Tutorial on Normal Maps

Rooster128

Hey guys. This is my first post on polycount- a little bit late into the game I suppose. I wanted to share with you all a tutorial explaining my workflow, which touches on high poly creation, transfer maps, UV maps, and a bit on texturing. It's a little bit incomplete- could use a bit more in the means of pictures- but I think its helpful in explaining in very simple language how I get the results I get. I wrote this tutorial as I went along developing this gun:




Here's the link for the tutorial:
http://www.deviantart.com/download/206664822/on_normal_maps_by_rooster128-d3f1jli.pdf

(if you could post mirrors, it'd be appreciated!- and I'll mention it in this post)

I might go ahead and rig/animate this thing and bring it into UDK too. Anywho, let me know what you guys think. Glad to be here.

Rooster128

bumping this. I realize some of my techniques might be dated (specifically using the blue channel in a normal map to aide AO- not a good idea) but otherwise I think the tutorial would help a complete noobie to normal maps.

hamzaaa

Hey,

I started reading in and I really like how you are writing and describing the topic. Especially Newbies (like me) can follow along. I can't really tell you if your methods are dated because well, I am a Newbie!
It always helps to have some pictures describing and underlining your text, especially when you are very theoretical. some more pictures would dramatically enhance your tutorial I think.

mirror: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3601726/on_normal_maps_by_rooster128-d3f1jli.pdf

[HP]

Btw dude, word of advice, next time you make a tutorial for artists, make more pictures and less text! Remember we're artists and we like visual stuff!

other than that, this seems like good info for starters.

Pedro Amorim

TLDR

Ace-Angel

Well, the author already did say that the tutorial is kinda incomplete (EI: Lack of images) so that counts.

Personally, the tutorial is good, but it doesn't fit any specific bill per say. New comers will get confused since they won't understand what a 'seam' is unless they google it (again, as many other said, images will help alot) and veterans won't keep the tutorial on hand since it lacks an appendix of sorts, so they can skip to specific parts if needed.

I think you should break the tutorial into segments. A introduction page where you explain the technical terms with images, and then go into the specifics of making your gun, follow by a glossary of sorts if you wish.

Like this, not only you make it easier to follow, but will have more space for images, since most of the text won't need repeating.

Rooster128

Good feedback guys- thanks! Your right- the tutorial was originally supposed to be a seminar I was going to give with a presentation but that fell through. I just really can't decide what I'd take screenshots of.

Sorry it's too long. The scope was kinda big.

I'll get around to revising this tutorial soon I hope.

Ace-Angel

Don't beat yourself, it was a nice contribution and on the right path. Good luck with revising it!

G3L

There's a lot of useful information there I will say that! But it is a tad wordy atm and pictures would definitely aide this tutorial.

Plus old school sometimes comes in handy with the new school. I've had to resort to some old school methods at times, tech-wise when the new school won't work or becomes expensive at some points in production so have at it in that sense