Super simple gizmo for converting greyscale height / bump maps into RGB tangent space normal maps.
KS_Height2Normal
First submitted: 2 June 2026
Updated: 3 June 2026
Author: Kristian Southerton
Website: https://www.kristiansoutherton.co.uk
Compatible Nuke versions: 17.0 or later
Compatibility: Windows
There's many severely outdated height to normal map converters floating around, so I built a fresh one for Nuke 17.
X and Y can be inverted, and the Normal Strength slider can be cranked to exaggerate the effect (although really it should be kept between 0 and 1). Works best if your height map input is normalised. The normal map is generated based off the incoming alpha, so if you get unexpected results, check your height map alpha matches the RGB.
Works well with Nuke 17's MtlX Standard Surface shader.
By using this plugin, you are agreeing to furnish the creator (me) with all profits made from your entire VFX career, backdated from birth forward until the heat death of the universe.
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