As a 3D modeler, my work pipeline includes a lot of work on normal maps, and some of them are created from height maps which I compose in Photoshop.
In the past, there used to be an Nvidia plug-in that could convert a layer to a normal map.
Since then three things have happened:
1. The Nvidia plugin no longer works on more recent (after 2018 or so) versions of photoshop
2. An internal Normal map flter was introduced but as you increase the normal map's "depth" it tends to add unwanted distortion in the normal maps I create - adding haloes around hard edges to "smooth them out", possibly. It also contains some contrast controls that I haven't been able to find documentation for and seem to do nothing.
3. These tools are about to be retired soon (or so adobe has been saying for some time now)
Soon it seems I'll be left with no way to use normal maps inside photoshop and every time I want to create one I'll need to use some external tool.
So I had an idea - would it be possible for Adobe to contact Nvidia, and revive the old plugin?
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