max normal mapping problem

zerg

well i'm trying to normal map this gun and was going by racer445's tutorial http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-3ds-max/how-to-bake-a-flawless-normal-map-in-3ds-max/
, but my projection cage doesn't seem to be moving at all even though i am clearly moving the verts around. i even went and rendered2texture, but the map didn't work. anyone else have any problems with this or know how to work around it? any easier workflows? :poly121:

Eric Chadwick

Have you moved verts around in the Projection modifier's sub-object mode?

zerg

yes, in the cage sub-object mode. the cage itself moves but not the mesh.

Eric Chadwick

What do you mean by "not the mesh"? When in Projection sub-object Vertex mode, and you select some vertices, they turn red and so do the edges connected to them. Moving them moves the blue cage mesh.

This in turn affects the angle that the baker's rays travel. The rays travel from each blue cage vertex toward its counterpart vertex in the original Editable Poly/Mesh mesh.

Piflik

???

Why would the mesh move? All you have to do is make sure, the High is completely inside the cage...turn on 'shaded' to see it easier. The cage should fit the High as tight as possible, especially the endcaps (and height segments) of cylinders to prevent wavy lines...

zerg

its encompassing the hp,

in the tutorial the 'mesh' moves as you manipulate the cage. sorry if im using the wrong term

Piflik

Yeah...as I said..activate 'shaded' in the Projection Modifiers Cage Parameters. That way you'll have a semitransparent 'mesh' as a cage instead of wireframe only.