Maya hypershade - Reconstruction node for packed normal map textures

Two nodes for Maya compatible shader and for Arnold

Screenshot Preview

How to install (2025 - Windows only)

1. Download the zip from the release tab
2. Unzip it.
3. Use the install_built.bat file to copy the files to their correct folders for Maya and Arnold.
   Or copy manually if you have not installed maya in the default intall location.
4. Releases are for Windows only.

Build it

1. Clone the git repo (use git or download as a zip)
2. Run the script install_build_tools.bat to install MSVC build library. Skip if you have Visual studio 2022 installed, this will give an error if you do not have Winget package manager installed in Windows
3. Run the build_plugins.bat script to build it.
4. Then run the install_plugins.bat to copy the built binary to their respective places.
   Or copy manually if you have not installed maya in the default intall location.

If you are not on Windows you may have to create your own build files, the scripts should still work.

Generative AI use

I was stuck in this project for the better part of a year, maybe even more. Today I just wanted to go back and fix it, so I asked Claude (Anthropic) to see if it can fix it, branch https://github.com/revoconner/maya-reconstruct-normal/tree/claude/fix-maya-normal-map-013cQdkXaqKKNvk2BEfnSSuh

That did not work unfortunately so I asked it to just create a research of whatever it found, when I fed it all I had asked in the Autodesk forums last year. That was very helpful, because I got no replies from people in the forum.

The reasearch file is present as a markdown file in this branch, feel free to use it to make your own shader or maya texture based plugins