Baking

[Hunter]

I just made a quick test bake so I can get the hang of it. How do I invert the normal map? Or even better make it render right, because it rendered inverted.

[IceCube]

What do you mean it rendered inverted? Pic? (I dont get it).

Edit: Are you making normals from a highpoly model for a low poly? If so, use Xnormals.

[Hunter]

Bascially the normal is inverted, so things which should be in, are out.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/lowpolyNormalsMapcopy.jpg

[Advancebo]

Invert green channel I believe.

[Hunter]

@Edit Yes, But I don't want to change the technique which i use to make them, I simple asked how do I invert them.

@AdvanceBo, Okay, Cheers.

[IceCube]

I'm not sure if this will work, but go in Paint or Photo shop, and either do what Advance said, or just go to image>adjustments>invert. (it may or may not change the color like when you take the green channel out. Not sure)

[king_nothing_]

I totally thought this thread was about making bread. I was curious as to why such a thread would be in this forum though.

Please forgive my off-topicness.

[Reaper Man]

I totally thought this thread was about making bread. I was curious as to why such a thread would be in this forum though.

Please forgive my off-topicness.
Me too

[Roostervier]

Are you using xNormal to bake? If so, an easy way to invert the green channel automatically without having to photoshop it is to open xNormal, go to baking options, click on the "..." next to normal map, and change the Y+ value to Y-

[Hunter]

I thought xNormal was a different plugin or something lol. I am using this technique;
http://www.modacity.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16796

I have inverted it now anyway, but why does it look like SHIT and have no depth at all? :/
Left high poly, right lowpoly with normal maps.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/wtfshit.jpg

[Roostervier]

did you invert the green channel only or did you actually invert the entire normal map. all you should have done was invert the green channel.

[Hunter]

I inverted the green channel. When you apply the normal map to a material you can actually invert it there, so I made a new bake and did that, still looks like a sack of shit.

[Limited]

How many polys is the one that has baked on? It needs to have a decent amount so that it has polys to work with.

[Hunter]

Bascially its a box

[IceCube]

you sure all your material settings in max are correct?

[Limited]

Bascially its a box
Your going to need to make it more than just a simple box to make it look good, add a few polys/segments to it.

[FireScythe]

Invert red AND green. Although, looking at your normal map in max now and it looks fine as is.

[Disaster]

You have multiple smoothing groups on the same island. That makes problems around the edges that you are seeing there. Break up the parts that aren't one continuous smoothing group. Or just give the low poly 1 same smoothing group then rebake. The low poly may have smoothing errors but the normal map will fix it when applied.

[Hunter]

Eh, still not looking any good. Can't be arsed. *Closes max*

Cheers for the help though.

[legionaire45]

Here is a tutorial on baking (http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-to-bake-a-cake.htm). I hope it is helpful for your future endeavors.

Remember that Normal maps aren't going to magically solve all of your problems and magically make the universe better. Try giving your LP model a single smoothing group and playing with your render settings to make it look better. Google (http://www.marcusdublin.com/ParagalisTutorialPage5.html) around for (http://tech-artists.org/wiki/Normal_Map) some stuff (http://www.svartberg.com/tutorials/article_normalmaps/normalmaps.html)that might (http://wiki.polycount.net/3D_Tutorials/Modeling_High-Low_Poly_Models_for_Next_Gen_Games) help you (http://www.bencloward.com/tutorials_normal_maps1.shtml) get nice (http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/normal_workflow.htm) settings. Etc. The usual shit. Worst case, try baking the normals in a different app/tool.

[Hunter]

Tryed again using the most simple model I could... the whole low poly model has the same smoothing group when I applied the Projection modifier.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/render_crap_bake.jpg

Normal maps:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/normal_maps_08_bake.png
Why are the edges so sharp?

This is how I have it setup:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/martynball/viewport_bake.png

[Roostervier]

It honestly looks like something is wrong with your rendering method, or how you've set your material up. That normal map, despite the fact that it could be better, should not be looking like that.

[Hunter]

:'( I just going to gtfo. flyinrooster you have max 2010?

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8BKG8N4I

There is the scene and normal map if you have max 2010.

[Roostervier]

hunter, go learn how to set up a render and a max scene material, right now |:

e:

Wrong: http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5168/before.png


Right: http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4795/afteri.png

You have to put a normal bump in the bump map slot if you want the normal map to work properly. Then you reference the bitmap from there.

Also, turn your supersampling off. You don't know how to use it, and that's why your normal map AA sucks balls

[Hunter]

Hey, all of my other renders work right Lol. And i dont really bother with materials, so that might be why.

[Roostervier]

wait, so everything you were trying wasnt working but you didnt think to check the material you didnt bother with?

[Hunter]

I did bother, I mean. I thought it would be okay if I just checked the "bump" box and kept it set to about "30". Then put the normal map on.

[FireScythe]

Are you just putting the normal map into the "Bump" channel? If so, don't. Theres a "Normal Bump" type that goes into the Bump channel and your normal map goes into the Normal Bump's "Normal" channel.

[Hunter]

:suicide:

[Roostervier]

and set it to 100 after youve done that. your normals will then display correctly

[IceCube]

you sure all your material settings in max are correct?

I was right. :neckbeard:

But really, in order to see things better, try model things with a bit more detail that isn't 90 degrees. This way you can check if you are doing everything properly. (*right now if im not mistaken, its really big objects your making bakes/normals for.)