Why does my normal map appear blank?
polycounter lvl 2
Hi there! I'm relatively new to baking textures and working with zBrush, and recently I've been having an error with a normal map in xNormals. I haven't had this issue with the other models I've baked(I'll explain this below). This is what appears when I try to bake:
And here are both the low poly and high poly models:
I initially made a base mesh in Maya, to then bring it into zbrush, turn up the subdivision level and start sculpting in the details. Now I believe the base mesh(on the lowest subdiv level) adjusts to the now high poly mesh if I'm correct? Once I finished I went to the lowest level and exported it to be the low poly, then went to the highest level and exported it to be the high poly(both as OBJ). I took them back into Maya to ensure they were fine and then UVed the low poly, yet again everything fine. Now I tried baking the high to low poly and got a normal map that was blank.
I suspect that my method may be wrong. Previously I have sculpted something in zBrush first and then retopologized it in Maya and had no issue with producing a normal map in xNormals. This time, however, I have roughly modelled the object in Maya, sculpted details in zBrush and exported the lowest and highest subdivisions. Would I need to retopologize the high poly even though I started with the base mesh, which is essentially the low resolution version? Maybe I need to delete the higher/lower subdiv levels when exporting it?
When in xNormals 3D viewer both the low and high poly appear perfectly fine. I've tried with both the files as either OBJ or FBX but I still get the same blank result. I use the ray distance calculator, so could the time taken to calculate affect the result too(I usually wait 40secs)?
And here are both the low poly and high poly models:
I initially made a base mesh in Maya, to then bring it into zbrush, turn up the subdivision level and start sculpting in the details. Now I believe the base mesh(on the lowest subdiv level) adjusts to the now high poly mesh if I'm correct? Once I finished I went to the lowest level and exported it to be the low poly, then went to the highest level and exported it to be the high poly(both as OBJ). I took them back into Maya to ensure they were fine and then UVed the low poly, yet again everything fine. Now I tried baking the high to low poly and got a normal map that was blank.
I suspect that my method may be wrong. Previously I have sculpted something in zBrush first and then retopologized it in Maya and had no issue with producing a normal map in xNormals. This time, however, I have roughly modelled the object in Maya, sculpted details in zBrush and exported the lowest and highest subdivisions. Would I need to retopologize the high poly even though I started with the base mesh, which is essentially the low resolution version? Maybe I need to delete the higher/lower subdiv levels when exporting it?
When in xNormals 3D viewer both the low and high poly appear perfectly fine. I've tried with both the files as either OBJ or FBX but I still get the same blank result. I use the ray distance calculator, so could the time taken to calculate affect the result too(I usually wait 40secs)?
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