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Disney Up, Boiler Up!
Known Participant
April 6, 2022
Question

Create Normal map... magically turning into bump map?

  • April 6, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 4374 views

I ran into something today I've never encoutnered. I was creating normal maps, and suddently Photoshop started turning them into bump maps. When I click on the filter to generate the normal map, it looks good, nothing odd, then as soon at I hit OK, it turns it from a Normal map to a bump map. Has anyone encountered this? I created several right before with no issue, it was very sudden. I'm not sure what is causing it. - thanks. 

My apologies for the poor quality of the screen recording.. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w0DaNx9zH20p_L5pHJEfp0UdmCGnCDj2/view?usp=sharing

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

T
tippyy1262959
Participant
March 10, 2024

You are probably using grayscale image mode. Once you exit the normal filter PS has to convert the rgb image to grayscale and you lose the normal data. Either desaturate an rgb image or convert to gray and then back to rgb before using the normal filter.

    Bob_Hallam
    Bob_Hallam
    Legend
    April 6, 2022

    In General Prefs, Check the Reset Prefs on quit.  The Quit and restart your computer.   

    ICC programmer and developer, Photographer, artist and color management expert, Print standards and process expert.
    D
    Disney Up, Boiler Up!Author
    Known Participant
    January 21, 2023

    I realize it has been almost a year since I made this post, but the problem still remains. Filter>3D>Generate Normal map is still turing grey like a bump map. It starts out purple as it should, but as soon as you click OK, it immediately turn grey. 😕😕 Resetting the preferences does not work. Thank You

    rayek.elfin
    rayek.elfin
    Legend
    January 21, 2023

    This is expected behaviour in the latest releases of Photoshop since the 3D features were deprecated a while ago. The Generate Normal Map filter relies on these to generate the normal map.

    It may work, or not for some. Photoshop 2023 displayed a warning in my case when I first used the Generate Normal Map filter explaining that it may not function properly due to the 3D features being deprecated.

     

    Not a bug, but "expected behaviour". In my case I cannot even use the lighting filter due to controls disappearing in the view (a filter that also relies on the old 3D feature set -->OpenGL based).

     

    Users experiencing these issues are best looking for alternative solutions.

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