You can use use your own coordinates by choosing "Use Existing Normal Map Texture Coordinates." Click the "Close" button at the bottom of the panel. You can leave it that way if you want, but most artists prefer to use their own texture coordinates. By defualt, MeLODy is set to create its own set of texture coordinates for your low res model.Open MeLODy and click the "Normal Map Settings" button.MeLODy supports OBJ or 3DS format so export both of your models in one of those two formats.Create a high and a low res version of your model.
USE UNWRELLA CREATE NORMAL MAP 3DS MAX INSTALL
To create a normal map for your model using MeLODy, install it and follow the steps below: It also automates the process of creating LODs. Nvidia has created a tool called MeLODy that can create normal maps. He even wrote a nice interface for it! You can get his plug-ins here. Marvin Landis has taken ATi's NormalMapper and turned it into a plug-in for Lightwave's Modeler. While Lightwave doesn't have any "built-in" tools for generating normal maps, it has a very flexible plug-in system.
USE UNWRELLA CREATE NORMAL MAP 3DS MAX HOW TO
Bartek Dabkowski has created a tutorial that shows how to use these tools. I think that XSI was the first major 3D authoring app to feature tools for creating normal maps.
Jeff Parrott has a simple tutorial on his web site that shows how easy it is to use the normal mapping tools in Maya. Maya 6 has some great tools for creating normal maps. I'll discuss those on page five of the tutorial.) Ben Mathis has written a great tutorial for creating normal maps using the tools in Max 7. (There are some bugs in Max 7's shaders for displaying normal maps though. Max's tools are just very good and very easy to use. Since I got the beta version of Max 7, I haven't used NormalMapper anymore. In this section I'll explain some additional (and better!) methods for creating normal maps.ģds Max 7 ships with some pretty impressive tools for creating normal maps of all types. On page 5 of the tutorial I explained how to generate a normal map from a high and low detail model using ATi's NormalMapper program. On page 4 of the first tutorial I discussed converting a bump map to a normal map in Photoshop. In the first tutorial, I outlined two methods for creating normal maps. NORMAL MAPS: PART II - page 3: Methods for Creating Normal Maps Normal Mapping Tutorial: Part II - page 3: Methods for Creating Normal Maps BEN CLOWARD - Technical Artist