[Maximus3D]

Good good, thanks Tom

It's what i suspected that by using layers to combine them all at the same time on one object would be the optimal working solution.

I too know it's early for a exact answer to it, but a educated guess as you have insight into the developement process makes you able to give this reply i were looking for

All in all, it's great if it'll be like that hehe which means Zbrush in combination with Maxwell will be a real kickass combination.

/ Max

[campomanes]

Normal Map creation cannot be expected from a render engine. So, the answer is unfortunately and naturally, no.

i think this is the most natural answer.
We cannot expect a rendering application to do such stuff.
But do you know tools that do smthg like this?

The question of course is not to tom.
If anyone knows please answer.

[Becco_UK]

campomanes: This may point you in the right direction:

http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/view ... normal+map

[Hervé]

there is one thing I don't get with this link to Normal map creation... I mean if you have already made textures... how do U combine them with different shadows...? I tried jst with a color photo...it knda gives what he get's with multiple exposres... but I am sure wrong... any more ideas..?

[abgrafx3d]

tom - Thanks for the info on clip, normal and displacement maps. Congrats to the NL team!
I look forward to getting the RC release and then final

campomanes/Hervé - some more info on normal maps:

http://www.langsuyar.com/gdc/

[Hervé]

Thanks, but not really is what I ned... thes use heavy models from Z-brush to get it done... I don't use Z-brush... I thought we could somehow generate normal maps from images...mmmm

[Maximus3D]

Actually Hervé you could use normalmaps even if you're not a Zbrusher, this is one example of a method

http://66.70.170.53/Ryan/nrmphoto/nrmphoto.html

/ Max

[Hervé]

he he thanks Max , but like I've said, you need to photograph your texture from 4 view points... how about doing it from ready made textures where there is no way to do a 4 poses photoshoot, like a wall outside..... any views...

[aitraaz]

cool link mate I've put a bookmark on that one...

[Maximus3D]

Anytime

But guess what hehe i Googled a bit, tested something and found out you can convert common textures such as bumpmaps into normalmaps by doing this.

1. Download GIMP 2.2.9 and GTK+2 http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html
2. Install the above
3. Download this GIMP normalmap plugin http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/normalmap/ and install it as the instructions say.
4. Now you can convert bitmaps to normalmaps and preview them on some basic 3d models within GIMP to see them

It looks like this method works, but i ofcourse have to test it by rendering on some 3d model.

/ Max

[Hervé]

hey.... very good Max, you're the king... !! (I mean it)..

I will DL this ones... right now..... he he... you little mister Magic...

[Maximus3D]

hehe thanks alot Hervé i hope it works well for you too, i did some tests and it seems to work just fine here.

/ Max

[tom]

I don't think there's a way to generate the normal map for a single hires geometric data without comparing it with the lowres mesh of the same geometry. Modo features list says "Convert micropolygon displaced meshes into normal maps." This ain't a render engine future, it's a modeler feature and Maxwell Render is not designed to be a modeler as Modo. Normal map generation is a result of geometric subtraction and it's all about the object itself, not a rendering task about creation. Furthermore zbrush do the same... What is special with Modo you're trying to say?

[MetinSeven_com]

Hi Tom,

Displacement mapping in a future update, that's great! I've got only one question: how much will a Maxwell render slow down when using displacement?

By the way, if Maxwell is only a renderer, why does the new interface include things like UVW mapping tools but no tools for normal mapping?

Cheers,

Metin

[tom]

Hi Metin,

It's early to comment this but I don't think displacement will slow down Maxwell. Generating normal maps is strictly not the task of a render engine but using them. UVW mapping is a quite different concept than Normal Mapping. I couldn't understand your question. You need to provide lowres mesh and hires mesh to any application for extracting the normal map and if you have those both, you should already have the application itself to generate a normal map from them. Why this seems more related to a render engine to you, it's a modeler output, this is a render input.

Best regards,
Tom