Generating _ao, _n, _b and other texture files? UPDATED: With Tutorial

[Perfectplex]

See my third post below for the tutorial using free tools to produce Normal maps.

 

OK so I attempted this on last years game and failed miserably but I've decided to have another shot at it, after some scouring of the threads until my head hurts I can find the odd mention here and there but no decent explanation how to generate the additional files for ambient occlusion, normals, _b bump? and some have other files but I have no idea how to generate these files and with what?!

I am working on a face texture (Hollywood Hogan) and have fixed the hair line but now I am at the part where I need to generate the extra effect textures to get the best out of my updated texture and struggling to get results.

I've been using http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/ but not sure what settings to use and why they look different to the default nomal maps (different colours, don't seem to have any affect) and also how to then generate the other files like ao and b.

An idiots guide tutorial would be really appreciated and invaluable for others stuck like me on creating _ao, _n, etc files.

Please note I have limited access to photoshop (not on this pc but on my brothers who doesn't live with me) and I know that has a plug in but it would be nice to be able to do these files with gimp or paint dot net or other stand alone FREE tools please.

I am aware of threads like these http://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/62352-creating-alpha/ and http://smacktalks.org/forums/topic/54100-creating-normal-maps-for-your-logos-tutorial/ but they are photoshop dependant and doesn't seem to be clear enough on covering all the effects files needed for a modded texture.

The ones I generate on NormalMap-Online dont look like they're the right format, also what is the _b file? which would I rename to _b?

Edited July 13, 2016 by Perfectplex

[4 Life]

Best thing you can do in most cases is to just work off the original ao or normal rather than making new ones - in fact, most people just use the original ao that came with the object and don't bother touching it unless they need to do some really complicated stuff.

As for normals, again just working off the original so you keep all the wrinkles and bumps that came with the original texture. For putting new bits into the main normal layer, I tend to basically convert the main texture to normal map, copy and paste it over the original normal and then cut out the bits that I need before deleting all the bits I don't need - so for example, converting a DX shirt to an nWo shirt, I'd edit the texture to replace the logo, then when I'm done, convert it to normal map, copy-paste it over the normal image, and use the eraser tool with a soft edge to go around the edge of the nWo logo and delete the rest of it. So you're also covering up any old parts of the original normal image that are changed in your new texture, too.

That said, if you ever need certain parts to stand out more or less then just remember this when you greyscale the texture before you convert it to normal map - darker parts will be flatter to the object, while whiter parts of the image will be raised. So if you had a black shirt with a white logo and just converted that to normal map, the logo is gonna be a bit 3D looking on the shirt rather than just looking painted on, whereas if it was a white shirt with a black logo and you converted that then the logo would look like it's embossed into the shirt.

Similar procedure when creating/editing your alpha layer (the layer than controls shine) in the normal file. Convert your main texture to greyscale, then edit the colours bearing in mind that anything that's dark will lack shine in-game, while anything that's white will be shiny as hell, and of course anything grey will be moderately shiny, with less shine the darker the grey is and vice versa. Once you've edited the image to your liking (so if I had a top that I wanted to not shine, but have shiny logos, I'd make the shirt black but make the logo white), then copy it and then navigate to the channels of the normal image, and paste it over the old alpha layer (I know how to do this in Photoshop but every program is different so you'd have to google how to open the channels of an image with whatever program you choose, if you don't know how).

Obviously, you don't save your texture when you've finished messing with it to use in your normal file, you're just using it as a base and then you close it without saving it when you're done with it

[Perfectplex]

Cheers for the tips 4lifeBrother. I understand how ambient occlusion works and normal maps but just confused as to why the format looks so different between the generated ones from that website and the ones used in game and how to get them to look as such.

I think the _b file is just for veins, its the only thing I can see when I play around with filters to see what it is.

So it looks like I don't need displacement maps or the specular map the site generates.

The ao map looks very generic so I guess I don't really have to worry about that one so much unless I am working on something like a clothing texture and want to adjust the level of shininess.

So that just leaves me working on the normal map, I have put the original texture in paint.net and changed it to greyscale and loaded the original _n into another layer.

Then I have added a plain black layer and a plain white layer, and arranged them as seen.

Now when I hide my image and hide/unhide the black layer we can see the alpha of the normal maps showing clearly.

I need to try and work out how to get mine to have the same alpha levels then how I save it to have the same format as the original so it loads into the game and is used properly.

It's all very brain aching but I appreciate all tips. and if I am wrong about the _b file being just something to do with veins and don't need to worry about that nor the AO file please correct me and how to get the right process for getting my files as required to look great in the game.

From what I can gather I need to be able to keep all the lightest parts and all the darkest parts then somehow make all the parts between transparent.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Perfectplex

[Perfectplex]

OK I found a good way to produce normal maps using free tools which look like they fit right in with the original game and takes little effort.

TUTORIAL :

First you will need paint.net which is a free paint programme.

http://www.getpaint.net/download.html

Then you will need the extention dll's.

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=5593

You can extract these to the Effects folder of paint.net

Now use the following site.

http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/

Drag or Load your image you want a normal (_n) map for and go to the Ambient Occlusion tab.

You will need to play around with the settings a bit but what you are trying to do is get it so that all the light and dark areas (in this case Hogans moustache and hair and his stubble) to a dark contrast from the skin.

 

Now click the Download button, this button downloads the file of whichever tab you are on, we want Ambient Occlusion, not Normal map, save as PNG.

OK Now load your png into paint.net and under the Effects tab you should now have the option "The Normal Tools" which has 3 options, click on Normalizer.

Now it looks almost right but much too vivid, In the Layers window you will see a label icon, this is for properties, click this and change the Opacity to around 60%.

It will now look almost invisible.

Go to File > Save As... and choose save as type DirectDraw Surface (DDS) (*.dds)

When the settings window pops up, choose DXT5 (Interpolated Alpha), Range fit, Perceptual, Generate Mip Maps and Fant.

Now you can open your original _n.dds texture in Visual Studio and open the new one you just made too,

Ctrl + A to select all on your new .dds and hit ctrl + c to copy it.

In your original .dds file window (the one you want to replace) do Ctrl + A again to select the whole picture but this time hit delete.

Now post your new one with Ctrl + V.

Now generate the mip maps, (the scroll icon means Advanced, click Tools then Generate Mip Maps).

Now hit Save and it will overwrite the .dds file and now you have your new Normal map to add to your mod.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Perfectplex