Baking high rez in maya question

Cathodeus

Hi guys,

I'm just asking myself if there is a way to bake an highrez model to normal map via "transfermap" without having to smooth the mesh (with a division of one).

Is there a way to let maya smooth the mesh at the rendering of the map ?

Thanks a lot
Massimo

Cathodeus

No answer ... Is this question that stupid ? Is there no way else than smoothing the object before "transfer map". Is it impossible to add those tons of polys at texture rendering only ? Like we do with mental ray scene rendering ?

Bartalon

Sometimes posts get pushed down and people miss them. I would have answered earlier if I saw it!

As for your question, you can always do a Mesh > Smooth and then after you are done using Transfer Maps, use the Channel Box to set the polySmoothFace input node Divisions channel to 0.

EarthQuake

Unbfortunately no, atleast in the versions of Maya I've used, if you're using smooth preview that result will not bake, which is totally rediculous and means you have to actually sub-divide the mesh. Worse yet, if you don't delete history, bakes can be VERY, VERY slow.

And if you do delete history, you can't undo the smooth mesh operation!!

Generally what I do is make sure to save a "clean" file, then sub-divide, delete history, and bake. The slow bake issue is a huge problem, I've had 30 minute bakes take like 6 hours if I don't do it this way, in Maya 2008.

passerby

duplicate, subdivide and delete history only on the new object.

i actually dont mind this but that is because i actually use the extra geo for writing vertex colour information too since i calculate my curvature with a maya script that writes the date into hte hp's vertex colour.

Cathodeus

Ok thanks guys ! This is really not nice ... Smoothing the object is so slow ! Anyway this is not blocking ...

throttlekitty

EarthQuake wrote: »

Unbfortunately no, atleast in the versions of Maya I've used, if you're using smooth preview that result will not bake, which is totally rediculous and means you have to actually sub-divide the mesh. Worse yet, if you don't delete history, bakes can be VERY, VERY slow.

And if you do delete history, you can't undo the smooth mesh operation!!

Generally what I do is make sure to save a "clean" file, then sub-divide, delete history, and bake. The slow bake issue is a huge problem, I've had 30 minute bakes take like 6 hours if I don't do it this way, in Maya 2008.

I've learned to make hard backups before baking too. Sometimes I get lazy and don't duplicate before subdividing, do my bakes, come back and compulsively save my "work".

Models can be subdivided behind the scenes for renders, why not transfer maps? (also, an 'export smooth preview' for xNormal would be sweet too)