Blender学堂   

1. Engine: Blender Render
Info menu >> Render Engine box >> Blender Render

2. Viewport Shading: Textured
3D View menu >> Viewport Shading box >> Textured
Note:
Viewport Shading Texture renders the game objects with the textures you add

3. Create/load the 3D model to be normal mapped
I´m using a model of a dragon logo

Download NormalMap_Create_Start.blend to use it.
Download:
NormalMap_Create_Start.blend

Note:
The classic method uses the camera to create a normal map

It will create a normal map of the surface of the model

It will not create a normal map of any hidden parts of the model

4. Open the Tool Shelf
3D View menu >> View >> Tool Shelf

5. Set mesh shading to Flat
Select the model

Object Mode: 3D View menu >> Mode Box >> Object Mode

Tool Shelf >> Tools >> Edit >> Shading >> Flat
Note:
Set the mesh shading to Flat

Mesh shading set to Smooth will distort the baked normal maps

6. Open the Properties tab
3D View menu >> View >> Properties

7. Place model at World Coordinates [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
Properties tab >> Transform >> Location

X: 0.0

Y: 0.0

Z: 0.0
Note:
You can position the 3D model anywhere you want

Placing the 3D model at [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 ] will make it easier to position the camera

8. Add a material to the model
Properties menu >> Material >> New

9. Give the Material a unique name
Properties menu >> Material >> Material List
Note:
I am naming it DragonLogo_Mat

10. Set the Material Diffuse Color to black ( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 )
Properties menu >> Materials >> Diffuse >> Color
Note:
We want the material color to be Black ( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 ) so it doesn´t show up in the normal map we are creating

11. Shadeless checkbox: checked
Properties menu >> Materials >> Shading >> Shadeless checkbox
Note:
Light from a lamp etc. will have a effect on the rendered normal map

12. Add the 1st of 3 textures to the material
Properties menu >> Texture

Select an empty Texture Channel >> New
Note:
We will be adding 3 textures to the material

A normal map uses the colors red, green and blue to hold the value of the normal axis orientation

13. Give the texture channel a unique name
Properties menu >> Texture >> Name box
Note:
I am naming it Red

A normal map uses the color red to hold the value of the X axis orientation of a normal

14. Texture Type: Blend
Properties menu >> Texture >> Type >> Blend

15. Blend Progression: Linear
Properties menu >> Texture >> Blend >> Progression >> Linear

16. Mapping Coordinates: Normal
Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Coordinates >> Normal

17. Axis Mapping Orientation:
Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> X Mapping Orientation >> X

Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Y Mapping Orientation >> X

Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Z Mapping Orientation >> X

18. Influence: Diffuse Color
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence >> Diffuse

Color checkbox >> Checked

19. Blend: Mix
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence
Blend >> Mix

20. Blend default color: Red
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence
Blend default color >> ( 1.0, 0.0, 0.0 )

21. Add the 2nd of 3 textures to the material
Properties menu >> Texture

Select an empty Texture Channel >> New

22. Give the texture channel a unique name
Properties menu >> Texture >> Name box
Note:
I am naming it Green

A normal map uses the color green to hold the value of the Y axis orientation of a normal

23. Texture Type: Blend
Properties menu >> Texture >> Type >> Blend

24. Blend Progression: Linear
Properties menu >> Texture >> Blend >> Progression >> Linear

25. Mapping Coordinates: Normal
Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Coordinates >> Normal

26. Axis Mapping Orientation:
Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> X Mapping Orientation >> Y

Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Y Mapping Orientation >> Y

Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Z Mapping Orientation >> Y

27. Influence: Diffuse Color
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence >> Diffuse

Color checkbox >> Checked

28. Blend: Add
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence
Blend >> Add

29. Blend default color: Green
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence
Blend default color >> ( 0.0, 1.0, 0.0 )

30. Add the 3rd of 3 textures to the material
Properties menu >> Texture

Select an empty Texture Channel >> New

31. Give the texture channel a unique name
Properties menu >> Texture >> Name box
Note:
I am naming it Blue

A normal map uses the color blue to hold the value of the Z axis orientation of a normal

32. Texture Type: Blend
Properties menu >> Texture >> Type >> Blend

33. Blend Progression: Linear
Properties menu >> Texture >> Blend >> Progression >> Linear

34. Mapping Coordinates: Normal
Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Coordinates >> Normal

35. Axis Mapping Orientation:
Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> X Mapping Orientation >> Z

Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Y Mapping Orientation >> Z

Properties menu >> Texture >> Mapping >> Z Mapping Orientation >> Z

36. Influence: Diffuse Color
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence >> Diffuse

Color checkbox >> Checked

37. Blend: Add
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence
Blend >> Add

38. Blend default color: Blue
Properties menu >> Texture >> Influence
Blend default color >> ( 0.0, 0.0, 1.0 )

39. Open the Properties tab
3D View menu >> View >> Properties

40. Position the Camera directly above the 3D model
Select the Camera

Properties tab >> Transform >> Location

X: 0.0

Y: 0.0

Z: 5.0
Note:
Earlier, the model was positioned at [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]

The surface that is going to be normal mapped is facing up along the World Z axis

41. Set the camera so it looks straight down at the 3D model
Properties tab >> Transform >> Rotation

X: 0 degrees

Y: 0 degrees

Z: 0 degrees

42. Set the image size of the rendered normal map
Properties >> Render >> Dimensions >> Resolution

X: 512 px

Y: 512 px

Percentage Scale: 100%

Note:
You can render the normal map at any size you want

43. Anti-Aliasing: Enabled
Properties menu >> Render >> Anti-Aliasing checkbox >> Checked

Anti-Aliasing samples >> 8

44. Set Display Device to None
Properties menu >> Scene >> Color Management

Display Device >> None

45. Camera settings: Orthographic
Properties menu >> Object Data >> Lens >> Orthographic

46. Set Orthographic scale
Properties menu >> Object Data >> Lens

Orthographic Scale: 10.0
Note:
Use the orthographic scale to zoom the camera in or out to frame the area to be normal mapped

47. Render the normal map
Info menu >> Render >> Render Image

48. Save the normal map
UV/Image Editor >> Image >> Save as Image
Note:
If you don´t save the normal map, it will be deleted when you close Blender 3D
Download:
NormalMap_Create_Finished.blend