Normal map problem - max 7

motives

hi guys, i been tryin to figure out this whole normal mapping business today with little success...

Im using Max 7's render to texture and my problem is the normalmap seems to be baked by the low poly mesh or somethin?

Here is my two objects:


One is a edit polygon cylinder with a unwrap modifier on top and the other is a edit poly cylinder with a meshsmoot modifier (iterations 3) on top.

I followed the tutorial Mop wrote over at CGChat and also the videotut at the discreet website to the bone but when i render my normalmap i get this:


ive tried every freakin option in there, like unchecking the sub-object level for the projection mapping etc etc

finally this is what the normal looks mapped to the object



hope someone can help, this is getting mighty frustrating

KMan

The low poly mesh looks like it is a bit bigger than the highpoly. I'd also see about adding a bevel or chamfer to the caps, as that'd help with the most noticeable part on the model.

I think a combination of the size difference between the base and hi-poly model and the possible scaling of the projection cage could cause those distortions. That and there are inherent issues with mapping cylindrical objects.

You can always take the normal map you have their and straighten out those lines by hand.

KDR_11k

When calculating the normals it has to shoot the rays along the interpolated vertex normals. The result is that the cylinder side is treated as if it was bent. Try using smoothing groups or splitting vertices to detach the top and bottom from the cylinder.

motives

cheers guys, it helped to detach the top surfaces from the cylinder.

sry if the pics dot show, im workin on it

Edit: pics back up..


Anyways, i was wondering if this is a "normal" workflow when henerating the maps. Meanin do i often have to detach surfaces etc when generating more complex maps for examle a full character?

Eric Chadwick

tpe posted this great pic awhile back that explains your distortion problem, but then the link disappeared. So I mirrored it on my site. (tpe let me know if you would like me to remove it)

Eric Chadwick

Ah, but in your case you just need to detach the top and bottom of the cylinder and recast.