JS_Normalmapper for Mental Ray

Jake C

Im trying to render Normals in Maya, using the JS_normalmapper material, yet no normals will render when i use it! Im pretty sure i have it set up correctly but it just renders as if the normal map doesnt exist.

I attached an image of my shader network....i added the color map at the end which i have of course tried without...still...no normals show up in mental ray or Software



Thanks so much for helping! Cant seem to get this simple thing working!

Striff

This is what I do...

Make the shader like your normaly would minus the normal map. When you have it like you want it, create JS_Normalmapper. Add the normal map to it. Then middle click, and hold down (with your scroll wheel) on the JS_normalmapper box (sorry I dont really know the technical term), and drag it ontop of your lambert shader. Release.

A box will pop up..scroll down and click "other". Another box will pop up. On the left side choose "out valuve" and on the right side choose "normal camera". That should do it.

Gizmo

Use this network:

file1.outColor>JS_NormalMapper1.normalMap>JS_NormalMapper1.outValue>lambert2.normalCamera

Check that very closely.

This will only render with mental ray, there is different JS node for software rendering.

This is what i have rendered with this plugin:

Jake C

This is the way ive been setting it up so im quite stumped! Unless you see a blatant error in the picture i posted i have no idea...

ive tried new shaders, putting the object in a new scene etc. and never get anything...i attach my normal map to JS, JS OUT to Lambert Normal Camera...on hardware i get a black speckled effect on my object (as its not meant for hardware) and no normals at all in Mental Ray.

Thanks for the help though!

Jake C

Found this thread i made a while ago...i still have the same problems in that scene! If i make a brand new scene i can make JS work perfect So something else going on.

Gizmo

It only renders from the default perspective camera, if that helps.

noritsune

I need to invert the green channel (in the attributes for the JS normalmapper node) if I've generated the map from the NVidia filter. Not doing so screws up the results in the MR render.

Also, make sure that if you've got a Blinn shader applied (looks like you dont, but still) that your eccentricity isn't turned all the way down. Maya's High Quality shading mode uses the inverse of the eccentricity value; so dont use that mode as a preview of what will come out of MR.