[Xnormal] normal map issue

KurtR

When I baked out this exploded mesh, I get the reflection of the handel on the base for some reason. I baked it in Xnormal and I can't figure out how it get's reflected all the way over there.

Eric Chadwick

Renamed your title to include the software you're using. This is always a good idea, as it will draw in people who know the tool.

ZacD

Use a cage. 

Joopson

As ZacD said, use a cage.

If you absolutely must avoid using a cage (which is a mistake, a cage is a must if you want quality bakes), then you can get rid of the issue by adjusting the ray distance. (xNormal's Ray Distance Calculator is a good place to start, under "tools")

KurtR

Thanks Eric. I will remember that.

I was tweaking the cage in the 3D viewer without any luck, though the ray distance calculater cleared it almost completely up. I should've remembered that, though I am still trying to visualize how that reflection get casts the way it does.

Thanks Joopson, it's within reason now.

KurtR

Ah, What actually totally fixed it, was changing the mesh scale. I thought 5 would be enough, but I changed it to 10 and it was totally clean.

Joopson

So, if you're cage is turned on, ray distance shouldn't have any effect. Did you make sure "use cage" was checked?

KurtR

It was actually turned off when I did the test first and it got mostly cleared up. I still had a tiny strip of the artifact turning up, but it almost cleared all of it. I noticed later that it also had been off when I was trying to tweak the cage from within the 3D viewer. So that's why that didn't do much to help me out.

But what was still puzzling to me was how the artifact got thrown all the way over there. That's why mesh scale totally made sense, and when I turned it up to 1o all of it was gone.