ZB 3.5r3 > Max 2008 - Normal map

stefgrafx · Feb 2010

The same problem I read out there... I made a test: low res model in Max 2008 export to ZB (unwrap the map in max... as you can see its very simple, no overlaping vertex...) export .obj... hi-res in ZB, export the normal map to aply in max... and this is the result (see image), somebody match this problem?. thanks.

http://img692.yfrog.com/i/tangent.jpg/

MoP · Feb 2010

Does it look like that in the viewport?
What happens if you render the image using the scanline renderer? Does it look any better?

Also, what ZB settings did you use when baking the normalmap? Did you load one of the ZMapper "Max-style" presets?

stefgrafx · Feb 2010

nothing estra: http://yfrog.com/6znormalzdj and in the scanline render I get the same thing... dont know what is the workflow that use the guys working in game industry.. I think it must be a "dumb thing" but dont know those "dumbs" things

MoP · Feb 2010

Hmm. Don't they have ZMapper anymore for ZBrush? I never used the "normal-map" stuff that your screenshots show, I only used ZMapper before, because it has a lot more settings that control how the normal-map is generated.

Unfortunately due to differences in the way calculations are done between various applications, not all normalmaps are compatible - for example rendering a normal-map in Max would not look right in Maya, and vice-versa.

If ZMapper is available you could give that a try, or if not then maybe bring your meshes into Max and use Max's Render-To-Texture to bake them (or send all the meshes out to an external application like XNormal).

divi · Feb 2010

they took zmapper out with 3.5

Jonathan · Feb 2010

It would appear your smoothing groups and UV shells are not the same, therefore the normal map isn't going to interpolate the seams properly.

JordanW · Feb 2010

green channel looks inverted (if you're using max's default settings) The green channel should be pointing down and it looks like it's pointing up, open the normal map in photoshop, go to green channel Image->Adjustments->Invert

ralusek · Feb 2010

this might be entirely out of place, but since i can't really tell exactly what it is you're trying to make there, it's very possible your normal map is still vertically inverted from zbrush? did you remember to flip the image before applying it in max?

chronic · Feb 2010

http://www.cgbootcamp.com/tutorials/2010/2/13/zbrush-35-r3-normal-map-extraction.html

stefgrafx · Feb 2010

thanks for replies...

ralusek: I flip vertically...:)

JordanW: I try what you tell me.. but what I get is the same, but inverted.

Jonathan: I export the model without smoothing groups applied, "what you mean by "UV shells are not the same"?. cheers

Chronic: I´m going to study this video to see if I miss something...

Eric Chadwick · Feb 2010

There's a method here to get seamless normalmaps in the max viewport, using hardware shading.
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?p=1072599#post1072599

ZB 3.5r3 > Max 2008 - Normal map

Replies