HL2/CSS: Photoshop Normal Map Generator

Ok, this is the first release of the Normal-Map Generator script (specifically for HL2/CSS) that I wrote for Adobe Photoshop CS.

Basically, this script will allow Adobe Photoshop CS to automatically create a beautiful Normal Map for you from any .tga texture(s) you give it. The generated Normal Map can be used in Half-Life 2 or Counter-Strike: Source to give a nice "bump" effect to object or brush textures.

This is a beta release so I will need some feedback from anyone who tests this script out. The script should run fine, but if you run into any errors while using it please post them in this thread.

To extract the script you need .rar archiver like WinRAR. WinRAR can be downloaded from here:

http://www.rarlab.com/rar/wrar341.exe

The script can be downloaded from here:

http://www.sub-standards.com/NormalMapGen/HL2Textures.rar

WARNING: The HL2Textures.rar MUST be extracted directly to your C:\ or else the script will not work! You need to end up with a directory structure of C:\HL2Textures.

Lastly, you will need the Adobe PhotoShop Normal Map and DDS Authoring Plug-ins which can be downloaded from:
http://download.nvidia.com/developer/NVTextureSuite/NVIDIA_Photoshop_Plugins_7.33.0325.1320.exe

I have included a detailed readme file with the script that explains the requirements, how to install, how to use, and a brief tutorial. PLEASE read the readme, it explains a lot.

Here are some screen shots of a sphere with and without Normal Mapping in CSS:

With Normal Mapping:
http://www.sub-standards.com/NormalPictures/WithNormal.JPG

Without Normal Mapping:
http://www.sub-standards.com/NormalPictures/WoutNormal.JPG

Message last edited by XGibbousX on Apr 27th 2005 at 07:01.

What is Photoshop CS?? I have Photoshop 7 and it doesn't have a script function, but I already had the Nvidia Normal plugin, can you just tell me what settings you used. And what you set your .txt files up as. Because I don't know how to find the bump map scale.

"The only thing that is constant is not change, rather choice, in which inflicts change."
[IMG]"http://www.mapwars.com/darkdruid/images/Sig.jpg"[/IMG]

Thanks Prometheus. I really just want to help out the community by making things like creating Normal Maps as easy as possible.

And yeah, the sphere definately looks different with such a high amount of Normal Mapping on it. I kind of did this on purpose so that no one would say "I can't see any difference."

I really hope you find some good uses for this program. Good luck and have fun.

Message last edited by XGibbousX on Nov 26th 2004 at 10:44.

Hi

Great script works real well but i seem to be haveing one problem with the end result which is the normal map keeps turning out yellow/orange insted of the blueish/purple colour they should be. Could this be something todo with my setings or does the script not like me.

thanks

Theres also a Photoshop plugin from nVidia which does pretty much the same thing converting bump/height maps to normal maps.

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/nv_texture_tools.html

---
Jed (a.k.a Wunderboy - http://www.wunderboy.org)

Message last edited by Wunderboy on Nov 26th 2004 at 18:17.

Ok, I just found the solution to the first problem by anon. Now I will be working on the second problem. After I find the solution to the second problem, I will fix the script and re-upload it. Thanks.

Hey, Druid, I noticed another post where you couldn't get Normal Mapping to work on objects and I posted this:

To get normal mapping to work on objects you MUST use the line "VertexLitGeneric" instead of "LightmappedGeneric."

For example:

A .vmt file for an object would look like this:

"VertexLitGeneric"
{
"$baseTexture" "models\bump2/b1metalfloor"
"$bumpmap" "models\bump2/b1metalfloor_normal"
}

whereas a .vmt file for a wall (or brush) would look like this:

"LightmappedGeneric"
{
"$baseTexture" "models\bump1/b1bark"
"$bumpmap" "models\bump1/b1bark_normal"
}

Hope this helps.

Nope, no Match Color function.

Well I have been trying to create normal maps of my own. But I was curious what scale to put them as because whenever I run the texture ingame it has a black grid ontop of the texture.

"The only thing that is constant is not change, rather choice, in which inflicts change."
[IMG]"http://www.mapwars.com/darkdruid/images/Sig.jpg"[/IMG]

works great now

tested a few of my custom textures out today thought you might want to have a look see how they turned out.

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o yeh any chance that you will make a script for createing hight maps?

New Release of HL2Textures.rar.

You can download from here:

http://www.sub-standards.com/NormalMapGen/HL2Textures.rar

Fixes:

1. New texture input folder (you put your unprocessed .tga's in here).

2. New normal map output folder (processed normal-map .tga's get sent here).

3. Scrap files are now automatically deleted.

4. Now you can generate up to one-thousand normal maps at a time.

This will probably be the final release for Photoshop CS for a while unless other people have any more suggestions or I find some new and improved technique to create normal maps with. I will release the Photoshop 7.0 version shortly.

Message last edited by XGibbousX on Nov 28th 2004 at 03:33.