Make normal map using sculpt tools?

[Innovine]

I already have an albedo map, like this:

 

How can I put this onto a sculpt object, so I can use the sculpt tools to create a normal map (carving out the grout between bricks, etc) so I can then  bake and export just the normal map?

I need to be able to see the texture while I sculpt. Is it possible to apply a texture to a flat sculpt object?

[Skye]

You need to convert it to black and white image and then you can use it as a stencil and sculpt over it. But in this particular image, you will then need to make some level adjustment and overpaint in photoshop to match desired profile, because if those 3 blocks at the top are supposed to be stairs, it doesn't really make sense to see those shadow parts.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Skye
unfinished thought

[Skye]

Another option on how to apply this stencil is to take your object that you want to use this stencil on in the Retopo room and go with Retopo -> Microvertex (no baking), select stencil and on normal map channel only, you can paint and then Export - high poly mesh. But you still need to make proper black and white image from that.

Maybe you can try something like this first and then bring it into 3Dcoat.

 

 

[Innovine]

There's no way to convert the texture to vertex colors, like a reverse of baking?

[micro26]

Make a cube with enough resolution  take it to paint room and load your image as smart material . Then go back to sculpt room and make your sculpt there. Lastly you take the sculpt with texture over to retopo room and bake a plane with your maps.

Another way is import a plane directly into paint room with subd levels and do the sculpt there. 

Hope it helps

 

[L'Ancien Regime]

I wish there was a video of you doing this.

https://obsproject.com/

Free, and does webcasts and records your screen (or parts thereof) while you work. It does audio too.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2019 by L'Ancien Regime

[Innovine]

2 hours ago, micro26 said:

Make a cube with enough resolution  take it to paint room and load your image as smart material . Then go back to sculpt room and make your sculpt there. Lastly you take the sculpt with texture over to retopo room and bake a plane with your maps.

Another way is import a plane directly into paint room with subd levels and do the sculpt there. 

Hope it helps

 

 

Thanks, but I might need a few more details on what to do here.

I imported a cube mesh into the paint room and made a smart material with the texture, applied it with UV mapping, and it looks totally ok. But then I go to sculpt room and choose Paint Mesh -> Sculpt Mesh. I get the cube into the sculpt room, but it has no texture.

 

[Skye]

You need to import cube into retopo room only and then click Retopo -> Microvertex (no baking), your cube will be in paint room, select 2048 for HD. You need to make black and white version of that image because that image has no height information, then import BW version into stencil and select stencil and on normal map channel only, paint on that cube then Export - high poly mesh. But you still need to make proper black and white image from that.

[Innovine]

Thanks, I am making some progress, but about making a BW image... that's kind of the point of doing the sculpt.. I want to sculpt the height data so I can export a normal and heightmap.

Looks to me like @micro26 is sculpting directly on top of the texture, which is exactly what I want to achieve.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Innovine