3DS Max Qualified Normals
polycounter lvl 14
So I'm testing these things out a bit again, see more here:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79266
Thing is, they just don't work for me (or Pedro) in both 2011 and 2012.
We both set the INI setting, have a little cube with 1 smoothing group, and it just doesn't work regardless of the ini setting and regardless of what material/shader. Even with regular Hardware display it doesn't work! TychoVII in that thread managed to do it, but i can't...
The only thing that does work, is 3Point's modifier with their shader, but strangely, in my case, the toggle in the shader is ignored and it's always on... weird.
So anyway, anybody else care to test a bit too?
Here's a rar with pedro's cube and normalmap (don't be angry i'm leaking your box model, pedro :x) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12093849/QualifiedNormalstest.rar
There's also a script in there that will tell you if the INI setting is on and allow you to toggle it without having to edit the file manually.
Please post your findings!
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79266
Thing is, they just don't work for me (or Pedro) in both 2011 and 2012.
We both set the INI setting, have a little cube with 1 smoothing group, and it just doesn't work regardless of the ini setting and regardless of what material/shader. Even with regular Hardware display it doesn't work! TychoVII in that thread managed to do it, but i can't...
The only thing that does work, is 3Point's modifier with their shader, but strangely, in my case, the toggle in the shader is ignored and it's always on... weird.
So anyway, anybody else care to test a bit too?
Here's a rar with pedro's cube and normalmap (don't be angry i'm leaking your box model, pedro :x) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12093849/QualifiedNormalstest.rar
There's also a script in there that will tell you if the INI setting is on and allow you to toggle it without having to edit the file manually.
Please post your findings!
Replies
Also, the RTT Normal shows it off even worse.
EDIT: Also, the 3Point Quality modifier doesn't change anything for me.
But i mean, it shouldn't be necessary to use the modifier since the qualified normals are activated :S
Edit: I enabled qualified normals and added the normal map with Xoliul shader 1.6 and it look the same as it did with the 3pointShader with modifier and quality mode turned on. BTW If nothing changes when you enable qualified normals it means u have to install ServicePack2 for 3ds max 2011 or the hotfix that includes the qualified normals.
so 2012 acts weird with the INI setting and 3PS modifier. when INI's set to Legacy, no Qualified normals, the only working solution is 3PS mod with their shader, as i'd expect.
If I turn on the INI setting, to qualified, I can also use their modifier with my shader, but with regular shaders and hardware display, there's still no difference, even though there should be. So the Ini setting is affecting the 3Point modifier ?? wtf
I just tried 2011, it does the exact same thing, Ini setting makes the 3Point modifier work with my shader
SSandu, you seem like the only guy where it works without problems ?
cw: thanks, I'm curious! BTW I never thanked your, but that updated bit of code you posted in the thread I linked in the OP helped me out back then. thanks bud!
I baked a clean cube, it looked wonky.
I checked my ini file, the qualified normals part was there.
I reinstalled HF4 (I have a new install and i'm not 100% sure it was installed TBH)
Opening the scene, the box was perfect with max hardware with maps, and xoliul 1.6
No use of 3point shader or modifier in these cases.
Thanks for testing, I'll try reinstalling 2011. Wonder what to do for 2012 though...
3rd party shaders seem borked though, not 100% sure why. Will have a wee dig.
I've been getting this in 2010 sp1 for ages, even on pure geo scenes. Probably something dodgy in the HW lighting code rather than how it interacts with normalmaps specifically.
Gamma is now on by default. If you have issues with the light intensity, have a look at this.
From the normal mapping white paper :
http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/jean/everything_you_always_wanted_to_know_about_normal_maps_but_were_afraid_to_ask
Controlling how Normal Maps are displayed in the 3ds Max Direct3D Viewport
As of 3ds Max 2011 HF1 a switch was introduced to the INI file allows you to control how the Direct3D driver for the viewport renders normal maps. The default behavior was also changed so that the viewport and the render to texture feature were consistent in how they created and shaded normal maps.
The legacy behavior of 3ds Max (pre 3ds Max 2011 HF1) was to display normal maps created in Maya (or Mudbox) correctly.
The new default behavior is controlled explicitly in the 3dsmax.ini file using:
[ViewportNormalMapping]
ViewportNormalMappingType=Qualified/Legacy
The current default behavior is called Qualified.
Nitrous, which is the default driver for the 3ds Max viewport in 3ds Max 2012, behaves as if the ViewPortNormalMappingType is set to Legacy. This means that normal maps created in Maya or Mudbox will render correctly.
What me, pedro and ravenslayer are experiencing, is that there is no effect whatsoever from forcing the INI setting to "Qualified". Strangely, the only thing the INI seting switch does, is make the 3point studios modifier act as if it is on by default.
To repeat, in my case (2011 & 2012, both updated to latest HF and SP):
ViewportNormalMappingType=Qualified
using the baked box I posted here, I do not see any difference with the Legacy setting, not even when using "hardware display" of standard materials, the simplest and most efault way to show normalmaps.
It seems like the method is interfering with the 3Point modifier plugin in some people's cases...
Which software do you use, which viewport
How are you producing the normal maps?
What did you use to produce the pictures on the thread (viewport or render?)
thanks
thanks.
Surely enoughs enough when it comes to... displayed one way, rendered another.. here's a hack to display like how they should be generated, but the underlying data is still wrong etc.
Having to edit an ini file to get something that isn't actually fixing the core problem, just how it's displayed, is also pretty odd.
Frustrating to say the least.