Mr Normal Version 1.01 Launched
by Matthew Genge · 09/30/2014 (1:06 pm) · 9 comments
Mr Normal is a windows application that quickly and easily creates normal, specular and height maps. Mr Normal can create maps from diffuse textures and mathematical functions and includes drawing features to manually draw, smooth and sharpen normal maps. Mr Normal can also edit previously created normal maps. The reward version of Mr Normal, which allows unrestricted creation of normal maps from diffuse textures and editing of existing maps is free for customers of our other products Forester Pro and Medusa Pro.
We've been working hard and have just released our first updated version 1.01 of Mr Normal. The new version incorporates many new features requested by users and a massive performance enhancement. The new features are:
(1) Graphics Card Acceleration
We've updated Mr Normal's engine to utilize the graphics card increasing the speed of normal map generation by up to 20x. A 2048x2048 normal map can be generated in less than 2 secs (depending on your graphics card). Acceleration requires a graphics card compatible with shader model 3.0 (this should be all but the oldest cards) and is available for processing of square power of 2 images (e.g. 128x128, 256x256...etc...4096x4096). On older graphics cards and for non square power of 2 images Mr Normal will still process images using the CPU.
(2) Height Map Generation
Mr Normal can now export height maps along with normal and specular maps for use in parallax mapping. Height maps up to 1024x1024 are available in the Reward Version. There are no restriction on height map sizes in the Pro version.
(3) Shadowed Diffuse Image Generation
Mr Normal now allows the generation of new diffuse textures. New textures are generated by combining the topography extracted from one diffuse texture, optionally combined with functions, and applied to a base diffuse texture. The concept is shown below and allows the simple generation of new diffuse textures. Shadowed Diffuse images up to 1024x1024 can be generated with the Reward Version.
(4) New Export Menu
With more things to export, we've added a new export menu so you can select which items to export and any base diffuse image to be used to create shadowed diffuse images.
(5) Simplified Create Menu
We've simplified the create menu by allowing you to toggle functions, as per users suggestions.
Here are some examples of normal maps created by combining functions:
Mr Normal comes in 3 flavours:
(1) The Free Version
The free version of Mr Normal allows the generation of normal and specular maps up to 1024x1024 pixels. These are, of course, royalty free.
(2) The Reward Version
The Reward Version is a big thank you to customers of Forester Pro (the Tree and Plant Creator) and Medusa Pro (the Rock Creator). The Reward version allows creation of normal maps from diffuse images at any size and the ability to edit existing maps.
(3) The Pro Version
The Pro Version of Mr Normal is $30 and features:
(a) All the above.
(b) Generation of Normal and Specular Maps from mathematical functions providing an easy method of generating architectural features.
(c) Drawing and painting of Normal Maps, including interactive sharpen and smooth.
(d) Batch processing of normal and specular maps.
(e) Generation of Height Maps at any size.
(f) Generation of Shadowed Diffuse maps at any size.
Download Mr Normal from www.hptware.co.uk/mrnormal.php
Other Products
Forester Pro (Tree and Plant Creator) www.hptware.co.uk/forester.php
Medusa Pro (Rock Model Creator) www.hptware.co.uk/medusa.php
We've been working hard and have just released our first updated version 1.01 of Mr Normal. The new version incorporates many new features requested by users and a massive performance enhancement. The new features are:
(1) Graphics Card Acceleration
We've updated Mr Normal's engine to utilize the graphics card increasing the speed of normal map generation by up to 20x. A 2048x2048 normal map can be generated in less than 2 secs (depending on your graphics card). Acceleration requires a graphics card compatible with shader model 3.0 (this should be all but the oldest cards) and is available for processing of square power of 2 images (e.g. 128x128, 256x256...etc...4096x4096). On older graphics cards and for non square power of 2 images Mr Normal will still process images using the CPU.
(2) Height Map Generation
Mr Normal can now export height maps along with normal and specular maps for use in parallax mapping. Height maps up to 1024x1024 are available in the Reward Version. There are no restriction on height map sizes in the Pro version.
(3) Shadowed Diffuse Image Generation
Mr Normal now allows the generation of new diffuse textures. New textures are generated by combining the topography extracted from one diffuse texture, optionally combined with functions, and applied to a base diffuse texture. The concept is shown below and allows the simple generation of new diffuse textures. Shadowed Diffuse images up to 1024x1024 can be generated with the Reward Version.
(4) New Export Menu
With more things to export, we've added a new export menu so you can select which items to export and any base diffuse image to be used to create shadowed diffuse images.
(5) Simplified Create Menu
We've simplified the create menu by allowing you to toggle functions, as per users suggestions.
Here are some examples of normal maps created by combining functions:
Mr Normal comes in 3 flavours:
(1) The Free Version
The free version of Mr Normal allows the generation of normal and specular maps up to 1024x1024 pixels. These are, of course, royalty free.
(2) The Reward Version
The Reward Version is a big thank you to customers of Forester Pro (the Tree and Plant Creator) and Medusa Pro (the Rock Creator). The Reward version allows creation of normal maps from diffuse images at any size and the ability to edit existing maps.
(3) The Pro Version
The Pro Version of Mr Normal is $30 and features:
(a) All the above.
(b) Generation of Normal and Specular Maps from mathematical functions providing an easy method of generating architectural features.
(c) Drawing and painting of Normal Maps, including interactive sharpen and smooth.
(d) Batch processing of normal and specular maps.
(e) Generation of Height Maps at any size.
(f) Generation of Shadowed Diffuse maps at any size.
Download Mr Normal from www.hptware.co.uk/mrnormal.php
Other Products
Forester Pro (Tree and Plant Creator) www.hptware.co.uk/forester.php
Medusa Pro (Rock Model Creator) www.hptware.co.uk/medusa.php
About the author
I am an Earth Scientist who likes writing games for fun.
#2
10/01/2014 (2:17 pm)
Thanks Matthew for the reward version!
#3
It sounds like the graphics acceleration isn't working for you (it's ignoring the shader code). We've tested on several systems and had no problem. I'll put a legacy version on the website so you can roll back and I'll investigate further... Mr Normal does perform a check on the graphics card to ensure it can use shader model 3.0 so it shouldn't be a compatibility problem.
Best,
Matt
10/01/2014 (5:54 pm)
Hi Duion,It sounds like the graphics acceleration isn't working for you (it's ignoring the shader code). We've tested on several systems and had no problem. I'll put a legacy version on the website so you can roll back and I'll investigate further... Mr Normal does perform a check on the graphics card to ensure it can use shader model 3.0 so it shouldn't be a compatibility problem.
Best,
Matt
#4
(1) Mr Normal now tests the graphics card to ensure it performs as expected, previously it queried the graphics card. Graphics acceleration is disabled if the card fails the test.
(2) Graphics acceleration can now be disabled from under the File menu (if the card past the test).
I am uncertain why the graphics acceleration didn't work in this case. Any card compatible with shader model 3.0 should run the code, although different cards may have limits on the size of image they can process. There is an inherent issue that graphics cards aren't designed to do GP-GPU, however, our implementation is very simple and I am surprised it didn't function. It could also be a function of how we have packaged the shader code.
Just as a sweetener here is a preview of the new shadowed diffuse export. This allows you to generate normals from one diffuse image and combine them with a second diffuse image to generate a new diffuse texture.
10/02/2014 (4:24 am)
We've just uploaded a new version of 1.01 to address issues with graphics acceleration. The changes are:(1) Mr Normal now tests the graphics card to ensure it performs as expected, previously it queried the graphics card. Graphics acceleration is disabled if the card fails the test.
(2) Graphics acceleration can now be disabled from under the File menu (if the card past the test).
I am uncertain why the graphics acceleration didn't work in this case. Any card compatible with shader model 3.0 should run the code, although different cards may have limits on the size of image they can process. There is an inherent issue that graphics cards aren't designed to do GP-GPU, however, our implementation is very simple and I am surprised it didn't function. It could also be a function of how we have packaged the shader code.
Just as a sweetener here is a preview of the new shadowed diffuse export. This allows you to generate normals from one diffuse image and combine them with a second diffuse image to generate a new diffuse texture.
#5
10/02/2014 (5:54 am)
Disabling the GPU acceleration makes the normal map work now, but the program overall is still very buggy, sometimes it randomly crashes and I noticed now I have jagged artifacts in the normal map when I increase the medium and large details.
#6
Could you post your jagged artifacts. We don't seem to be able to replicate this using the CPU processing. We've not changed the CPU code from the first version. We've also not had a crash for a while. Is it crashing whilst doing something in particular?
Best,
Matt
10/02/2014 (6:54 am)
Hi Duion,Could you post your jagged artifacts. We don't seem to be able to replicate this using the CPU processing. We've not changed the CPU code from the first version. We've also not had a crash for a while. Is it crashing whilst doing something in particular?
Best,
Matt
#8
If you send me the diffuse (support@hptware.co.uk) I'll experiment a bit. There is an issue I know about with the normal calculation having a sense of rotation (it uses 3 pixel heights rather than 5 to calculate height, however, the latter inherently causes smoothing). I've been meaning to give the option to chose either method.
Best,
Matt
10/02/2014 (8:57 am)
I would say that definitely qualifies as an artifact.If you send me the diffuse (support@hptware.co.uk) I'll experiment a bit. There is an issue I know about with the normal calculation having a sense of rotation (it uses 3 pixel heights rather than 5 to calculate height, however, the latter inherently causes smoothing). I've been meaning to give the option to chose either method.
Best,
Matt
Duion