Question about normal map workflow
Something I'm still a tad unclear on is the best way to bake out a clean normal map from a model that combines both zbrushed and pure high poly modelling stuff. For example I model a knight, and make the head and hands as low pol models and import them into vbrush for some usual work. The armour however needs lots of clean lines so I decide to model it and bake out a subdivided mesh. Would most people:
a) try and bake all the armour at once or in pieces?
b) weld the high poly stuff, float it away from the other pieces (like rivets actually off the surface) or some combination - as the times I've tried to bake from high jumble of objects to a low cage there's been a horrendous amount of artifacts
c) bring the high poly mesh back in from zbrush and bake it there or send all your pieces to something like x normal?
Cheers in advance!
a) try and bake all the armour at once or in pieces?
b) weld the high poly stuff, float it away from the other pieces (like rivets actually off the surface) or some combination - as the times I've tried to bake from high jumble of objects to a low cage there's been a horrendous amount of artifacts
c) bring the high poly mesh back in from zbrush and bake it there or send all your pieces to something like x normal?
Cheers in advance!
Replies
I often have models made up of many small pieces and I don't bother joining them together.
If you're getting artifacts it's probably because of the way your lowpoly or cage is constructed. I know that's the usual reason why I get artifacts.
The only reason I might bake bits of a model without the others is either because:
- there's so many polygons that they won't render on my machine
OR
- I've made a change to one piece and I don't want the hassle of baking out the whole model again.