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normalmap filter in next release?

2008-11-02
2013-05-15
  • Nobody/Anonymous

    Hi there.

    Is it possible to include the Normalmap Plugin into the next release of Gimp on OSX?
    I'm talking about that one, here: http://nifelheim.dyndns.org/~cocidius/normalmap/

    For us real-time artists there is not really anything worth using on OSX right now regarding that subject. I've tried that thing under Windows and it does work pretty well. Apparently there also is a compiled version for Ubuntu. But other than that - I know nothing about compiling Gimp myself, unfortunately.

    So if it is possible - pretty pretty please. With surag on top ^^

    And even if it's not possible - thanks a lot for creating Gimp on OSX. Your work really is appretiated. :)

    regards - Alex

     
    • Simone Karin Lehmann

      Hi,

      I just took a look at this plugin. As I'm not an artist using these tools I don't know if this plugin will be of use for many GIMP users.

      I've searched on Google too and found that somehow normal maps and bump maps are more or less the same. GIMP already provides some filters (emboss) wich use bumpmaps. Just see here http://docs.gimp.org/en/plug-in-emboss.html and http://docs.gimp.org/en/plug-in-bump-map.html

      So, will the available functions about "emboss" or "bumpmap" fit your needs?

      In any case I'll try in the next few days if I can get the plugin to compile easily in the various builds.

       
    • Nobody/Anonymous

      Normalmaps are a little more that bumpmaps, actually.

      Blender hast it explained in more detail:
      Normal maps are images that store a direction, the direction of normals directly in the RGB values of an image. They are much more accurate, as rather than only simulating the pixel being away from the face along a line, they can simulate that pixel being moved at any direction, in an arbitrary way. The drawbacks to normal maps are that unlike bump maps, which can easily be painted by hand, normal maps usually have to be generated in some way, often from higher resolution geometry than the geometry you're applying the map to.

      http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Bump_and_Normal_Maps
      It's a little difficult to explain if you're not into 3D and/or game art but there certainly is a difference.

      Actually the sobel-filter comes closest to what you need to create normalmaps. But unfortunately it lacks the options to adjust the details.

      I've been asking around on several forums now (entering "Normal Map Gimp Mac OS" in Google results in about 50% of the forum posts I've made on the first page ;) ). Apparently quite a few people share my interest in a solution to that native on Mac. Not enough so that one of them would try compiling the plugin, though it seems.

      So anyways: Even if it won't work - thank you very very much for being the first one to even try and not tell me to just use parallels :)

      regards - Alex

       
    • Simone Karin Lehmann

      ok, the plugin compiles well. It just needs two more libs and some small patches.

      It will be included in the next release...

       
    • Nobody/Anonymous

      Awesome!!!!
      Thank you very much. I really appreciate it :)
      I owe you one.

      regards - Alex

       

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