Awful bake problems

DOG-GY

I'm baking some pretty simple maps for a reactor design and a particular part is really messing me up. I don't know why these issues are appearing, but the rest of the mesh bakes just fine. It's happening on just the ao.

Any suggestions? I'm exporting out of Max and using xNormal.


Sorry for the large image!

ZacD

what does the high poly and low poly look like?

Ace-Angel

Do you have control loops?

Also, cage or raycast?

EDIT: Do you have the correct angle for the raycast? 120-160 should be a good angle.

DOG-GY

low looks kinda like this though I think it's a little more dense with the rings. I know the unwrap isn't ideal. The high is just the same mesh with control loop+ subdivision

it's a raycast

and again the normals don't have this issue.

Mark Dygert

Looks like your low poly is being included in the AO bake? Are you using Mental Ray for AO? I remember this being a problem with older versions of max, 2008-2010. But its hard to tell whats going on with the info provided...

Things to try:
- On the low, hide all of the elements (but not the object) then bake, if you hide the object you won't be able to select it so you go into element mode and hide everything.

- Right click the low poly, choose object properties, and turn off renderable, then bake.

- Try a newer version of max, 2011 or 2012.

- Bake AO in Scanline with a simple skylight setup.

r_fletch_r

looks like your cast distance is set too high.

DOG-GY

Mark Dygert wrote: »

Looks like your low poly is being included in the AO bake? Are you using Mental Ray for AO? I remember this being a problem with older versions of max, 2008-2010. But its hard to tell whats going on with the info provided...

Things to try:
- On the low, hide all of the elements (but not the object) then bake, if you hide the object you won't be able to select it so you go into element mode and hide everything.

- Right click the low poly, choose object properties, and turn off renderable, then bake.

- Try a newer version of max, 2011 or 2012.

- Bake AO in Scanline with a simple skylight setup.

I'm baking with xNormal, thanks though!

I'll try playing with the cast distances when I get home from work. I messed with object scale and that helped parts of the mesh more or less, but I'll see what I can do this evening.

Mark Dygert

Ahh xNormal, I agree with Fletch it could be your distance is cranked. If you where baking in max I would say use a projection cage, click reset and push it out just enough so that everything is inside. To see the problem you're more than likely having if you continued to crank it up higher the cage would start intersecting and capturing all kinds of things it shouldn't...

r_fletch_r

If your baking normals with that AO you really should be using a averaged cage. you'll get artefacts on your seams otherise.

Ace-Angel

I suggest trying the Cavity Map or Height map, if those two fail too, then I would go with Mark and Fletch on a cage, or making a several bakes with raycast and cleaning them up.