$Bumpmap Question

[Sexy Frog]

Okay, so I managed to complete my model for the most part and my last obstacle at this point is texturing. More specifically the bump maps. I've been making a player model of a generic Nord from Skyrim for Garrysmod and I got all textures which I ripped from the game itself and using the included bumpmap. A majority of them for the flesh look like this:

[img]http://puu.sh/69PQM[/img]
Apperantly this is known as an Object Space Map which unfortunately is not supported by Source. What I need are Tangent Space Maps which are actually supported by Source.

Using the current bumpmaps I have, my model comes out like this:

[img]http://puu.sh/66xNc[/img]

However, using no bumpmaps at all, my model looks ten times better like this, however the shading it off for some reason. It come out like that because it was facing a light source, but any other direction it is unfavorably dark unlike other models/ragdolls which are always lit favorably no matter what:
[img]http://puu.sh/69Yn5[/img]

So my questions are: Are bumpmaps necessary for a good model? What are their actual purpose and finally, if they are needed, how can I make this Object Space Map into a Tangent Space Map?

[pepsiguy_2]

They have to be blue shaded in source or they make the character look grey and fuck up the lighting as seen in your first screenshots.
This edit of yours should work. Try it.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/q1o0cVZ.png[/IMG]

[Sexy Frog]

Looks about the same as when I didn't have them included.

[img]http://puu.sh/6a3FP.jpg[/img]

And it is in my updated vmt.

"VertexLitGeneric"
{
	"$basetexture" "models/nord01/malehead"
	"$bumpmap" "models/nord01/malehead_msn"
}

Also, how exactly did you convert it like that? Just replacing the color in photoshop or something more complex than that?

[BlueFlytrap]

[QUOTE=pepsiguy_2;43421283]They have to be blue shaded in source or they make the character look grey and fuck up the lighting as seen in your first screenshots.
This edit of yours should work. Try it.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/q1o0cVZ.png[/IMG][/QUOTE]

I firmly believe you have no idea what a normalmap is. A blue image is not a normalmap.

Since you're trying to convert object space Xnormal may be of some help. Apparently it's possibly to roughly convert between the two formats using it.
If not there might be a few options here.

[url]http://wiki.polycount.com/NormalMap/#Converting_Between_Spaces[/url]

I haven't done this myself so I can't confirm any of these will solve your problem.

[QUOTE=Sexy Frog;43421660]You would be correct in believing that, which is why I am asking. But I'll look into that and the link you posted. Thank you.[/QUOTE]

I should clarify. Since you knew it as an object space normalmap I knew exactly what your problem would be. My statement of what is and isn't a normalmap was directed at the poster who has twice now given wrongful advice.

[Sexy Frog]

[QUOTE=BlueFlytrap;43421540]I firmly believe you have no idea what a normalmap is. A blue image is not a normalmap.

Since you're trying to convert object space Xnormal may be of some help. Apparently it's possibly to roughly convert between the two formats using it.
If not there might be a few options here.

[url]http://wiki.polycount.com/NormalMap/#Converting_Between_Spaces[/url]

I haven't done this myself so I can't confirm any of these will solve your problem.[/QUOTE]

You would be correct in believing that, which is why I am asking. But I'll look into that and the link you posted. Thank you.

[cra0kalo]

[QUOTE=BlueFlytrap;43421540]I firmly believe you have no idea what a normalmap is. A blue image is not a normalmap.[/QUOTE]
Yes it is if it says so!
[IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10798900/Pictures/nm.png[/IMG]

[Deunan]

[QUOTE=BlueFlytrap;43421540]I firmly believe you have no idea what a normalmap is. A blue image is not a normalmap.

Since you're trying to convert object space Xnormal may be of some help. Apparently it's possibly to roughly convert between the two formats using it.
If not there might be a few options here.

[url]http://wiki.polycount.com/NormalMap/#Converting_Between_Spaces[/url]

I haven't done this myself so I can't confirm any of these will solve your problem.

I should clarify. Since you knew it as an object space normalmap I knew exactly what your problem would be. My statement of what is and isn't a normalmap was directed at the poster who has twice now given wrongful advice.[/QUOTE]

Just so - since it's a tool for 3dsmax, make sure to flip the grin channel.

[Jojje]

I've converted with Xnormal from object space to tangent space, works fine.
You just need to make the green channel white afterwards as I recall.

[Nestophales]

Use xNormal to convert it.

First open the map in photoshop/gimp.
Swap the green and blue channels with each other. I just paste the green channel into the alpha channel, then paste the blue into the green, then take the green channel from the alpha and paste it into the blue. Then delete the alpha. Your map should now primarily be sorta green/pink.

Then open Nifscope. Import the regular Skyrim head mesh. Then expand the 0NiNode tree and select the NiTriShape(this is your mesh). Go to File>Export>Export Obj.

Open xNormal. Go to Tools. Convert Object/Tangent. Use the obj you got from Nifscope as the low poly mesh and then the rest is self explanatory.

[Sexy Frog]

My result was this.

[img]http://puu.sh/6azFk.jpg[/img]

Am I cool yet, guys?!

[b]Edit:[/b]
Loading that in game just makes my model's face look fat. I dunno why.

[img]http://puu.sh/6aAkE.jpg[/img]

Plus it doesn't seem to fix the lighting issue where in the above image you can see the citizen model is always lit up nicely and my model is nothing like that. I don't know if I'll be using the bump map if this will end up being my result.

[Ninja Nub[NOR]]

the bumpmap is inverted
flip the green channel

[OpethRockr55]

There's also a program specificly designed to do exactly this conversion called Handplane. It'll take that object space normal map and convert it to a tangent normal map that will look correct in Source.