@Kiwi-Hawk Thanks for the suggestion. I will add it to the user wish list
@Sunray I'm not sure why that might happen. We dont do anything special between the demo and paid version of Knald in that respect so it's probably a local issue of some kind. Bake times wont be vastly different between an SSD and HDD. I just did a test between my SSD vs HDD with a 10m tri mesh and the bake and mesh cache times were both within a second of each other, so you probably dont need to worry
The issue you are seeing in the header is purely cosmetic and should be fixed when you next reboot Knald! Hope that helps!
@metalliandy Thanks for testing appreciate it man. Also sometimes it says expires 1970 and sometimes it doesn't say it, but if it's only cosmetic it doesn't matter. It's kinda cool actually if you ask me
@metalliandy Hey one more question why does my curvature map look so strange? Also is there a way to frame view in 3d preview window I find my self losing my model sometimes.
@metalliandy Hey one more question why does my curvature map look so strange? Also is there a way to frame view in 3d preview window I find my self losing my model sometimes.
I assume you mean the colours? If so you are seeing the Dual Channel Curvature map which stores Convexity and Convavity in the Red and Green channels separately. If you want the grey type, which stores all information in one channel, then change the 'Curvature Type' dropdown in the Curvature Settings group to 'Single Channel' and you should be good to go. There is no need to rebake for this
@metalliandy Hey man knald seems to crash pretty often for me when trying to bake ao. now I've tried baking one thing 5 times it only didn't crash once. The hp contains around 50 mil polys. I'm baking on 4k with 16xaa 512 rays. The other maps that I'm baking are tangent space normals and vertex colors.I'm also using a cage with the same topology. Any idea why this happens for me?
@Sunray It sounds like you might be running out of system resources (baking AO on the GPU can use quite a bit of VRAM, especially at 4k-8k).
Are you running the latest GPU driver?
Can you bake AO at 4k and 8k with no AA?
Does Knald hang, close or something else?
Does it work at 4k 16xAA if you load a mesh with fewer triangles?
How much VRAM do you have on your GPU?
What are your system specifications (OS, Windows version, CPU, RAM etc)
If you want to upload and send me the meshes I would be happy to test them here to make sure it's not a problem with them. You can send them to support@knaldtech.com
We are always working on new stuff! I don't have a date for a new release yet though. Stay tuned
Not sure which software you use but for 3Ds Max there is a plugin called "josbalcaen_batch_exporter_importer". I use that one to export all my meshes into various files. Has an extended amount of additional features I regularly use.
Hi guys. I have a weird issue with Knald. I can't bake this model and
don't know why!!! all setup are correct both models use same Uv map, but
still Knald can't bake normal map and other maps.
I attached my low and high poly models. please help me.
Hi guys. I have a weird issue with Knald. I can't bake this model and
don't know why!!! all setup are correct both models use same Uv map, but
still Knald can't bake normal map and other maps.
I attached my low and high poly models. please help me.
It looks like the problem is happening because the meshes are not
aligned correctly. Once they are aligned then everything should
work ok.
Hi guys. I have a weird issue with Knald. I can't bake this model and
don't know why!!! all setup are correct both models use same Uv map, but
still Knald can't bake normal map and other maps.
I attached my low and high poly models. please help me.
It looks like the problem is happening because the meshes are not
aligned correctly. Once they are aligned then everything should
work ok.
Hope that helps!
Thank you a lot for fast reply. then I should place them both on the exact same position? I can't place high poly next to the low poly model?
Hey man, I bought knald freelance version a while back I needed to reset my pc so I'm trying to download it again. But when I go t my products only the demo version of knald is shown. I'm kinda freaking out haha what should I do? do I need to send the support a mail or can I just send you a private message on polycount or something?
Hello. Can I suggest to implement somewhere in future updates a function when there's two objects with one same UV island (symmetrical lowpoly for example) are baking without artifacts. Now it bakes with artifacts at such places. Sorry for my English.
Hi, I just purchased Knald. I like it a lot, thank you. Does anybody know how I can set my settings so that it exports JPEG and that the images are flipped vertically? I'm using Knald 1.2.1.
I'm having a problem with the exported normal maps.
On the left side my ZBrush model with the pores and micro details can be seen. On the right side Knald's normal map (8192 px) can be seen.
Can anybody tell me his opinion if the normal map should be more detailled / sharper? Or if there is anything wrong with my ZBrush model, for example too few polygons or not sharp enough details?
I've seen other normal maps of skin at less resolution that were more "crisp" than my normal map, for example this one (which I didn't make):
Can anybody perhaps tell me his ideas why my normal map isn't as crisp as the other one?
Hello. Can I suggest to implement somewhere in future updates a function when there's two objects with one same UV island (symmetrical lowpoly for example) are baking without artifacts. Now it bakes with artifacts at such places. Sorry for my English.
Thanks for the suggestion! We hope to have a solution for this in a future version of Knald.
Hi, I just purchased Knald. I like it a lot, thank you. Does anybody know how I can set my settings so that it exports JPEG and that the images are flipped vertically? I'm using Knald 1.2.1.
We dont export as JPG because the quality is awful for content creation generally. You would be better using a lossless format such as png or tiff.
We dont support the flipping of images as we expect the user to import the mesh with the UVs the correct way. You can export the UVs flipped in ZBrush by using the Flip U/Flip V options in the UV Map panel.
http://docs.pixologic.com/reference-guide/tool/polymesh/uv-map/
I'm having a problem with the exported normal maps.
On the left side my ZBrush model with the pores and micro details can be seen. On the right side Knald's normal map (8192 px) can be seen.
Can anybody tell me his opinion if the normal map should be more detailled / sharper? Or if there is anything wrong with my ZBrush model, for example too few polygons or not sharp enough details?
I've seen other normal maps of skin at less resolution that were more "crisp" than my normal map, for example this one (which I didn't make):
Can anybody perhaps tell me his ideas why my normal map isn't as crisp as the other one?
Thank you very much.
What does the bake look like when viewed on the low poly mesh? It's generally very hard to translate what a 2d normal map will look like in 3d unless you are very experienced in doing this. Having said that, the sharpness of the bake is most likely down to the sharpness of the detail found on the mesh itself.
If you are trying to make the details more pronounced then it would be best to adjust the details on the mesh so that are that way before baking.
You could try adding an extra subdivision level to the mesh to see if that helps too, as it does look a little low res in places (faceting on the cheeks etc.)
On the left side you can see SubstanceDesigner's normal map, and on the right side you can see Knald's normal map. On the face, there are clear differences. Under the mouth, there is a line that is very dark for SubstanceDesigner's normal map, and on Knald's normal map, it very bright. You can spot these kind of differences on many other places on the face. In my environment (Unity) Knald's normal map doesn't deliver the correct look while SubstanceDesinger's normal map looks fine.
@tmighty The colour differences you are seeing is down to the orientation of the Y channel within the Normal map. Knald is actually a match to Unity by default as they both use X+Y+Z+,
so this probably means you have unintentionally changed Knald's default to X+Y-Z+.
You can change this by either:
Going to the Normal/ Derivative group within the Baker and unchecking the "Flip Green" checkbox so that the label next to the option reads X+Y+Z+
Opening the Normal map in Photoshop or another image editor> Selecting the Green Channel and Inverting it.
@tmighty Yes, but it is a little subjective when looking at the RGB version of the normal map and can be hard to identify correctly if you don't spend a lot of time looking at normal maps. However, depending on the handedness you are using, each configuration will look as if it was lit with a light green colour from opposite directions. For Y+ the green values will be "lit" from the top and for Y- from the bottom.
A much easier way is to look at the green channel independently; at which point the handedness becomes much more apparent as the "lighting" is obvious. Hope that helps!
Could you tell me how to investigate on this image / tell me what you think of the direction? On the left you see the nostrils, on the right you see the entire normal map. Both only show their green channel.
I would probably guess that it was Y+ by looking at the ridges on the forehead and the top of the ears. If you want a definite answer please upload the full RGB normal map at higher res so I can take a better look.
Hello. I have a question. I bake the maps in knald. Default settings. I load maps into substance painter and I see the seams on the model where they pass uv.
Thanks @Killout Can you try removing the alpha channel from the normal map baked in Knald and then try reimporting it into SP please? There shouldn't really be any compatibility issues between SP and Knald as they both use MikkTSpace so I'm wondering if the dilation is being removed by SP for some reason due to the Alpha channel (the map baked in Marmoset doesnt seem to have an Alpha channel).
Thanks @Killout Can you try removing the alpha channel from the normal map baked in Knald and then try reimporting it into SP please? There shouldn't really be any compatibility issues between SP and Knald as they both use MikkTSpace so I'm wondering if the dilation is being removed by SP for some reason due to the Alpha channel (the map baked in Marmoset doesnt seem to have an Alpha channel).
Yes. Many thanks. The artifacts were due to the alpha channel
When you think you'll include UDIMs? Currently my model looks like that, and I have no way to change that. Unfortunately I can't unpack the UDIMs, and baking everything in a single map is no option for me.
@tmighty You can send it over if you like, but simply offsetting the UVs you don't want showing and rebaking would be sufficient to fix the problem. This would need to be done for each UV set (head, body etc.)
I've sent you the files by mail. Do you think this "UV offsetting" could be done automatically by Knald for stacked UVs (if that's actually my only problem)? Or if not, could you perhaps show me a screenshot how that would be done in Knald? I guess it's done in Knald, right?
@tmighy Thanks for the files. This cant be done in Knald currently, but it's something we hope to add in a future release. For now you would have to offset the UV's for each part manually in your 3d application.
This is a real pity because - due to the software that I'm using - this is not easily possible. Do you think it's something that you will actually include or is "hope to add in the future" your way of saying "Yes, when I have a looooooooooots of free time"? It would make my life so much easier.
It's a popular request so we will try to add it as soon as possible. We try not to give people unreasonable expectations when it comes to the ETA of feature requests as deadlines can often easily slip due to circumstances beyond our control, so It's better to say "as soon as we can" rather than "we will add it by November etc.".
@tmighty No problem. It's easy enough to do in something like Blender anyway. You just open the UV/Image Editor>Check "Normalised" in the properties> select the UVs you want to offset> and hit G, X and then 1 to move it 1 unit in the X direction. Just do the reverse to undo the operation.
Can you explain your transmission map? Would you say it's perfect? I'm asking because in one forum there is a discussion if your transmission map is too bright. So I wonder what he means by "too bright". I guess you're not doing this "as you like", but your transmission map is the gold standard, and shader developers, etc. have to play by its rules, right?
Left is Knald, right is what the shader expects. The developer of the shader said that one should simply lower the contrast in the Knald transmission map. Wouldn't that break some rules?
Replies
@Sunray I'm not sure why that might happen. We dont do anything special between the demo and paid version of Knald in that respect so it's probably a local issue of some kind.
Bake times wont be vastly different between an SSD and HDD. I just did a test between my SSD vs HDD with a 10m tri mesh and the bake and mesh cache times were both within a second of each other, so you probably dont need to worry
The issue you are seeing in the header is purely cosmetic and should be fixed when you next reboot Knald!
Hope that helps!
Also is there a way to frame view in 3d preview window I find my self losing my model sometimes.
You can reset the 3d preview by using Middle mouse button double click/Alt+Right Mouse button double click.
You can read more about the controls and keyboard shortcuts in Knald by reading the following page within the documentation too:
https://docs.knaldtech.com/doku.php?id=interface_knald_1.2#mouse_controls_keyboard_shortcuts
Hope that helps
Hey man knald seems to crash pretty often for me when trying to bake ao. now I've tried baking one thing 5 times it only didn't crash once. The hp contains around 50 mil polys. I'm baking on 4k with 16xaa 512 rays. The other maps that I'm baking are tangent space normals and vertex colors.I'm also using a cage with the same topology. Any idea why this happens for me?
It sounds like you might be running out of system resources (baking AO on the GPU can use quite a bit of VRAM, especially at 4k-8k).
- Are you running the latest GPU driver?
- Can you bake AO at 4k and 8k with no AA?
- Does Knald hang, close or something else?
- Does it work at 4k 16xAA if you load a mesh with fewer triangles?
- How much VRAM do you have on your GPU?
- What are your system specifications (OS, Windows version, CPU, RAM etc)
If you want to upload and send me the meshes I would be happy to test them here to make sure it's not a problem with them. You can send them to support@knaldtech.comSeems like my driver updater didn't update my gpu updated it. And it works fine now thank once again!
It looks like the problem is happening because the meshes are not aligned correctly. Once they are aligned then everything should work ok.
Hope that helps!
No problem
The high poly and low poly should be in the same position. Something like the image below (HP is red).
Everything should work fine then
It looks like you have two accounts on our system. I will PM you.
Does anybody know how I can set my settings so that it exports JPEG and that the images are flipped vertically? I'm using Knald 1.2.1.
I'm having a problem with the exported normal maps.
On the left side my ZBrush model with the pores and micro details can be seen. On the right side Knald's normal map (8192 px) can be seen.
Can anybody tell me his opinion if the normal map should be more detailled / sharper?
Or if there is anything wrong with my ZBrush model, for example too few polygons or not sharp enough details?
I've seen other normal maps of skin at less resolution that were more "crisp" than my normal map, for example this one (which I didn't make):
Can anybody perhaps tell me his ideas why my normal map isn't as crisp as the other one?
Thank you very much.
You can export the UVs flipped in ZBrush by using the Flip U/Flip V options in the UV Map panel.
http://docs.pixologic.com/reference-guide/tool/polymesh/uv-map/
What does the bake look like when viewed on the low poly mesh? It's generally very hard to translate what a 2d normal map will look like in 3d unless you are very experienced in doing this.
Having said that, the sharpness of the bake is most likely down to the sharpness of the detail found on the mesh itself.
If you are trying to make the details more pronounced then it would be best to adjust the details on the mesh so that are that way before baking.
You could try adding an extra subdivision level to the mesh to see if that helps too, as it does look a little low res in places (faceting on the cheeks etc.)
Hope that helps!
On the face, there are clear differences. Under the mouth, there is a line that is very dark for SubstanceDesigner's normal map, and on Knald's normal map, it very bright. You can spot these kind of differences on many other places on the face.
In my environment (Unity) Knald's normal map doesn't deliver the correct look while SubstanceDesinger's normal map looks fine.
What might be going on here?
Knald is actually a match to Unity by default as they both use X+Y+Z+, so this probably means you have unintentionally changed Knald's default to X+Y-Z+.
You can change this by either:
Hope that helps!
Yes, but it is a little subjective when looking at the RGB version of the normal map and can be hard to identify correctly if you don't spend a lot of time looking at normal maps. However, depending on the handedness you are using, each configuration will look as if it was lit with a light green colour from opposite directions. For Y+ the green values will be "lit" from the top and for Y- from the bottom.
A much easier way is to look at the green channel independently; at which point the handedness becomes much more apparent as the "lighting" is obvious.
Hope that helps!
Both only show their green channel.
Thanks for the normal map! I can confirm that it is indeed X+Y+Z+, which is the same as Unity.
Hope that helps!
Everything looks good. All cards in the extension TGA. I open everything in SP.
I see there are seams.
Bake normal map in marmoset. No seams.
Can you try removing the alpha channel from the normal map baked in Knald and then try reimporting it into SP please?
There shouldn't really be any compatibility issues between SP and Knald as they both use MikkTSpace so I'm wondering if the dilation is being removed by SP for some reason due to the Alpha channel (the map baked in Marmoset doesnt seem to have an Alpha channel).
Unfortunately I can't unpack the UDIMs, and baking everything in a single map is no option for me.
It would make my life so much easier.
Which software are you using?
Left is Knald, right is what the shader expects.
The developer of the shader said that one should simply lower the contrast in the Knald transmission map.
Wouldn't that break some rules?