I've been working on a texture for V4 and I'm having problems with the normal maps rendering properly (See attached sample).

I'm using the Nvidia plugin in Photoshop to convert the bump map into a normal map.

Can anyone tell me what the rendering issue may be?

I have a feeling it may be the fact that it was done flat in photoshop with the filter rather then via a 3d plugin but that shouldn't be the case. I've seen lotss of normal maps being rendering via Photoshop by people online and there doesn't seem to be problems with their normal map renderings.

Cheers,
Paul
(mix_mash)

Do you have the normal map plugged into the GardientMode channel with Tangent Space selected?

Quote - Do you have the normal map plugged into the GardientMode channel with Tangent Space selected?

Yes. And, yes, it is a tangent space map not a world space map either.

Paul
(mix_mash)

PS: I'm using Poser 10 not Pro

Possibly look into inverting your green channel (i think it's the green channel)

Quote - Possibly look into inverting your green channel (i think it's the green channel)

I don't think it's the green channel because the weirdness is variable across the whole model. But, I'll give it a try anyway and let you know.

Thanks.

Paul
(mix_mash)

Well the effect on your model is backwards and one of those color channels reverses the effect of the tangent. Google tangent backwards and see what you come up with.

Attached Link: NividiaNormalMaps

OK, I tried flipping the green channel and the results were pretty much the same. I don't know if you notice but the problems can be traced at the UV seams of the model. I think that poser is reading the maps wrong because the normal maps are generated from the flat UV state and not from the relative 3d form. But if I tried to generate a normal map from the 3d form of V4, I would get the world space version of the normal map and that wouldn't work as V4 is a posable figure not a static object.

So, I'm guessing that either Poser is lacking something or I need to change some settings either in the options or for render times.

I'm surprised that there isn't a tutorial covering the intricasies of normal map usage in Poser because they are quite powerful when used right.

Any further help possible?

Paul
(mix_mash)

Paul, normal map creation is a fairly straight forward process. I haven't used the PS/Nvidia plugin so I don't know. With Poser you want Tangent. Normal maps do work inside of Poser and have for quite a few years. Don't be discouraged, keep at it.

In regards to map seams yeah that's a bitch ain't it? That's why seams are usually hidden, inside of thighs, under arms, etc. If you want seamless maps then you are going to need more ammo than a PS/Nvidia plugin (3dCoat, Zbrush, etc)

Sorry I can't be of more help to you, best of luck.

Quote - Paul, normal map creation is a fairly straight forward process. I haven't used the PS/Nvidia plugin so I don't know. With Poser you want Tangent. Normal maps do work inside of Poser and have for quite a few years. Don't be discouraged, keep at it.

In regards to map seams yeah that's a bitch ain't it? That's why seams are usually hidden, inside of thighs, under arms, etc. If you want seamless maps then you are going to need more ammo than a PS/Nvidia plugin (3dCoat, Zbrush, etc)

Sorry I can't be of more help to you, best of luck.

I've only done a little normal map work in the past and it's very iffy. You see, with the renders it's not that the normals maps don't work. It's that Poser is reading the normals from the UV flat geometry so it might not be translating the normal angles correctly. I do have both 3d coat and Zbrush but I'm not sure if they can create normal maps from bump maps. They are mainly about creating normal maps from geometry difference from a high to low poly object. I COULD create geometry using the bump maps to 'inflate' the model and work from there but this is something that I would find slow and awkward. I have to test the normal maps often for each time I make changes to the bump map so I need some way to create the normal map quickly.

Oh and the bump maps ARE seamless. The problem is just that the normals are not matching at the seams.

Thanks anyway for your advice and comments. I hope that someone else might be able to chime in and give me some more tips that might help me solve the issue.

Paul
(mix_mash)

It was the Gamma! I set the gamma to '1' for all of my images including normal maps and the problem was fixed!!! Even my displacement looks neater now. There is still faceting but I am happy with the results. This may even improve my reflections so that they are less ugly when normal and displacement maps are used.

I can't believe it was so simple.

I am happy now....

Paul
(mix_mash)

Ahhh, sorry I didn't mention that. You want the Gamma on all of your maps (other than diffuse/color maps) set to 1.

Glad you are good to go.