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IMPORTANT! - How to paint on imported normal maps?


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Hi.

I am currently working on a important project.

I've painted a normal map on a model and imported the same normalmap into a new scene, where I want to fit the normal map to a similar model.

How it is possible to paint on a imported normal map layer??? Or do I have to paint all new?

Please! Urgent! :(

Be creative

Chris

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Sorry Taros, I tried but no luck. It seems that you can't paint on imported normal maps. And if you try to

create new map and then merge with normal layer it goes crazy by doing that. I will keep trying if I find

something...

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@haikalle:

Thank you. But I#ve already painted the map new, because of "no time". I guess, there is currently no possibility to paint on imported normal maps.

THAT feature would be really good and save work, espacially if you are working with some similar characters and all of them are based on one main model.

Be creative

Chris

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If you have painted some depth in per pixel mode and you want to transfer it to other model you need to export displacement, not normalmap.

3DC operates with displacement on interal level, but displacement CAN'T be recovered from normalmap.

Oh Thank you Andrew. That solve my problem! Very nice.

Onother question to this topic: How I can be shure that the imported map will have the same depth information like the original?

After the depth import, the depth is very strong. I have to set the depth channel on a much lower value to get a similar result like the original.

How is it possible to get the exact same results with depth export?

Examples:

post-955-12561053212585_thumb.jpg

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Oh Thank you Andrew. That solve my problem! Very nice.

Onother question to this topic: How I can be shure that the imported map will have the same depth information like the original?

After the depth import, the depth is very strong. I have to set the depth channel on a much lower value to get a similar result like the original.

How is it possible to get the exact same results with depth export?

Examples:

I think (please someone correct me if I'm wrong) but the depth export provides the current factor right after export.

Did you use this factor, and it is coming out wrong?

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After you export the displacement map, there will be a window pop up say :"Depth factor for saved texture: ...." Remember that factor number. When you want to import the exported map next time, enter that factor number.

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Ok. Have test it.

The factor works only in 8bit mode.

In 32 Bit the factor have no effect. Bug?

using V.3.1.13 CUDA DX 32Bit

That actually makes sense, since 32 bit SHOULD (yes, SHOULD) NOT NEED A factor since it can hold exact 3D displacement info.

so, question is, does using 8-bit mode with the factor work PROPERLY? Can it be used for now? and maybe confirm with Andrew if the 32-bit problem is a bug, or a workflow thing we're missing? (Sounds like a bug to me)

[EDIT] RIGHT, I forgot about that (wasn't looking at it when I posted) ... Vector Displacement, Black NOT NORMALIZED is ABSOLUTE displacement distances (based on the space of course) I tested, it worked perfectly.

So the question to Taros - does it work for you, and for that model? [/EDIT]

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Thank you for the answers. In my situation the first displacement export option worked the best: "Zero level is gray", the import looks same like the original depth information.

"black - based, normalized" was ok too, but smoothy after import. "black - based, not normalized" is good too, if you don't need the exactly same depth map, because it is very strong after import and needs adjustements at depth% (see screenshot in my upper post).

Be creative

Chris

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