3ds Max custom cage issue with xNormals

Ghostman511

Hey PC I have some odd issue when exporting a custom cage from 3ds max and bringing it into xNormals. I've used this method countless times before and never had this issue. I've created a cage mesh using the projection modifier and exported both separately as objs and it claims that the vertex count is off. They have the exact same number of verts in 3ds max, and when I export I am making sure that smoothing groups are on for both so vert count shouldn't differ from the LP to the cage. To make things even weirder when I export both meshes separately as FBX, xNormals accepts them. Unfortunately I have a lot of mirroring and for some reason my smoothing turns out messed up with FBX.

Here is a shot of the LP with a projection modifier


and one of the exported Cage mesh


These are my export settings


If anyone needs more info or might have the answer to my issue please HELP!!! Thanks!

Quack!

Try cloning your low poly, setting the clone to 1 smoothing group, then using the push modifier on it to make the cage. Export that to see if it shares errors with the projection version.

For your overlapping UV shells FBX problem, have you offset the uvs before export?

Ghostman511

@Quack! thanks for the suggestion. I did what you said and got the same result. I'm stumped to what could be causing this. It has to be something in the export but I'm pretty sure I have all the right settings. And yes I've offset all of my mirrored uv islands. I just generally stay away from fbx because I've found it too be unpredictable.

Quack!

I have run into this problem before, but I don't remember if I had found a solution, so I am only so helpful. Sorry!

Fwap

Try seeing if there are any un welded verts.
Also try fbx format, i believe i ran into that problem too and this was my solution.

BavaMonster

Hi Ghost!
Have you tried to make the cage directly form XNormal using the 3d viewer?

Ghostman511

Thanks everyone for responding
@Quack! no worries, if by some chance a solution comes to you please post hah Thanks.

@Fwap Thanks I will try the fbx format again, I was just having issues with my mirrored uvs (even though I offset them).

@BavaMonster Oh yeah i can make the cage in xNormals, but to encompass everything the cage gets rather big and distorted. I'll try again and see if I can tweak some stuff to make it fit better. Thanks!

ZombieWells

Order of operations. export low fbx., then project with max, make the projection an exported mesh obj. if you do this out of order you'll get the error. Hope that helps

sqrRedwend

Not sure if it is the case, but have you tried to uncheck all checkboxes in "optimize" section of export settings?

Bruno Afonseca

Try unchecking the "optimize" stuff in the OBJ exporter... This tends to fix my problems.
Also, take a look at Channel Info to see if you have a bunch of dead verts, might do something for you.

Ghostman511

Thanks everyone for the help. I unchecked the optimization of verts and that did the trick! THANKS

Neox

uhm, why use obj?

use the xnorma format .sbm! andput an edit mesh between your epoly ad the projection modifier, no need for tha if <ou work with editmesh tho

then you can export your model WITH cage in one file