Normal map

wh1tewolf

Hi,
I have one question about normal maps. This is a subject of many posts on forums and there is a lot of videos, tutorials and I learn a lot from all, but on one question I can't find answer. I understand basics of avarege normals and that for direction of rays bakers takes normals from low poly mesh. I know how to set up my smoothing groups/hard edges and how to UV. My question is - what about normals/smoothing groups on high poly mesh? I think it does't realy matters but normal maps have that information stored on it if I got that right.
I do have some problems baking and as I'am newbie still testing how.

Rgds

Axi5

High poly should be fully smooth. In real life there's no such thing as a "hard edge", there's always a transition. High poly models should be made to replicate that.

wh1tewolf

Axi5 said:

High poly should be fully smooth. In real life there's no such thing as a "hard edge", there's always a transition. High poly models should be made to replicate that.

That make sense. I'am trying to understand more deeply how that works so I can more easily spot errors and correct them Until now I never cheked smoothing groups on my high poly.  Sometimes HP is created by turbosmooth, sometimes in Zbrush but I allways trying to do "perfect" smoothing on my low poly. But maybe one is enough because with substance painter with avarege normals on, it is overwriten.

EarthQuake

The mesh normals of the high poly mesh will transfer to the normal map. So if you have a hard edge or bad smoothing on the high, that will get baked into the normal map.

wh1tewolf

EarthQuake said:

The mesh normals of the high poly mesh will transfer to the normal map. So if you have a hard edge or bad smoothing on the high, that will get baked into the normal map.

I done some testing. When you apply turbosmooth all polygons are automatcally in one smoothing group. You can mess with normals but... I tried but has no effect on normal map. I guess bakers takes HP smooth by default.
One more thing I learn, importance of tangents and binormals when you export your mesh. Thank you