I dont understand the question? You can put details on your normalmap by using nDo and then use the detailed normal with DDO. Why is the highpoly mesh so similiar to the lowpoly. Doesnt make much sense to use a normalmap then.
Here's my highpoly! I think its done unless I'm totally looking past something I've missed :| My computer has been broken for ages so I'm relieved to be able to work on her again!
low tech is cool stuff your edges are way too sharp, i can barely see them on the highpoly, your low will look like you didnt bake if you dont soften them up a bunch
The HighPoly's look awesome, and i really like what you ahve done with the dead end. I would love to see some of yoru texture maps for the dead end. Overall great work though. keep it up!
Thanks for the kind words guys :) @bigdeku Yes the veins were sculpted but you could have achieved the same result by just painting them in substance painter. Here's what the highpoly I used for the bake looks like :
Congrats on finally wrapping up, madmuffin. Solid modeling and highpoly work. Unfortunately I feel that texturing is really letting the whole piece down. Put some more work into your texture and you'll be one solid package.
If you would bake anything here, it would be highpoly meshes used to make normal maps for tiling textures or modular parts. The concrete pillars might use a couple variations that you could duplicate and rearrange/bend/etc.
If you want, you can email me an FBX of your lowpoly model and your object space normals and I can tell you why this is happening. The highpoly for that specific section might also help. alecmoody@gmail.com
even back in Doom3 the engine just took the bump maps and made normal maps from them on render. Just stick with normal maps mate, bake them from a highpoly, or use tools like ndo2 and crazybump.
Reinforced Helmet for DJ Scully. WIP thread : http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2365798#post2365798 Workshop link : http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=537298362 Concept : Highpoly and lowpoly models: Textures: Final screenshots: