A useful approximation
A single image does not contain true depth. Brightness is treated as a height clue, so baked lighting, reflections and shadows can influence the result. Start with flat, evenly lit images whenever possible.
Prepare the source
Crop the texture square when it will tile, reduce strong directional shadows, and keep enough resolution for small details. Use Blur to suppress sensor noise before increasing Strength.
Image formats and source quality
The browser workspace accepts common image inputs such as JPG, PNG and WebP. PNG is useful when lossless detail or transparency matters. JPG can work for photographs, but block artifacts and ringing may become unwanted surface texture. WebP quality varies with its encoding settings, so inspect flat areas and hard edges before conversion.
An albedo texture is usually a better source than a finished beauty render because it contains less directional lighting. Scanned materials work best when captured head-on with diffuse illumination and consistent scale. If the photo contains perspective, correct it first so repeated features do not shrink toward one side of the texture.
Generate and refine the normal map
Load the image, compare the albedo and height tabs, then decide whether bright areas should be high or low. Adjust the height response before adding strong normal detail. Use Blur to remove small color noise, Level to control the overall height response and Strength to scale the final slopes. Choose Repeat only when the source is prepared to tile.
Switch between the normal preview and the 3D material preview. The 2D view reveals compression artifacts and seams; the lit surface shows whether the inferred direction is believable. Select the engine convention last, then export with a filename that identifies OpenGL or DirectX.
What an image cannot reveal
A photograph cannot prove physical roughness, metallic composition or hidden depth. Dark paint is not necessarily recessed, and a bright metal reflection is not necessarily raised. Treat generated normal and PBR maps as editable starting points. For production assets, correct material classes manually and use photogrammetry, measured data or a dedicated mesh bake when physical accuracy is required.