Critical problem with normal maps

Support Materials and Textures
1

Hi everybody! I am facing a huge problem with normal maps and I have tried everything to sort it out, but it still remains. Basically, I can’t use normal map anymore or, at least, I can’t render them… I have used normal mapping in the past and I never had such problems.

So, first of all, I import the normal map in the image subcategory of the texture buttons and I turn the “normal map” button on. I then go in the material buttons I input the map to “orco” and I map it to “nor” under the “mix” layer type. So far, everything looks fine. A nice little normal mapped plane appears in the Preview thumbnail as it always did. I finally tap F12 to render a flat, shadeless mesh…

So I go back to the texture options I turn the “Normal map” button off, I render again, and the mesh becomes shaded…

The images are: 1- The basic texture settings
2- The first render (a flat shadeless mesh)
3- Same texture settings except that the normal map setting is off
4- The second render (a shaded mesh)

So please, any help would be appreciated.

Attachments

1.jpg1024×640 52.7 KB

2.jpg1024×640 63.5 KB

3.jpg1024×640 53.7 KB

4.jpg1024×640 74.6 KB

2

have you tried to adjsut the value of NOR ?

for me on my PC it’s very sensitive to that value - like if NOR> .4 i get nothing

also check the F6 panel change the menu for normal space

and change it - might work better

i hope will better normal map in 2.5 and easier to use!

Hoep it helps

3

Nope, it didn’t help a bit… But thanks anyway. Also I guess I forgot to mention that it’s actually the first time I use normal mapping in procedural textures, because in UV textures, everything works just fine.

4

so ahve you been able to do it or not ?

how did you get the normal map

from gimp or did it as a color normal map in blender?

or did you check out the noob to pro site for hwo to do it ?

did you try the Material node setup to make a normal map too?

i know that bump map are easier to use in blender then normal map!
and it took me over a year before getting some good resutls and it 's not easy with blender

here is some example of bump map with image and procedural textures
see pic

happy blendering

5

Thanks for your help! I guess I’ll have to use bump mapping in procedural textures from now on.

6

Do you really mean procedural textures or just generic texture projection methods like orco?

Actually I think (I never did use it with orco myself, so I can’t say for sure - maybe you can try it) the problem is, that Normal Mapping heavily depends on how the unwrapping is done. You’re using Tangent Space for the maps and I’m not sure if that is supposed to work with Orco texture Projection.
So, maybe you have to change to Image Space (not advisable, though) or stay with UV Unwrapping or wait for someone who really knows about this stuff :wink: