Normal Map Checker
Measure the vectors before the lighting makes the mistake expensive.
Check a tangent-space normal map for invalid vectors, grayscale or color-map mistakes, likely DirectX/OpenGL naming, seams, alpha, and linear-data handling.
Drop a tangent-space normal map
Inspect supported images and ZIP entries locally in your browser. PLAYTEX AI compares the maps as a set, labels measured checks separately from visual heuristics, and shows the evidence behind each finding.
- RGB tangent-space signature
- Normalized vector length
- Blue-channel direction
- DirectX/OpenGL filename evidence
- sRGB metadata, alpha, and tile edges
Pricing: This focused check and its evidence are free. Complete Material Preflight and engine-ready repair packaging require Starter or higher.
What makes a normal map valid?
A tangent-space normal map stores an XYZ direction in RGB. Most decoded vectors should be close to unit length, the blue channel should generally point away from the surface, and the file should be sampled as linear data. DirectX versus OpenGL orientation changes the green channel, but reliable automatic detection usually needs a filename convention, known geometry, or a target-engine comparison.
How the check works
- Upload the source files. Choose the real material maps or a ZIP so dimensions, channels, filenames, and decoded pixel samples can be checked together.
- Review measured evidence. Open each finding to see the affected map, observed value, confidence, and proposed repair instead of a generic pass or fail.
- Export deliberately. Choose an engine target, keep or disable individual repairs, and download renamed maps plus an import-settings report.
Confidence matters: dimensions, alpha ranges, vector length, edge differences, and memory are measured directly. Map meaning, baked lighting, useful resolution, and normal orientation can need filenames, a target choice, or artist review.
Normal Map Checker FAQ
Are uploaded textures sent to a server?
No. Supported images and ZIP entries are decoded, sampled, and repaired locally in the browser. Closing the page clears the working set unless you download an export.
Can every PBR problem be proven from a texture file alone?
No. Dimensions, alpha use, normal-vector length, edge mismatch, and channel statistics can be measured directly. Lighting, normal orientation, map meaning, and useful resolution can require filenames, a target-engine choice, or artist review, so PLAYTEX AI labels those findings with confidence and evidence.
Can a checker always detect DirectX versus OpenGL?
No. Flipping the green channel changes Y orientation, but the pixel values alone do not describe which direction the source surface intended. PLAYTEX AI uses explicit suffixes and target-engine rules when available and otherwise asks for confirmation.
Primary technical references
Last reviewed . Engine importers and validation rules can change; the cooked project remains authoritative.