I posted this in my Roane County thread, but if you've made or want to make your own road textures, this will most surely apply to you. This post presumes that you already have programs for editing graphics, such as GIMP 2.0, and sufficient understanding of how to operate and productively use a personal computer. Beamng staff and company (and myself) are not responsible if you somehow blow up your computer using the information contained on this website and/or this post. And now for something completely different... Normal maps, and why my roads in Roane County don't always look 'normal' ... Well, I had to sit down and learn some of this stuff, and Tail of The Dragon (which is currently a features map-mod, rightfully so, as I went all-out on this mess this time around) was used as a test-pilot project for some other things. All worked quite well, as this was a test for my normal-mapping skills. With the values below, you can get normal maps with the 'normal map plugin' for GIMP 2.0, also linked below. DING-DING-DING! For those wanting me to share, I shall. Using the GIMP normal map plugin, values as listed: Filter 9x9 minimum Z = 0 Scale 10.0 (use less for less 3d effect, you need a 4 or 5 max for a road, more on things like rough stonework or bricks) don't change height source don't change alpha channel none none Wrap (check) For invert X and Y, you may wish to test your image in-game and see if you should flip X or Y on it (shine headlights on it to check). Obviously, different folks will have different results with each type of texture (bricks, asphalt, concrete, etc). Invert X (check, but not if you're doing a wall texture for something!) Invert Y (check, but not if you're doing a wall texture for something!) No swapping of RGB Looks pretty much as good as Beamng developers would do! (this is without X and Y inverted, on a wall texture, for a custom object on my map) Here is a link-back (safe for work, link takes you off the forums, so 'open-in-new-tab' if you will). http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/normalmap-and-dds-plug-ins-updated-for-gimp-2.8 This gives you the ability to import *AND* export dds (direct-draw-surface, fastest) textures. This gives you the ability to make normal-maps for your textures. Paint.net cannot edit or save these normal maps properly. Direct Draw Surface textures can natively work with the GPU, and offer the best speed-size-quality compromise for your map. You should use BC3nm / DXT5nm when saving a normal map, and I DO believe you wish to use mip-maps on a normal map as IT LOOKS BETTER AND SHIMMERS LESS (folks can correct me on this where necessary). Normally, for all my regular colormaps/diffuse textures (and these), I make mip-maps where needed for these as it speeds up loading, and looks better from far away. If you use DXT1 on your regular textures, you will get the black-lines look of my Nevada Interstate, where all the road decals have black outlines, like Sonic The Hedgehog, as DXT1 only supports binary alpha, meaning, transparent, or opaque, in other words, the blend of the roadway with the terrain will be a nice cleanly visible BLACK LINE. That's bad, mmm-kay? DXT1 compression is fine for non-transparent textures like those that go on houses, for brick walls, or retaining walls, or bridge-surface textures (or anything else on the bridge that doesn't need translucency in parts or in whole). An article describing this process is much more detailed then my quick lecture, but you can feel free to read up on it. Safe-for-work, but do 'open-in-a-new-tab' here again, to keep on track here on this site, unless you're done. http://docs.garagegames.com/torque-3d/official/content/documentation/Artist Guide/Formats/TextureCompression.html Garage Games' site for Torque 3d applies to Beamng.drive as Torque 3d is the source game engine for Beamng.drive. A lot of things that apply to Torque, apply here. So when in doubt, if the details or tutorial for something isn't available on Beamng.drive itself, you may find this available for Torque 3d. If you read the "read me" that comes with the .dds file importer/exporter, it even tells you WHERE TO PUT THE PLUG-INS. That is all. --Cheers! IF you found this useful, please use the buttons at the bottom of the post to say so. IF you have something to add, or feel something needs clarification, please do so. My current version of Roane County's normal-maps are awful, I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did, so here's the guide for you If you are such a buster that you can't be bothered to read the readme, the dds plugin goes in \Program Files\GIMP 2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins ... I think the normal-map plugin requires you to place files in two different directories, so read carefully.
Very Interesting. From what i experimented, official cars seem to not use DXT5_NM but 3DC (normal map) exportation that you can see in the compression list in the photoshop Nvidia exporter (garagegames link in OP) All official cars normal map are light blue, and it took me some time to figure out why. It's because when you create the normal map from your heightmap drawing setup (i use xnormals plugin for photoshop for that purpose) it will have the classic medium blue we all see in normal maps images, then when we export that in 3DC DDS format, the result is light blue. These are some sample from my engines normal map. First is the original Xnormal result in photoshop, second is a test in DXT5_NM exportation which resulted in grey and some obvious loss of details on some edges, and then the 3DC which is the one i always use now for exporting normal maps. No loss, it's just light blue for a reason that must be necessary for this format. You must notice that as the result is not the same than the original generated Normal map, you can't use a 3DC exported normal map, modify it by adding details, then re-export it in 3DC. I tell that especially if you want to make a skin for an official car that overwrites the original normal maps to add details like damages, or whatever. You'll have then to change the levels so that the image will be medium blue again, add your generated details (overlay mode in photoshop works fine for that) and then apply a "normalize normal map" to be sure it will be good with the additions. Then export in 3DC. if you don't do so, normals will be messed up, i experimented the issue before understanding what's going on.