what colors do what.

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Mattman
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 05:49
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After reading a tutorial on this subject, I believe the different color channels (Red, Green, Blue) represent the different axis values (X, Y, Z)


Down with GTA! Let's have Mario Ground Pound 'em!
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JoelJ
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 06:30
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Quote: "After reading a tutorial on this subject, I believe the different color channels (Red, Green, Blue) represent the different axis values (X, Y, Z)"

I've figured out that the RGB values mean different angles or whatever, but i don't get like, how to create different effect or whatever... i can't really explain it

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dark coder
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 07:18
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for what its worth just go from blue to pruple, as i dont see why the rap you would ever need to store angle data on a normal map, afterall your trying to make it look like the surface is elevated and you can acheieve different angles from having different heights.

to renger propper normal maps you should be looking into making a high res model and texture baking the highpolyone onto the lowpoly one with normal maps, otherwise doing it manually is the equievelent of bumpamming.


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Neofish
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 07:42
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What I want to know is how normal maps translate into code (not DB code ). For example a bumpmap i think you can simply average the bumpmap intensity with that of the texture (not too hard), but I have no idea where to even start with normal maps, since it's viewport and light position dependant isn't it? or am i going too far and its just minorly more complex bumpmapping?

New site!
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JoelJ
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Posted: 14th Dec 2005 18:54
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meh, i didn't mean ANGLE. heh

but i sat back, and thought about it last night... played around with it a bit, and I figured it out.

there really isn't much more to describe it than what Mattman said
Quote: "believe the different color channels (Red, Green, Blue) represent the different axis values (X, Y, Z)"


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David T
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Posted: 15th Dec 2005 18:34
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Don't you get the normal of each pixel (a 3d vector facing the way the side faces), normalise the vector (make it so its length is one) and then feed the X/Y/Z components each normal vector into the pixel's RGB?

If you want some help in getting the normals of a pixel, just ask. I did it for a little heightmap shadowing program I did. Quite easy

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JoelJ
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Posted: 15th Dec 2005 18:56
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what is the "normal" of a pixel?

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David T
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Posted: 15th Dec 2005 19:19
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Here, this might help

http://artpad.art.com/?irjxj1b8p24

I'm in the process of drawing how to get the normal

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David T
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Posted: 15th Dec 2005 19:23
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And this to get normal

http://artpad.art.com/?irjxp41161tw

Basically, take the vector from the pixel to the left to the pixel on the right, then from the pixel above to the pixel below. So you have two vectors crossing over the pixel you're concentrating on. Then cross product them.

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