Normal maps can come from a variety of sources: 3D editing tools, automatic generation tools, 3D models "baked" into normal maps, and, of course, Paranormal itself. No matter what the source, Paranormal's tools are well-adapted for fixing and adding features to normal maps by editing them directly.
This normal map generated with Smart Normal Map doesn't capture the overall shape of the rock, but it does a good job getting at the detail of the surface. We will use this as a starting point for today's tutorial.
To follow along with this tutorial, download these two files:
After a few edits in Paranormal, the final normal map is shaped to more realistic contours of the rock, and reacts to the surrounding lighting effects in a more compelling way.
To compare your results, you can download the normal map that results from this tutorial.
from the Tools menu.
The emphasize tool exaggerates features already present in a normal map.
from the Tools menu. The tilt tool modifies the normal map by tilting the existing normal map in a specified direction. 
settings to match those on the right.
from the Tools menu. The flatten tool makes the features on a normal map less extreme, closer to a flat surface 
The Tilt tool is highly flexible, allowing you to tilt existing surfaces in arbitrary directions at arbitrary slopes. Using this tool with a low hardness can create nearly any surface you can imagine.
The Emphasize and Flatten tools are extremely useful for highlighting or diminishing the presence of any features that exist in the normal map
These tools can often be all you need to shape a beautiful, professional normal map from an automatically generated texture.
Be sure to take advantage of the dynamic lighting and preview representations right in the editor as you're editing. Use the Z, X, and C keys to change your proview mode, and press the spacebar to pause and start the light's motion.
