Shading / normal map error 3ds max
Hi I signed up for this forum because I can´t find an answer to my problem. I struggle with baking correct normal maps for a low poly mesh which will be imported into the game MX Simulator.
The first two attached files are the low poly mesh in the 3ds max viewport. You can also see the wireframe and invisible edges. Now I am just refering to the body (plastics and seat) This is a single mesh.
Normal map:
Low poly with normal map in viewport:
As you can see the main errors appear on the side of the seat and the back of the rear fender. I know the viewport in 3ds Max is a bit buggy when it comes to displaying normal maps correctly but in this case the model does also look like this when exported into the game.
So here is what I have done in the process of baking:
-Baked directly in 3ds max from a high poly object with default scanline renderer:
-Global supersampler: Hammerslay
-Antialiasing filter: Catmull-Rom
-low poly model has been triangulated before baking (and exporting)
-resetted the Xform before baking
-smoothing groups are set from the UV shells
-projection cage does not show any missed rays
-baking tangent space normal map with the right orientation
-also tried to bake in Xnormal and/or with handplane
I already read a lot of threads in here about baking normal maps and reducing errors but I can not figure out my problem in this special case. I hope I haven´t done any "first post noobish" mistake and that anyone is able to help me out
The first two attached files are the low poly mesh in the 3ds max viewport. You can also see the wireframe and invisible edges. Now I am just refering to the body (plastics and seat) This is a single mesh.
Normal map:
Low poly with normal map in viewport:
As you can see the main errors appear on the side of the seat and the back of the rear fender. I know the viewport in 3ds Max is a bit buggy when it comes to displaying normal maps correctly but in this case the model does also look like this when exported into the game.
So here is what I have done in the process of baking:
-Baked directly in 3ds max from a high poly object with default scanline renderer:
-Global supersampler: Hammerslay
-Antialiasing filter: Catmull-Rom
-low poly model has been triangulated before baking (and exporting)
-resetted the Xform before baking
-smoothing groups are set from the UV shells
-projection cage does not show any missed rays
-baking tangent space normal map with the right orientation
-also tried to bake in Xnormal and/or with handplane
I already read a lot of threads in here about baking normal maps and reducing errors but I can not figure out my problem in this special case. I hope I haven´t done any "first post noobish" mistake and that anyone is able to help me out
Replies
Have you tried looking at the normal map in marmoset for example? marmoset have the option for 3ds max tangent basis.
In theory, you SHOULD get a correct bake without shading errors with the correct tangents, one smoothing group, and one uv shell, but in max, it doesn't really seem to work all that good.
Max is somewhat famous for using two different tangents (one in the renderer and one in the viewport) so I never really believe anything I see in that viewport without checking in (for example) marmoset first!
As far as the odd line on the rear fender should I split the verts in the UVW space like this ?
Nevermind it does not affact the shading.
well the max renderer/baker is not synced with the max viewport, the normalmaps should look great in rendering, however you could use the 3pointshader with qualified normals to get the viewport to render the normalmap correctly
@Kimon: that makes no sense, Max is also not synced with marmoset (maybe in marmoset 2 it is?) so if it looks good it's most likely luck, make sure your maps are in sync with the target renderer it makes no sense to preview maps supposed to land in unity within any other engine or viewer unless it supports the unity tangent base
When you're not using a synced workflow, you need to make it as easy on the normal map as possible, this means avoiding very extreme mesh normals on the low like you have here where you're getting errors.
So anyways I tried to apply a different smoothing group to the seat and also split my UVs at that edge but it did not change anything. Kinda wierd