Normalmap tutorial?

[JG1_Vonrd]

Of course I've Googled "normalmap" and am in the process of sifting through the results but I was wondering if anyone here has recommendations for tutorials about learning how to work with them for skinning here.

 

A couple of initial questions:

 

If I make a file and insert it where one doesn't exist yet ... for example: IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad\data\graphics\Planes\HalberstadtCL2au\Textures ...will it work in game?

Also... will 4K normalmaps work on 2K skins?

[Raptorattacker]

The trouble with making your own Normal map is that it means it will only work with the skin that you've made it for. It won't work with any of the default in-game skins or any other custom skins that other people have made. Your own normal map is entirely exclusive to any skins YOU have made to THAT mapping.

If you DO want to use your own normal map then you can but it will not be consistent with any default skins. 

Every plane has a normal map though so, ergo, there aren't any which have normal maps that don't exist.

4k normal maps will work with 2k skins.

I hope this helps

Rap

 

[Danziger]

I never came across any tutorials. A lot of the skinners here were pretty helpful.

 

For your initial questions, yes and yes.

[BOO]

Normal maps also have an alpha layer which is effectivly the damage layer. Without that you dont get the full effect. Not that they are that great.

[JG1_Vonrd]

On 9/3/2019 at 1:26 AM, Raptorattacker said:

The trouble with making your own Normal map is that it means it will only work with the skin that you've made it for. It won't work with any of the default in-game skins or any other custom skins that other people have made. Your own normal map is entirely exclusive to any skins YOU have made to THAT mapping.

If you DO want to use your own normal map then you can but it will not be consistent with any default skins. 

Every plane has a normal map though so, ergo, there aren't any which have normal maps that don't exist.

4k normal maps will work with 2k skins.

I hope this helps

Rap

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

So, I get it that any normalmap I make will only work on my own skins. If other people load it they will see it's affects only on my skins that they have loaded... but they will see it's affect?

 

Anyway, I'm just wanting to expand my (admittedly limited  ?) knowledge of skinning.

 

What I'm particularly interested in doing is applying the maps to weathering. For example, I have mud and dirt clods flung onto lower wing surfaces by the wheels and would like to make it look more dimensional.

 

I would create a normalmap from the "mud" layer, add it to the default normalmap using "overlay", then flatten and save as .dds... correct?

 

How do I manipulate that "mud" normalmap to increase / decrease it's affect?

 

[Raptorattacker]

3 hours ago, II./JG1_Vonrd said:

How do I manipulate that "mud" normalmap to increase / decrease it's affect?

That my friend is a whole new bag of snakes! Basically the 3-d lighting effect is what you end up with and this is achieved by manipulating the CHANNELS in the N File (or in this case the B file)

 

. 

 

You can see in the illustration which channels do what in relation to your own custom skin. You can achieve these effects by isolating the parts you wish to '3-d' and then add (I use) the 'Bevel and Emboss' layer effect in Photoshop. The RED channel is lit from 180 deg. for relief UP and from 0 deg. for relief down. Similarly the GREEN is from 90 deg. for 'up' and -90 deg. for down and, as @9./JG52_BOO says above, the ALPHA 1  channel is the damage mapping.

I hope this sheds SOME light on it (can you see what I did there?), I can imagine it probably sounds confusing! The best advice I could give is just to use what info you've got and just try it out. DON'T expect a quick solution though, there's a LOT of 'rinse and repeat'!!

Good luck!

Rap

Oh yeah, the example is obviously only a section of a skin file!

Edited September 5, 2019 by Raptorattacker

[JG1_Vonrd]

6 hours ago, Raptorattacker said:

That my friend is a whole new bag of snakes! Basically the 3-d lighting effect is what you end up with and this is achieved by manipulating the CHANNELS in the N File (or in this case the B file)

 

. 

 

You can see in the illustration which channels do what in relation to your own custom skin. You can achieve these effects by isolating the parts you wish to '3-d' and then add (I use) the 'Bevel and Emboss' layer effect in Photoshop. The RED channel is lit from 180 deg. for relief UP and from 0 deg. for relief down. Similarly the GREEN is from 90 deg. for 'up' and -90 deg. for down and, as @9./JG52_BOO says above, the ALPHA 1  channel is the damage mapping.

I hope this sheds SOME light on it (can you see what I did there?), I can imagine it probably sounds confusing! The best advice I could give is just to use what info you've got and just try it out. DON'T expect a quick solution though, there's a LOT of 'rinse and repeat'!!

Good luck!

Rap

Oh yeah, the example is obviously only a section of a skin file!

Excellent info... Thanks Rap!