Blender Normals aren't baking?

ArkTiK

If I attempt to bake normals in blender the outcome is all 1 flat colour in the UVs, I've tested this on the default cube(sculpting it high poly) and get the same result. What am I missing?

Jeza87

Hi, I haven't used blender in a while but you can try this. do you have 2 meshes 1 hi and 1 low poly? or just 1 mesh with sub-d modifier on it?
If you have 2 try putting them on different layers then right click on the hi poly and hold shift and click on the low poly layer to view both then hold shift and click on the low poly mesh. In your bake options make sure to select the box "selected to active"
if you have 1 mesh i think you have to put a multi-res modifier on it and use the "bake from multi-res" box in the bake options. But iv'e never used this method.
In my own experience i wasn't able to get good bakes with blender so maybe im not that much help. good luck

ArkTiK

That gives me pixilated looking normals but it isn't a single flat colour. If I increase the model res it gets more diluted and looks like all the same colour zoomed out.

I followed this guide and he gets good looking normals out of blender but I can't for some reason.

Dataday

Check this video out as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7PQGgz1RII

I had the same problem you did, then watched the second part of this vid and never had issues again.

Still prefer using xnormal though.

_DMage_

they are never baking

Yea Xnormal are the best for Normal Mapping

ZASkaggs

I use Blender but I also bake everything in xNormal. It's free, not much extra work and yields much better results for me.

ArkTiK

Do you guys recommend using xNormal for AO as well? I've accustomed myself with the program and the normals look fine but I can't seem to get good AO out of it.