3dsmax doesn't export mesh normals on models with skin modifier

AlecMoody · Jul 2017

I thought these issues were unreal's fault but it seems that 3dsmax will not export normals in an FBX file with skinned meshes. Is there a fix for this? Do other 3d software have this issue? Not being able to bring in mesh normals really screws up my baking workflow. I have tried max 2018 and 2015.

Edit:
I re-exported as ascii and was able to read them and see that both files have the same mesh normals. Now I am back to trying to figure out why unreal won't load them.

Obscura · Jul 2017

Should be under the skin. You can also try collapsing that stack except the skin. I never had issues exporting normals of skeletal meshes. Classic case of a vehicle.

AlecMoody · Jul 2017

Have you ever had issues loading them in unreal? I think im going crazy over here trying to track down shading issues on skeletal meshes. I have confirmed that both a skinned and non skinned model have mesh normals and that they match:
http://i.imgur.com/7TelDGJ.png

99% of the work I have done for unreal clients has been static meshes. The last time I did skeletal meshes for unreal was before you could load mesh normals.

Obscura · Jul 2017

No. That sounds more like an issue with the import settings rather than export. When you import the mesh, in the import dialogue, there are a couple of options about what to do with it. There is an option to tell it what do do with the normals. Calculate, or import. Make sure thats set to import.

AlecMoody · Jul 2017

I'm aware of how to set the import settings in unreal. This is from earlier testing when I was trying to determine if the issue was unreal's importer or max's exporter:

The fact that changing normals calculation mode affects shading behavior when mesh normals are set to import makes think it just isn't loading skeletal mesh normals and is reverting to calculating.

Obscura · Jul 2017

Please try importing normals and tangents as well. That should do it. Is this in 4.16? there might be a bug with this. Not sure but from what I see this will only import the normals if you set it to import the tangents as well in 4.16. At least I got the same results when I did only normals - which was working fine before.

AlecMoody · Jul 2017

I'm on 4.16.2. I'll test out importing tangents as well but import tangents is a non starter for a clean baking workflow.

Lemonpeel10 · Oct 2018

Hey Alec, did you ever get to the bottom of this issue? Im getting the same problems.

AlecMoody · Oct 2018

I no longer have the issue but I can't remember what the fix was.

Lemonpeel10 · Oct 2018

Thanks for the reply. This issue is driving me mad.

Lemonpeel10 · Oct 2018

BTW any details would be amazing if you do remember. When you say you no longer have this issue, do you mean you've not done any work exporting skinned meshes since? or that you have and it simply just works for you now? Thanks.

AlecMoody · Oct 2018

I haven't exported any skinned meshes since. I did something to fix it at the time but I can't remember what it was. I remember trying different FBX SDKs from max and also switching between ascii and binary files.

Lemonpeel10 · Nov 2018

Trying different FBX SDKs? Is this process using sample presets from Autodesk FBX Extensions and building in Visual Studio into .dll, then using that in the 3ds max install folders? Just checking this method is correct for trying FBX SDKs.

3dsmax doesn't export mesh normals on models with skin modifier

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