Normal Maps
 

Allo,

I really need to know how to apply normal maps to an object. Do you put it in the bump map option or is there another way. I am really bad at shader setup and i cant find a clear explanation anywere.

Thanks

I am looking into this too...

Heres a little breif on them:

http://www.digitaltutors.com/chit_ch...ghlight=Normal

Requires Quicktime

Thanks

problems have arisen,
After i generated the map i cant use it. I am using maya 6 with the transfer surface info plugin but i don't know how to put it into a shading network. I put it into the bump node and attached it to the normal camera option but it looks really bad.

Check your UV layout of the low poly geometry, this has to be 100% clean, otherwise you may get undesirable results. Also I take it that there are no massive differences between the high detail geometry and the low poly. Things that would cause streching etc... One last thought would be to decrease your bumpmap depth level.

Post a picture...

Dont know if this might help you guys out, Jay originally posted this in his Villan WIP thread, http://www.edwin3design.com/root/news.htm

Its a maya Z brush workflow, but the guy goes into creating normal maps in maya .

Cheers

Cheers gster, did a normal map in Maya 8 and it gives some crappy lookin results, so I have stuck to bump instead...

Ill give the link a look as I would rather use normals and then bump. Mainly Im lookin to use it for the alloys...