Exporting normals from ZBrush

piedro023

Well people, I'm working on this model for a scholar project, the problem is that ZBrush isn't exactly exporting usable normals.. I exported the maps of the obdy and the armor as separated pieces after doing it together, both with bad results.

Here's the basic topology.



Hi topo



Armor piece problem in low & hi topo









My exporting preferences


the results

cryrid

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Personally though, I'd like a program like xnormal handle all your normal-based needs instead of zbrush.

piedro023

Here's the basic topology.

Hi topo

Armor piece problem in low & hi topo



My exporting preferences

the results on Mudbox

piedro023

Somebody help please!

travisdreams

did you try flipping the green channel? i normally have tangent and adaptive on when trying to bring out normals from zbrush, though i dont think ive ever had smoothuvs and snormals on

piedro023

travisdreams wrote: »

did you try flipping the green channel? i normally have tangent and adaptive on when trying to bring out normals from zbrush, though i dont think ive ever had smoothuvs and snormals on

MAN! you saved me!! I've been fighting this since March.. why flip the green channel? never ever told me that was necesary.. do you know the technical explanation about it??

TKS again..:)

cryrid

piedro023 wrote: »

MAN! you saved me!! I've been fighting this since March.. why flip the green channel? never ever told me that was necesary.. do you know the technical explanation about it??

TKS again..:)

There's basically no set standard for how shaders read normal maps, so I think it basically comes down to whoever is writing the code for it at the time. It's common for bakers like zbrush and xnormal (and renderers like marmoset) to give the user options for how they want a specific channel to be used.

"Most apps tend to prefer +X (red facing right) and +Y (green facing up), while others like 3ds Max prefer +X and -Y. This is why you often need to invert the green channel of a normal map to get it to render correctly in this or that app... the shader is expecting a particular handedness." - Wiki

piedro023

cryrid wrote: »

There's basically no set standard for how shaders read normal maps, so I think it basically comes down to whoever is writing the code for it at the time. It's common for bakers like zbrush and xnormal (and renderers like marmoset) to give the user options for how they want a specific channel to be used.

"Most apps tend to prefer +X (red facing right) and +Y (green facing up), while others like 3ds Max prefer +X and -Y. This is why you often need to invert the green channel of a normal map to get it to render correctly in this or that app... the shader is expecting a particular handedness." - Wiki

OH! that's why.. well tks, it's useful to know :thumbup: