Map Type
Chooses the relief profile such as Relief, Cone or Relaxed Cone.
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3D / MaterialsIntermediate
CreateReliefMap
Prepare image channels for relief mapping
Converts luminance, alpha or another image channel into a configurable relief map for material and technical texture workflows.
CreateReliefMap
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
CreateReliefMap prepares ordinary image information for use as relief data. It can choose the source channel, shape the relief profile, scale depth, pre-blur noisy detail and invert the depth direction.
Overview
What CreateReliefMap does
Map Type selects Relief, Cone or Relaxed Cone processing, changing the mathematical profile used to build the resulting map.
Depth Source determines which channel contains the height information. This is important because a texture may store useful depth in luminance, alpha or a single RGB component.
Pre Blur is valuable for graphics and low-resolution maps where hard pixel edges would otherwise produce jagged relief. Flip Depth reverses raised and recessed areas without rebuilding the source texture.
Mental model
Think of CreateReliefMap as a translator that turns an ordinary grayscale or channel image into relief-ready surface data.
Common uses
Convert grayscale artwork into relief data
Prepare logos for engraved material effects
Turn procedural noise into surface micro-detail
Clean and scale depth maps before material use
Invert raised/recessed interpretation quickly
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Image
Source image for the operation.
CreateReliefMap
Fusion node
Image
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Depth Source
Selects the source channel interpreted as height.
Depth Scale
Controls the strength of generated relief information.
Texture Depth
Sets the bit-depth or precision used for the map.
Pre Blur
Smooths the source before relief construction.
Flip Depth
Inverts raised and recessed regions.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Identify which source channel contains useful depth information.
- 2
Choose a Map Type.
- 3
Set Depth Scale conservatively.
- 4
Add a small Pre Blur if edges are too harsh or pixelated.
- 5
Flip depth if the surface reads inside out.
- 6
Feed the result into ReliefMap or another compatible material chain.
Typical node chain
Image Channel→
CreateReliefMap→
Prepared Relief Data→
ReliefMap / Material
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Embossed logo texture
Convert a logo matte into a clean relief source.
Logo MatteCreateReliefMapReliefMapMaterial
Procedural micro-surface
Prepare noise as relief data for a 3D material.
FastNoiseCreateReliefMapReliefMap + BlinnRenderer3D
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Confusing relief preparation with bump/normal-map generation
Using the wrong Depth Source channel
Overdriving Depth Scale on noisy maps
Skipping Pre Blur on aliased source graphics
Production notes
Practical tips
Inspect individual source channels before choosing Depth Source.
Use enough texture precision to avoid visible banding after strong processing.
Judge the map in its final material chain, not only as a grayscale image.
Related nodes