Hmmm.

So that plugin filter calculates a normal map from a bump map.

"The NVIDIA Normal Map filter creates normal maps from grayscale height maps"

So, in other words, it calculates the distortion of the normals based on the calculated slopes derived from a height map. This means that it can only simulate what a bump map simulates. It is another representation of the same information. Furthermore, unless someone can prove me wrong, the functionality provided by the built-in Poser support for bump maps is IDENTICAL to using that filter to create a normal map. Internally, the end result of using a bump map is a normal map. Does anybody know otherwise?

And when you use that scale thing, I agree it has an effect on the map distortion intensity, but it does so in a way that produces de-normalized vectors, resulting in a translation of the surface to something that is not exactly a linear scaling of the height map. Whereas, linearly scaling the bump map precisely translates into a new normal map that cannot be derived simply by scaling the original normal map.

Consider the parameters that go into that filter - in particular the parameter called Scale.

Try making two normal maps, one in which the scale is 3 times the other.

Load them both onto two identical props in Poser. Adjust the Gradient value on the higher (3x) scaled one to be .3333 and use a Gradient value of 1.0 on the other one. Do they look the same? I suspect they won't.

I'd do it myself, but I don't have Photoshop with me. I'm on the road.

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)