Problem - Wireframe projected in the normal map

Davidsousa

Hey folks,

So I've been working in this game character and I wanted to have a quick look how thins are going so I decided to generate the normal map.
I started with zbrush to build the high poly, then Maya to make the retopology and Headus UvLayout to create the UV'S. After everything set, I used Xnormal to generate the normal map and the result is a problem.

Any idea?

Cheers

Bartalon

You need to apply hard edge normals to your low poly mesh in accordance with where your UV splits are.  Everything else should be soft for the most part.

Davidsousa

Bartalon,

Thanks for replying.
How can I exactly do that? Sorry

Bartalon

You should have a Normals menu in Maya.  Select your whole object and choose Normals > Soften Edge then go through either manually or with constraints (Select > Select using constraints...) and use Harden Edge along UV seams.

Davidsousa

Bartalon,

I applied the Soften edge to the entire mesh and it might have helped. Althought, need to test the Harden Edge along the Uv seams.
Thanks a lot!

FourtyNights

Remember that, you don't necessarily need hard edges on UV seams, but you need UV seams on hard edges.

Considering this low poly head of your character, it could be just smooth all over. Because there most likely isn't polygonal angles smaller than 90 degrees or greater than 270 degrees.

Davidsousa

Fourtynights,

That explains a lot of things.
Really appreciate your replies!

Now I have other concerns about the UV tiles. My character at this stage is divided in 3 pieces ( Head- Body armor- clothes). Each part has its own UV tile unwrapped so I decided to start texturing in Mudbox. In the meanwhile I realized that, later on importing in the game engine, I will need to "combine" the 3 parts together and by that  the UV tiles from each part will overlap. Because I didn't organized the 3 UV tiles together,  Am I going to need to paint over again the textures?

Cheers

Justo

To automate the process of hardening edges along seams and softening the rest, check out EQ´s You´re making me hard thread, which has a script for Maya (assuming that´s your preferred app) and lots of info about correctly baking normal maps and the theory behind it. 

As for the question in your last post, I´m assuming you´re calling UV "tiles" what others call UV sets, right? If you have 3 different UV sets in one mesh, just assign different materials to each UV set and export it as a FBX to the game engine/renderer...Most apps nowadays can read the materials inside the FBX, so that way you can apply different materials to each part

Davidsousa

Thanks for replying.

And if I want to rigg the 3 pieces?