Creating Normal Maps with Shader Map or Materialize

Inkubo

I'm working on a Frankenstein-like character with sewn-on body parts, so I need to make stitched incisions which encircle body parts.

I have a bump map for use with the incisions. I think I got it right--the map is mostly 50% gray, the highest spots are white, and the lowest spots are black. Stitches, for example, are white in the bump map because they are the highest points.

Now I'm trying to convert that bump map into a Normal Map, but the result I have so far is so weird I can't clearly describe it. Places in shadow are perfect, but the normal map appears to invert geometry where light hits the figure.

Can someone using Shader Map or Materialize offer any advice on what settings to choose to make a Normal Map that works well in DS?

crosswind

I have Shader Map. Have you tried the Invert option on the properties panel of Normal map slot ？

Inkubo

I have...

I'm trying to make it look like the edges of skin curl upward a bit where they are drawn tight by the stitching.

With invert turned OFF, everything looks wrong, like it presses down into the limb.

With invert turned ON, I get the result attached, where the direction that the high stuff goes (out of the body or into it) depends on where the light hits. Notice how the stitches on the underside of the arm look pretty good, but the ones on top do not. Maybe my old eyes are just playing tricks on me.

crosswind

Hmm.. not sure of your lighting setup but it looks a bit weird from the top to the bottom of the stitch... Normally we bake normal map from mesh or displacement map...but if it's a bump map, I'm afraid we have to take a look at it (and Normal map as well) to further check if there's any problem...

Inkubo

Sounds like you're asking for them, so here are the current versions. Sorry it took so long. I had huge difficulty getting this site to upload them. I just kept retrying every few days.

crosswind

Inkubo said:

Sounds like you're asking for them, so here are the current versions. Sorry it took so long. I had huge difficulty getting this site to upload them. I just kept retrying every few days.

Hmm... honestly the bump map is pretty sharp (no gradient ramp in between B/W) , but pls first try switching to Right Hand (RH) in Coord System, then preview the result...

barbult

Remember that Daz Studio uses OpenGL format normal maps, not DirectX normal maps.

crosswind

Yea, that's right as barbult said.

@Inkubo, ShaderMap uses Coord-System to control XYZ/RGB, RH is to invert G channel, i.e. OpenGL format. As per your bump map, don't tick 'Invert'.

 

Inkubo

Thanks, guys!