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Direct X problems with 'Dice' Normal map tutorial.

greentooth
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fearian greentooth
...I think.

I've been following Andrei Ichim's normal mapping tutorial over at Game Artist, and While I think I understand the process, I'm not getting the right results. My normal map looks fine, but its not rendering right or showing up in the veiwport. Im fairly sure its a problem whith my Direct X plugin, but I have no idea how to tell or where to begin fixing it. Or I cant find things in max 2009.

Heres my normal map:
1e00_Dice_Normal.png

Which seems fine to me. But on a side note, can anyone explain why the render in max comes out looking like this?

So I apply this to my low poly model in the bump map slot (with a value of 100) and this is where things go wrong. The tutorial calls for me to check the DX Display of Standard Material option in the DirectX Manager section.

Which isn't there for me. Now my normal map won't show up in the viewport:c8e7_Directx.jpg

Can anyone tell me where this option is located? Has it moved for max 2009? or is my direct X plugin not working?

Any help appreciated, thanks! :)

Replies

  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    Left-click and hold on the little blue/white checkered cube icon in the Material Editor for your normalmapped material.
    It should pop out a little sub-menu containing a pink/white checkered cube icon - select this one, then turn it on.

    They changed the method of enabling DX material display in recent Max versions, I guess this tutorial is older than that.
  • fearian
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    fearian greentooth
    Thanks! I think its a nice change now I can find it!

    Next problem: My normal map renders very oddly in the viewport and when I render, like so:
    6c4a_veiwportmap2.png

    the dots on the dice look like inset rings rather than soft scoops. You might also notice the edges of the normal maps dont line up, or at least the seams are very very messy. I've unwrapped the low poly cube before hand, so whats the deal?

    Heres the normal map as a diffuse to better illustrate the mis-match:
    cfc7_veiwportmap1.png

    more info?
  • kodde
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    kodde polycounter lvl 19
    I'm not familiar with Max. But here's an idea. Is the Bump options set to the correct normal map method? I take it there might be at least three settings "Bump" (old way), "Tangent Space" and "Object Space". This has to match the same setting you had when generating the Nmaps. By the looks of it you should have Tangent Space.
  • moose
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    moose polycount sponsor
    looks like your channels are dorked up. Inverting the Y chan may fix it
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    first, make sure your Bump slot intensity is 100 - it defaults to 30 which will give a weird display in the viewport.
    secondly, try checking the "Flip Y" (or is it "Flip Green Channel" ?) in the Normal Bump map properties - it seems like one or more of your normal-map's channels may be inverted.

    edit: lol, looks like everyone clicked post at the same time!
  • Mark Dygert
    Make sure you set the bump material from "Bitmap" to "Normal Bump".
    So when you normally click the bump slot and pick "bitmap" and browse to your texture,
    click "Normal Bump" then click "normal" and then browse to your texture.

    Just sticking a normal map in the bump slot like you would a diffuse will cause 3ds to treat it like a B/W bump map, yuck!
  • fearian
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    fearian greentooth
    Wow! What a response!

    Moose and MoP: yup I thought it might have been inverted but wasn't the issue!

    EVERYONE: your all right, I forgot to choose normal bump instead of bitmap/bumpmap. Do'h!

    Thanks everyone, I feel like I understand normal maps in max alot more as well as jsut being aple to slap them on now! :D
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