Answered: After converting text to normal Ndo doesn't let me edit the settings.

wonkza

I'm working on this project with quixel with ndo and stuff, I want to add some text on my normals, So I go to photoshop on the Normal Tab, I create a new Text layer, I write my text. I then open Ndo.  there is a "Text" -> "Text normal"  sign, so I click it, the text becomes a normal and I cannot edit the normal settings.  If I select the text I see "Text Normal->Text Normal"  which I don't understand what it is for...

 If I restart Quixel and do all this process again it sometimes works, I can edit the normal settings like what kind of bevel i want ecc...  straight after I convert it.     I just don't understand why I cannot do it everytime.



Before Converting my text:

After converting my text with Ndo.



Is this a bug or I don't know how to use it ?

I'm using  2.1.5

Synaesthesia

NDO requires a specific folder structure to function correctly. You'll get this structure by creating a new NDO project. I highly advise against working with NDO within a DDO project for a few reasons, the primary one being that the normal detail you're adding won't be calculated in the masks you create unless you reimport the normal map, which requires using a new normal input map.

If you just want some decals to have additional normal bumping, you can follow the method I use in my DDO workflow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXXLj-6X0O4

wonkza

Would be nice if you could switch between the two...   I don't understand how do you do it then, I start by making a Ddo project usually not a Ndo.
I do my Ddo, then I want to add some details.  So I start new project in Ndo (sigh)  import the normal I made with Ddo so far, (all the layers are merged at this point by the way, not sure if its normal but doesnt seem normal).  I do what I have to do in Ndo, ok so now I have my normal with a bit more details. I want to import it back to Ddo, So I open Ddo again load my previous project (sigh). Import my new Normal map made with Ndo, my details are there! but all the other stuff I worked on with Ddo are not in photoshop layers anymore or Ddo Normal tab since Ndo merged everything when I made the project.   Why is this so complicated? what am I missing... 

Synaesthesia

The workflow for DDO is generally that you add your normal details first. As in you've either modeled them and baked them, or used NDO with your bake, or used NDO exclusively, or you're working with a high-poly model without normal details.

Generally though, you'll be working with normals and importing those into DDO. The normals are used for curvature baking, so you'll need that input map unless your high poly is detailed enough to control curvature by itself. Adding normal detail in DDO is only something I'd recommend if you don't need the curvature information, like the decals I've bumped out on that locomotive.