Creating Normal Maps

Normal maps change the way that light interacts with layer 1 and layer 2 tiles. For example, if you shoot a fireball in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the fireball will evenly light up the space around it, as the game doesn't know which parts of a tile are facing the fireball, and which ones aren't. Normal maps provide information for the game to process in such a way as to artificially create angles for different parts of a tileset to be at. For example, the top of grass will light up much more brightly than the edges of the grass that face away from the fire in the same scenario as above, in New Super Mario Bros. U.

There are different ways to make normal maps, but for now this page will use this simpler method.

• Outline your shape and make it colour #8599FC

• Do as shown in the images below with the inner shadows:

• The colour codes are as follows:
  • Pink: #E35CC5
  • Purple: #4446AB
  • Green: #77FD91
  • Light Blue: #63BAF2

• Then add this (#77FD91):

You now have a normal map!