Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 1 08-11-2004 , 05:13 AM
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create your own normal maps

A good buddy and co-worker of mine has posted a tutorial on how you can create your own normal maps from real objects. All ya need is a digital camera, photoshop with the normal map plugins (link provided), a light source (ala flashlight), and whatever the subject is.

You can find the tutorial here: https://zarria.net/

Good stuff!

# 2 08-11-2004 , 05:22 AM
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cool stuff.... wanted to learn a bit about normal mapping...


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# 3 08-11-2004 , 04:29 PM
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Quality tutorial - many thanks Mike.

Keith

# 4 08-11-2004 , 11:58 PM
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neat stuff... never would have though about doing normal maps like this. makes perfect sense user added image might come handy some day user added image


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# 5 06-12-2004 , 06:23 PM
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newb question, what are the benifits of a normal map? What are they used for?


I WILL get this stuff!
# 6 06-12-2004 , 08:07 PM
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normal maps are used for real-time applications (ie. games) to simulate bump maps that are calculated based on light directions rather than your regular bump maps which just emboss things and don't take lighting into consideration.

Normal maps give a much more realistic/natural affect.

# 7 06-12-2004 , 09:41 PM
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understood, thanks for the info.


I WILL get this stuff!
# 8 10-12-2004 , 03:39 AM
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MIKE!!!!!

This is AWESOME!!!!!!

I'm gonna try it with the head of a buddy of mine to see if that will work toouser added image


Thanks man!!!


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# 9 12-12-2004 , 04:41 AM
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got 1 question. will the color be normal when rendering instead of the tie-dye effect on the normal map.


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# 10 12-12-2004 , 06:25 AM
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it isn't a rendering process. It's for realtime applications (ie. games) only. It acts like a bump map. Just like the bump map isn't rendered, so too is the normal map.

# 11 12-12-2004 , 12:54 PM
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Now that is realy usefull.... Thanks

# 12 12-12-2004 , 04:02 PM
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Mike,
curiously
you thin kthis method can be applied to Cylindrical objects just as well as Planar?..

if so any suggestions on how to take the pics for the normal map?


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# 13 12-12-2004 , 04:29 PM
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What you'd do is model your high res details laid out in a square and render it from the top view. Then you could map this image onto a cylinder or whatever like you would any other kind of image.

# 14 13-12-2004 , 07:37 AM
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Normal Mapping is cool. I messed around with it. This is my results. The one on the left is 9,000 polys and the one on the right is only 200 polys.

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