Free Nuke Toolkit

Normals Toolkit

Three free tools for better normal maps in Nuke.

Add real surface detail to flat CG normals, AI-generated normals, or matte paintings
Blend detail normals onto any render with physically correct reorientation
Create directional lighting masks — from broad diffuse wraps to tight specular highlights
No more "plastic looking" re-lighting. A clear, repeatable workflow.
Download Free

Nuke 16+ recommended · BlinkScript GPU · Requires NukeX Indie or NukeX Commercial · Linux, Mac & Windows

What's Inside

CA_DetailNormals

Detail Normals

Generate normals from luma, displacement, or frequency-isolated detail

CA_NormalMixer

Normal Mixer

Blend normal maps with Reoriented Normal Mapping

CA_NormalMask

Normal Mask

Create directional alpha masks from any normal pass

Features

CA_DetailNormals

Luma & Frequency → Normals

Feed in any luma pass — or use Laplacian mode to extract frequency detail first — and get clean normals out. Perfect for pulling surface detail from beauty renders, displacement maps, or texture photos.

  • Sobel-based generation with adjustable strength
  • Laplacian mode isolates any frequency band
  • Sample Scale for multi-frequency detection
  • Flip X/Y for convention matching
  • Auto luminance or single-channel passthrough

CA_NormalMixer

Blend & Reorient Normal Maps

Properly combine two normal maps — typically your CG render normals with generated detail. Uses Reoriented Normal Mapping so detail follows surface curvature instead of fighting it.

  • RNM — most physically accurate blending
  • UDN Whiteout & Linear modes
  • Handles signed or unsigned inputs
  • Mix control for dialing in detail level

CA_NormalMask

Direction → Alpha Mask

Generate masks from normal direction. Aim with rotation angles or ctrl+click the viewer to sample a direction. Softness goes from broad diffuse wrap to tight specular highlight.

  • Rotation or viewer-sample direction modes
  • Diffuse to specular falloff (0.1–200)
  • Range min/max for fine mask shaping
  • Signed and unsigned input support

Typical Workflow

1

Extract Detail

Pipe your beauty pass, displacement, or texture into CA_DetailNormals. Use Laplacian mode to isolate the frequency band you want — fine pores, fabric weave, or broader surface undulation.

2

Blend onto Base Normals

Connect your CG normal pass as the base and the generated detail normals into CA_NormalMixer. RNM reorients the detail to follow the surface so it lights correctly from every angle.

3

Mask & Relight

Use CA_NormalMask to create directional masks from your enhanced normals — isolate top-facing surfaces, aim a specular highlight, or build diffuse-wrap mattes for any relighting setup.

Add Detail to Any Normal Pass

Free forever. No signup. Just download and drop into your .nuke folder.

Download Free

BlinkScript GPU · Nuke 16+ recommended · No external dependencies

Requires NukeX Indie or NukeX Commercial (BlinkScript is not available in Nuke Non-Commercial)