Normal Map Creation in The GIMP

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January 2024

Creating normal map in GIMP is easy and doesn't need any plugins.

Step by step

The normal map window.

The effects window.

Open GIMP and open a copy of the texture you want to create a normal map for, click Filters → Generic → Normal Map... and there will be a window.

Note:Colored texture or black and white texture do not matter to the normal map, either way it comes out the same.

Most useful settings:

• Scale - The strongness of the normal map, increase or decrease bumps.
• Checkboxes:
  • Flip X / Y - Bumps have a clear border and an opposite dark border, giving a feeling that light comes from a certain direction. To see bumps instead of hollows, light must come from the upper left corner; play with Flip X and Flip Y to get this lighting.
  • Full Z Range - Use the full [0, 1] range to encode the Z coordinates: You can get a more abrupt color gradient.

Once the normal looks good, click OK, the normal map is now an effect, to edit it again, click the fx icon on the layer, there will be all the modifications to that layer.

If some areas don't look good, then it can be painted directly without affecting the normal colors, use the paint brush with black to white gradient, this will change the depth of the texture, e.g. a beam that should be extruding should use a whiter color while hole should use a blacker color.

After fixing up the texture, it is done and it can be exported.

Previews of the options: (Click to enlarge)

• 

  Lower value. (Default value)

• 

  Higher value.

• 

  X and Y Flip.

• 

  Example showing that it can be directly painted while the effect is not merged.