Trouble with normal map in separate parts

Djyver

Hello everyone. Help please. I want to create modular character. But in connect point i see seams on normal map. If this solid mesh, it's ok. How to bake separate mesh without seams?

pior

First and formeost, you need to completely ignore anything related to the normalmap texture and focus 100% of your effort on figuring out how to export out the two skeletal meshes (say, body and head) so that they appear seamless once in engine - even without materials applied to them.

This means that you have to learn how to edit/manipulate/transfer vertex normals in your 3D app.

• First, you need to figure out what it takes to force these normals on both objects so that they remain oriented as if the object was continuous. Each app does that slightly differently, but it is possible to do in every 3d app out there.

• Then, you also need to figure out the tools needed to port the normals of the edge of the body opening, to the edge of the head opening. Because you will have to do that for each and every modular head and hands you'll build in the future.

These two things also require that you prevent UE from recalculating/editing the vertex normals on skeletal mesh import, otherwise all your efforts will be wasted. There are options for that in the import dialog.

Once (and only once) you have these two things figured out, you can *then* worry about the normalmaps on top. But at this time, your issue is not related to your normalmap at all. This is 100% related to the models themselves.

Djyver

pior said:

First and formeost, you need to completely ignore anything related to the normalmap texture and focus 100% of your effort on figuring out how to export out the two skeletal meshes (say, body and head) so that they appear seamless once in engine - even without materials applied to them.

This means that you have to learn how to edit/manipulate/transfer vertex normals in your 3D app.

• First, you need to figure out what it takes to force these normals on both objects so that they remain oriented as if the object was continuous. Each app does that slightly differently, but it is possible to do in every 3d app out there.

• Then, you also need to figure out the tools needed to port the normals of the edge of the body opening, to the edge of the head opening. Because you will have to do that for each and every modular head and hands you'll build in the future.

These two things also require that you prevent UE from recalculating/editing the vertex normals on skeletal mesh import, otherwise all your efforts will be wasted. There are options for that in the import dialog.

Once (and only once) you have these two things figured out, you can *then* worry about the normalmaps on top. But at this time, your issue is not related to your normalmap at all. This is 100% related to the models themselves.

Thank you very much. i will dig it )

gnoop

The general idea is  having a mesh where  both body and the head joined with a smooth, no seam surface.

Then using  "data transfer"  to transfer vertex normals orientation from  joined model to separated ones

Maya > attribute transfer

Blender > data transfer modifier.   

Max > normal theft script   or  something less ancient maybe