Invert R, G or B channel in Normal Map node
Its like a pain in ass to create every time separate RGB and combine RGB nodes to do that usual thing
Its like a pain in ass to create every time separate RGB and combine RGB nodes to do that usual thing
17 Comments
create it once, make it group node, add to startup-file
* @Pawel Piotrowski * This was the approach I was going to recommend as well.
* @Pawel Piotrowski * OR implement this and never worry about it again. Editing this setup, even when already part of the startup file, is very fiddly. RGB flipping is so intimately tied to normal map usage this shouldn't even be a question.
Pushing back proposals because we can already do it but a lot slower and more clumsily is not a good reason.
* @Logan Preshaw * this isn't slow or clumsy though, it takes two seconds and you only ever need to do it one time. That's the entire point of node groups. I agree it's a useful thing, but does it need to be something that a dev has to implement, maintain, and then be responsible for regression testing in the future? To me it's more akin to having all script files automatically start with 'import bpy' when you create a new file. It's required on every blender script and would save me approximately 3 seconds per day :P
said another way- my own opinion is that the full-time devs should be spending their time doing things that I can't already do myself. nothing is stopping a community member from adding something like this though .
* @testure * I'm not saying it should be a main dev and not a community member. By all means, if a community member wants to jump onto this. Are we really going to throw around "everyone's too busy on other things?"
In hindsight of this solution, yes, it is slow and clumsy. It's more nodes in the graph, further travel to alter them, and requires a new default scene to be saved. Shortcuts in 3D creation are always worth the investment and this solution does not sacrifice flexibility.
The default Diffuse node was replaced with Principled BSDF once that rolled in, to save people having to delete it. You could have created a new default file with PBSDF by default, but they changed it for convenience. There's nothing standing in the way of a change like this apart from someone deciding to work on it.
* @testure * Yes - it is somethng that should be included. Also, even community members who are able to program can submit code for the official branch. Just because it only takes 3 seconds doesn't make it unnecessary. It's much cleaner to look at and maintain in a node graph as well. Also even 3 seconds add up to more over time.
THis might even be something for the Papercuts thread. Maybe post it there in userfeedback as well?
This is what usability is about. If there is a cleaner, easier way that doesn't complicate things but helps a lot of people save some time and increade readability it's worth considering. Even if only on very low priority.
Really... A checkbox to Invert G shouldn't even be a discussion... Such a simple and essential thing
Well it's almost october in 2020, this really has to be integrated, i waste too much time inverting normals with textures because OpenGL vs DirectX.
This ought to be implemented sooner.
2025 bro same things
We need this. I have been asking for this. But we just need to invert G channel (to DirectX - OpenGL NM standards)
Oh, this is something i really miss from other apps.
🔥
When remaking the normal map node also add more features like combining multiple normal maps properly (each with mixing/strength adjust), switching for different coding types (UE4, Unity, etc).
we need it
this has rly been a discussion for the past 4 years, with a hundred upvotes, and this hasn't been implemented yet? I know you can make your own nodes, but you shouldn't have to - and a first-time user who doesn't know about the difference between DirectX and OpenGL normal maps shouldn't have to run into this issue
Shouldn't this be invert XYZ? You can't have -ve values of RGB in a colour map.
(Can you?)
* @ammusionist * A normal map is a colour image where the colour-ranges of Red, Green and Blue correspond to normals information that's read and displayed by 3D software when applied as a texture to an object.
Sometimes normal-maps will have the incorrect channels for Blender and some of them need to be flipped if lighting displays incorrectly.
So yes, R,G,B is the correct term. Usually a "Split RGB" node together with an "Invert" node for each of the 3 colours are required to flip the channels on a normal map. With this proposal, that somewhat hacky node setup wouldn't be required and we could do the flipping right inside the normal map node.