3ds Max lighting/seams problem

Silverrosess

Hello! So, I'm new to the forum, so I'm hoping I'm posting this in the right place.
I'm having this issue with Max. I've had it before, so I'm thinking it's a common problem, I just don't know how to fix it. I'm a student, so this is probably a dumb question.
My issue is that my UV seams seem to be reflecting light differently. I have a feeling it's something to do with smoothing groups, but I went back into edit poly mode, and it's all auto-smoothed. The model is turobo smoothed, was projected and painted in Mudbox, and this shot is from Max. If anyone needed to know.
You can see the picture here: http://s24.postimg.org/4h4hqs7rp/Ugly_Seams.jpg
Or here, if that link doesn't work: http://postimg.org/image/mjxki03m9/
Help!

Synaesthesia

I'd suggest something for you, but my work filters out postimg.org - if you could host it on Tinypic, that would help significantly.

Ghogiel

Try adding an edit normals modifier, selecting all the little vectors and hitting the reset button.

Silverrosess

No problem. http://tinypic.com/r/2m29qmc/5

Synaesthesia

I've had this issue pop up a few times after exporting models from U2MG to 3DS Max, and from Creator to Max. The only real way to fix this that I'm aware of:

Grab the object, apply Edit Poly to it, collapse the mesh. This will reset the groups. Add a smooth modifier, or just change the groups to your desired level of smoothness from the face subobject menu. I saw that you mentioned using Edit Poly previously but I don't think you followed through with it -- it always forces Max to reset crappy groups back to default. Give it a shot and see if it works.

Mark Dygert

Also if the viewport is set to "2 lights" it often looks weird in certain views like realistic and shaded if you don't have any lights in the scene.

Right click the viewport label in the upper left corner, choose "configure..." and under Visual Styles and Appearances, LIghts and Shadows, set it back to 1 light.

In newer versions of max it defaults to 2 and it just looks weird in some cases, that's probably half of the problem, it will make figuring out the other half a little easier.

Silverrosess

OK, I tried all of the suggestions, and nothing has worked. However, I was fiddling in the Material Editor, and I discovered something. Without the normal map, the seams don't show. With the normal map, they DO show. It's like the Normals are messing with the smoothing groups or changing up the reflectivity. I don't have any idea. Take a look:

http://tinypic.com/r/2ymabs6/5