Normal map seams until now confuse me
Hi,
in old topic :
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134735
there was problem with seam overlapping UV they gonna fix it in update 4.2.
anyway I do re-topology as exercise and this time I didn't use overlapping
just unfold. I render it and the normal map is OK.
when I try it on Unreal engine the seam appears !!! but I didn't do any UV overlap
I also test it in unity and same problems.
NOW, what exactly the mistake ? do I do something wrong?
I am using softimage and I baking it same software.:(
here the file FBX:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i78xmptqmoqlq0j/SHARK1.rar
thanks
in old topic :
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134735
there was problem with seam overlapping UV they gonna fix it in update 4.2.
anyway I do re-topology as exercise and this time I didn't use overlapping
just unfold. I render it and the normal map is OK.
when I try it on Unreal engine the seam appears !!! but I didn't do any UV overlap
I also test it in unity and same problems.
NOW, what exactly the mistake ? do I do something wrong?
I am using softimage and I baking it same software.:(
here the file FBX:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i78xmptqmoqlq0j/SHARK1.rar
thanks
Replies
what you mean same tools? when I export it, I export fbx2013 and not 2014.
here the image show what I mean
Seams in viewport vs. render, this is a common issue. The viewport shader has to be designed properly to avoid this, but most are not.
You should try using Handplane. Bake a 16bit object-space normal map, and use Handplane to convert it to an 8bit tangent-space map using Unreal's tangent basis.
http://www.handplane3d.com/
yeah same version I include the fbx file to check it what the problem if you like:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i78xmptqmoqlq0j/SHARK1.rar
but I really want to know why this happen what it cause this problem,
this is what I do, then I export it as fbx 2013.
and for hand plane it give me this strange color:
the most important I want to know what the problem that make the seams shows. =__+ I want to know without using another softwrer
well its work the seams gone :poly121:
just in sake of knowledge, if there is no Handplane what is the solution.
I mean I really want to know the answer I don't like using it without having idea why this work
oh Ok I will definitively watch them all, Really thanks to take your time and answering
There doesn't seem to be any user normal property attached, so I'm guessing it's using the default settings and breaking the shading around 60' angles. You'll likely want this averaged out. I also can't tell from the FBX if you've given the model some tanget and binormal properties, or if the tangents are just the vertex colors.
Would you mind attaching the highpoly model as well so I could test something?
I try that I increase the spilling but nothing happen same issue,
do you mean I need to average the normal map I will give it a try,
binormal and vertex color mmmm I never used it before, if u r using softimage it will be great to explain to me how to make a good normal map
and what vertex and bionormal stand for if you got time.
here the hipoly one :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/a0wyh59tjzlygns/shark_Hi_2.rar
thanks
Select the lowpoly model and use:
Get > Property > Tangent
Get > Property > Binormal
The viewport shaders will request these properties later, but they wont be in the list of available dropdown options unless you manually added them.
To average the normals, find the model in the explorer and open its Geometry Approximation property. Under the Polygon Mesh tab, turn off automatic discontinuity. You could also try Modify > Component > Set User Normals. Now there there should only be hard edges where you manually mark them. There may be certain places you should do so, such as the crisp edges of the fins (unless you relax the geometry a bit more).
With the tangent and binormal properties applied and the normals averaged, crank up your edge padding and bake the map. Plug in your viewport shader, set it to use the tangents and binormals you applied, and the rest should take care of itself as far as Softimage goes.
With Unreal, make sure your normal map is using the correct compression setting. It's green channel might also need to be inverted. For the most part there shouldn't be any noticeable seams unless you look really closely for them, which is probably where the engine's different tangent basis comes into play. That's where you'll want to break out handplane, xnormal (if it is synced?), etc. My Unreal4 isn't up to date so I'm not sure what they currently have it synced to.