Normal map crate challenge

With the upcoming Sumea challange, I thought it might be a good idea to get some practice in with making normal map art assests before the comp begins. This way you can get your feet wet with something small before diving in with a full blown character.

Basicly you just have to make a normal mapped crate of some kind. Pretty simple but at the same time you can have a go at getting some pretty good detialling in there as well.

The specs of the challenge are as follows...

1. high poly source model to generate the normal map from. Any poly budget is (obviously)
ok.

2. A low poly version of your high poly source. This can be any budget but you probbly should stay as low as possible. This is the model that the normal map texture is applied to.

3. 1 1024 normal and diffuse map. Any other maps are optional though its probably a good enough just to go with the above 2 and a specular map in addition.

So there are the challange requirements. There is no deadline but you would probably want to finish this before the Sumea challange starts; which is about june-mid june somewhere.

Some Resources to help poeple out....

Ben Clowards Normal Map resouce page. LOTS of information here...
http://www.monitorstudios.com/bcloward/tutorials_normal_maps1.html

A simple but nicely explained normal map tutorial, it is aimed at MAX users however..
http://www.cgchat.com/forum/showthread.php?s=9bcd3ff46d4a05e4fa56083f84…

Normal map worflow; Mostly MAX user but has some really good advice/knowledge thats aimed at normal mapping in general ...
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/normal_workflow.htm

Normal mapping tutorial for Maya users...
http://chrisholden.net/tutor/tutors.htm

Pior Obersons texturring for normal mapped models...
http://www.pioroberson.com/tuts/tut_texturing_tricks.htm

If anyone knows of any other tuts just let me know and I'll add them to the list.

So there you have it! :)
Only thing left is to make start your thread in this section of the forum.
If you could title your thread something like this it will make things a little tidier...

Normal map crate challange - SumeaUserName

Get to it!!! ;) hope to see a couple of entries beside myself :)