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Making Normal Maps with a Flashlight?!?
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These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Making Normal Maps with a Flashlight?!? // Roundtable
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Jul 21, 2007, 3:16pm
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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Hi folks,
I stumbled across an interesting tutorial on the web about making Normal Maps with a camera and flashlight (or any other light source) and thought I'd pass along the Tutorial Link here.
http://www.zarria.net/nrmphoto/nrmphoto.html (http://www.zarria.net/nrmphoto/nrmphoto.html)
I realize you can make Normal Maps right inside TS7.5x but this struck me as an interesting alternative for all you Photographers here to play with.
Looks kinda cool! :)
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by ProfessorKhaos // Jul 21, 2007, 7:12pm
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ProfessorKhaos
Total Posts: 622
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Hey! That is pretty cool!
I suppose it works best on objects with a uniform diffuse color. Wonder if spray painting a test article with primer would be a good way to accomplish this. Of course that means a destructive process rather than leaving the original undisturbed. Might want to take the texture pictures first. |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Jul 21, 2007, 8:34pm
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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Hey! That is pretty cool!
I suppose it works best on objects with a uniform diffuse color. Wonder if spray painting a test article with primer would be a good way to accomplish this. Of course that means a destructive process rather than leaving the original undisturbed. Might want to take the texture pictures first.
Wow. I never would have thought of that but I'll bet you're right!:)
Yeah, this Tutorial sparked my imagination for sure, and I figured all you guys with more Photography experience would especially enjoy it's potential!
There's also a link in that tutorial to a free and interesting displacement mapping utility that may also be usefull for some things.
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by parva // Jul 21, 2007, 10:48pm
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parva
Total Posts: 822
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link doesn't work but if it links to the tutorial from Ryan Clark than yes it's a good one. Unfortunatly you can do it just at night :D or you have a really dark place *g*. It's Displacement Map Generator is unfortunatly very slow with a bit too blurry result and some of the sculpt modeler programs (Zbrush, Mudbox etc.) can create displacements now besides normal maps as well in a much faster way. |
Post by ProfessorKhaos // Jul 22, 2007, 4:18am
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ProfessorKhaos
Total Posts: 622
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Yep... it's by Ryan Clark.
Got thinking about this a bit more and I can see why there might be a few limitations. Any time you deal with real world objects you'll have a few extra variables creep in to the "scanning" process.
Even with a perfectly diffuse object, you'll get diffuse-diffuse interaction which will brighten the shadows somewhat. Also, some of the surface may shadow other parts of the surface that should be illuminated for the purpose of making a normal map. Requires that your light source be up above the surface (closer to the camera aimed back at the object) than the perfect case of side illumination.
Still, ya gotta admit it's cool and lots cheaper than one of those laser scanner things. Just remember to turn the flash off on your camera! :) |
Post by RAYMAN // Jul 22, 2007, 9:19am
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RAYMAN
Total Posts: 1496
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Looks like it would work with an external flash too.You could make the
exposures by daylight that way . Just 4 exposures withe the flash
from the 4 sides .... |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Jul 22, 2007, 12:36pm
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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link doesn't work but if it links to the tutorial from Ryan Clark than yes it's a good one. Unfortunatly you can do it just at night :D or you have a really dark place *g*. It's Displacement Map Generator is unfortunatly very slow with a bit too blurry result and some of the sculpt modeler programs (Zbrush, Mudbox etc.) can create displacements now besides normal maps as well in a much faster way.
Hi Parva,
I'm not sure why the link didn't work for you, it works fine here (just tested it) and so does the additional diplacement mapper link on that Ryan Clark Tutorial bage ( http://www.crazybump.com/ ), perhaps their site was down for maintenance when you tried it, but the links are ok at the moment anyway!;)
Zbrush and Mudbox would be great to have! Greater still if they were free.:)
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Jul 22, 2007, 12:38pm
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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Do you guys think this might work better with a timed turntable and strobelight?
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by parva // Jul 22, 2007, 10:50pm
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parva
Total Posts: 822
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I'm not sure why the link didn't work for you, it works fine here (just tested it) and so does the additional diplacement mapper link on that Ryan Clark Tutorial bage ( http://www.crazybump.com/ ), perhaps their site was down for maintenance when you tried it, but the links are ok at the moment anyway!;)
yeah right. Seams it was temporary. It works now.
Wasn't aware that Ryan made a new Displacment Creator called crazybump, unfortunatly I don't get it to install. Says me it failed to find the crazylib...
I have still his old Displacement Creator v2.2 which can create displacments from normal maps. Sizes up to 2048px but needs quite very long :D
Zbrush and Mudbox would be great to have! Greater still if they were free.:)
- 3dvisuals dude
Indeed :D espacially Mudbox's baking is incredible. Well maybe truespace gets something like this in the future too. The current normal map generator is *cough* ...^^ |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Jul 23, 2007, 7:16am
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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yeah right. Seams it was temporary. It works now.
Wasn't aware that Ryan made a new Displacment Creator called crazybump, unfortunatly I don't get it to install. Says me it failed to find the crazylib...
I have still his old Displacement Creator v2.2 which can create displacments from normal maps. Sizes up to 2048px but needs quite very long :D
Hi Parva,
I haven't tried installing that CrazyBump Displacement Mapper myself, I just mentioned it because it was linked from that page and thought someone else may be interested in trying that out as well. That said, I did follow the "CrazyBump" link and found a CrazyBump Forum also run by Ryan.
In that CrazyBump Forum, that same specific install/loading problem which you encountered (ie: "failed to find the crazylib...") was also reported at Ryan's CrazyBump Forum months ago, but if Ryan found a solution to that issue he did not post it in response to the error report there... he did suggest though that "it may" be related to issues discussed on this page: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832978 (I cringe when Software Authors say the word "may")
I noted elsewhere at that same forum a discussion about 64 bit systems as well where there was mixed success with this program related primarily to the need for the latest OpenGL drivers as well as the latest .NET version from MS. Also apparently UAC must be DISABLED to run this program (whatever that is!?!).
In any case, perhaps the safest way to resolve the issue would be what Ryan also suggested as a solution for the person who reported this same issue previously, and that is to download a prior version and see if that runs without error... the version he suggested in that case is also a few version numbers above what you already had and the link to that Beta is here:
CrazyBump Version 2.7 Beta Download: http://www.crazybump.com/beta/CrazyBumpSetup2.7.exe
There is also a version 3.0 but you may want to try that one first.
I hope that info helps but if not you may want to post a related bug report at his CrazyBump Forum Bug Report Area at the following link:
http://crazybump.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1 (note that the report I mentioned previously is in his "announcements" forum section)
And, if all else fails there's always Ryan's E-Mail: ryan@crazybump.com
Sorry about all that, but maybe something good may come of it for you, I hope so.:o
Indeed :D espacially Mudbox's baking is incredible. Well maybe truespace gets something like this in the future too. The current normal map generator is *cough* ...^^
I've heard quite a bit about Mudbox but unfortunately can't fit that into my budget at the moment, in fact I think if I won the Lottery today I STILL couldn't afford all the software I NEED let alone the software I would LIKE to get!:o
Yes... *cough*... a whole new set of improved Normal Map tools in trueSpace would indeed be a most welcome development to say the least.;)
Thanks for telling me about that install problem here, perhaps the V2.7 Beta will solve that issue for you and still be somewhat of a step up from your prior Crazybump version.:)
All the best,
- 3dvisuals dude |
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