Taros Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Hi. It is possible to paint normalmap information on a layer. That's really great and saved me already a lot of time. Undo is possible, too. Or smooth the normalmap pixels. But how can I erease a normalmap? I mean: to bring the map to the basic height? That is just what I want. Anyone a idea? Or is it not implemented? Be creative Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taros Posted October 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 The upper question bring me to the next one: Can I use more than one normal map layer? How to manage them and bring them together? With transparency information? Like masks? But how to paint such masks? Or is it possible to add them together like multiply? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member T.H. ROCK Posted October 20, 2009 Advanced Member Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Use the PhotoShop Utility, mask or use the black and white function from PS to magic wand the specific area and set the new area to neutral gray. Just thinking outloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taros Posted October 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Use the PhotoShop Utility, mask or use the black and white function from PS to magic wand the specific area and set the new area to neutral gray. Just thinking outloud. The problem is: Normal map layers are not maskable, at first sight. Black and white? I am not talking about displacement maps... I mean "normal maps". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Applink Developer haikalle Posted October 20, 2009 Applink Developer Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Maybe I don't fully understand what you want but there is eraser tool in paint mode. Using that tool you can remove spec,color, normal info from surface. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javis Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Indeed. The eraser tool can do this. Is that what you were looking for? It works pretty well. You can also use the back end of your stylus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member lc8b105 Posted October 21, 2009 Advanced Member Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I try to guess your real question because your question is not clear. 1. I think you mean edit with external imported normal map in 3D-Coat right? That's the name for "Normalmap" layer. It's obvious that haikalle and geothefaust were misunderstood your question, they thought you mean work with "Depth" channel. Because "eraser tool" will not work with external imported "Normalmap" layer. Another not clear is that in the title you ask "how to erase parts on a normalmap layer" but in the post "how can I erease a normalmap" . 2. I think you mean erase parts but not a whole layer right? OK, if my guess 1 and 2 is right. Let me answer the question: How to bring parts of external imported normalmap(Normalmap Layer) to basic height in 3D-Coat? Step 1 - Make sure current active layer is "Normalmap" layer. Hide other Layers. Only keep Layer0 and "Normalmap" layer visible. Step 2 - Make "Depth" and "Specularity" Channel off, Make Color Channel on. Step 3 - Open "Texture editor" ( Texture - Texture UV editor ) and choose "Normals" view mode in the drop list. Step 4 - Choose color picker tool and pick the color equal to basic height in "Texture editor". Step 5 - Use brush tool with that color paint on the model. Make sure you are painting on "Normalmap" layer. The key step is Step 4, you have to judge which color represent the "basic height" yourself. Because in my knowledge, normalmap has no real depth information, so actually there is no height, say nothing of "basic height". (In my test I choose the color RGB(128, 128, 255) for the "basic height") 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member lc8b105 Posted October 21, 2009 Advanced Member Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 In other words, in most case: Just use the color RGB(128, 128, 255) paint on the "Normalmap" layer. I think that's what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taros Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Oh dear... you are all right. I don't know why, but for any reason I didn't realised that the ereaser tool is working, and with tablet too. hmm... strange. I am shure I tried the ereaser tool before. Ok. So very sorry for that. All is right. Thank you Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member lc8b105 Posted October 21, 2009 Advanced Member Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 ... I don't know why, but for any reason I didn't realised that the ereaser tool is working, and with tablet too. hmm... strange. I am shure I tried the ereaser tool before. ... eraser tool works with "Depth" channel but will not work on External imported normalmap layer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taros Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I try to guess your real question because your question is not clear. 1. I think you mean edit with external imported normal map in 3D-Coat right? That's the name for "Normalmap" layer. It's obvious that haikalle and geothefaust were misunderstood your question, they thought you mean work with "Depth" channel. Because "eraser tool" will not work with external imported "Normalmap" layer. Another not clear is that in the title you ask "how to erase parts on a normalmap layer" but in the post "how can I erease a normalmap" . 2. I think you mean erase parts but not a whole layer right? OK, if my guess 1 and 2 is right. Let me answer the question: How to bring parts of external imported normalmap(Normalmap Layer) to basic height in 3D-Coat? Step 1 - Make sure current active layer is "Normalmap" layer. Hide other Layers. Only keep Layer0 and "Normalmap" layer visible. Step 2 - Make "Depth" and "Specularity" Channel off, Make Color Channel on. Step 3 - Open "Texture editor" ( Texture - Texture UV editor ) and choose "Normals" view mode in the drop list. Step 4 - Choose color picker tool and pick the color equal to basic height in "Texture editor". Step 5 - Use brush tool with that color paint on the model. Make sure you are painting on "Normalmap" layer. The key step is Step 4, you have to judge which color represent the "basic height" yourself. Because in my knowledge, normalmap has no real depth information, so actually there is no height, say nothing of "basic height". (In my test I choose the color RGB(128, 128, 255) for the "basic height") Thank you for the tip. It's a good workaround for a question I wrote in another subforum. And Andrew has answered it here -> Read me... It is possible to transfer depth information from one texture to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javis Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Great info Luo. Thanks for posting that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnolan3d Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 I wish I had seen this thread right from the beginning, I solved this when I was working on my Jedi Starfighter model I think I even posted it as a bug that the eraser wouldn't work on an imported normal map. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member ShnitzelKiller Posted October 25, 2009 Advanced Member Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 I wish I had seen this thread right from the beginning, I solved this when I was working on my Jedi Starfighter model I think I even posted it as a bug that the eraser wouldn't work on an imported normal map. Perhaps normal map layers should be treated differently when painting. As in, depth brush will change the normal map and not its depth channel, and color brush doesn't do anything so you can't screw it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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