UDK normal map issue

[gibson543]

Alright, well I have pics

max viewport
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5347/rocknormalwtfxol.jpg (http://img809.imageshack.us/i/rocknormalwtfxol.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

in UDK material editor thingy
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/795/rocknormalwtfudk.jpg (http://img181.imageshack.us/i/rocknormalwtfudk.jpg/)

It's just wierd. Just one smoothing group, and I can't use Xoliul fully because on my computer the specular map slot doens't work. Any ideas?

[cholden]

After reviewing this over IM. I believe our conclusion was the UV seam of the normal map. Unless you discovered something after that point.

[Froyok]

Did you inverted the green channel of the normal map ?

[Autocon]

Most likely the UV seam. UDK from my experaince has always handed seams terribley. Another reason Epic uses detail normal maps as they almost remove the noticeably of the UV seam. Still slightly there but in game you never really notice it unless you are looking for it.

[crazyfingers]

That drove me crazy for months. What worked was saving all the important UV information in UV channels 1 and above. In channel 0 make a dummy UV channel and just slelect all the faces and do a quick planar map, doesn't have to be pretty all that matters is that you don't see any green seams. Don't use this UV channel (0) for anything, it's made soley for removing the seam. Now go in and adjust your materials UV nodes and lighting channels accordingly.

[gibson543]

Thanks for all the info guys :) I'll try these

[gibson543]

Alright, with this problem fixed (thank you btw). I'm just wondering why my normals are always so pixeled.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8493/normalspixely.jpg (http://img839.imageshack.us/i/normalspixely.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

the circled areas are good examples of this. Didn't wanna make a new thread.

Thanks in advanced

[metalliandy]

it looks like the TEXTUREGROUP_ settings that UDK uses for normal maps

Changing the TEXTUREGROUP_ to something like TEXTUREGROUP_UI would help but its not recommended for production :)

http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/TextureSupportAndSettings.html

[gibson543]

thanks andy, will give that a shot :)

[metalliandy]

no worries :)

[gibson543]

oh damn. how exactly do you edit the .ini files? because notepad won't let me resave it as an ini. just a txt.

[metalliandy]

You can change the texturegroup by double clicking the texture in the generic browser and using the drop down menus :)

[gibson543]

o...haha thanks again andy XD and it improved a little i guess, but for the most part it looks just about the same. any more ideas?

[metalliandy]

What size is you normal map?
Can you post it please?

[gibson543]

My normal is 2048 by 2048. Ignore the smoothing group edges. Here it is full size

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/5619/group6416normalsmap.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/i/group6416normalsmap.jpg/)

[Ben Apuna]

The pixilation of your map in UDK is probably caused by the DXT compression that UDK applies to a normal map compressed with the TC_Normalmap setting.

You could try TC_NormalmapUncompressed. It will end up smoother with way less artifacts, but this will also cut your texture's resolution in half. An obvious workaround would be to bake and import your normal map at double the resolution you want it to be in game.

With a stone column I personally wouldn't worry too much about it, once you get a diffuse texture on there and bake the lighting it will probably much less noticeable. Super shiny or reflective materials/models would be another story...

[metalliandy]

I just realised i made a typo.
Texturegroup should have been LODGroup :P

I can really see any other solution to this apart from playing around with the compression settings. AFAIK this is a good as they get as the lod size for UI is 4k.

As you suggested before, you save from doing this step a ton of time, you can change the .ini (after backing it up:P)
\UDKGame\Config\DefaultEngineUDK.ini
Change from line 107 onwards :)
If you cant edit the file just right click the file>Properties and uncheck Read-only

Sorry i dont have much more to help :/

[gibson543]

thanks ben, will try it out, and andy's method worked well enough, so this thread is closed once more for the moment

edit: dammit andy made a ninja post :p and thanks man. will try that as well xD

[xvampire]

Don't use this UV channel (0) for anything, it's made soley for removing the seam. Now go in and adjust your materials UV nodes and lighting channels accordingly.

how do i switch my texture to another co-ordinate other than 0 in udk?

*edit
oh nvm i found it in node

but it seems now the normal seam is switched to my other UV lol ... confused ...

[xvampire]

ok, the seam just dissapear after i blend all the seam with pure blue color
rgb
0.0.255

lol, unreal zero normal = pure blue?

[tristamus]

Wait, so you're saying you just used an Constant 3 Vector expression and made it 0,0,255, and then used an add expression, connected the constant 3 vector to it and the normal map you have, then connected that to normal node, and that fixed it?

Edit: Oops, I meant 0,0,1 - Because Unreal is 0 to 1

[xvampire]

no, thats for image rgb parameter in photoshop. not in udk, idont change anything in udk


but for static mesh, the regular tangent normal map + lightmass is perfectly seamless ... :(
why skeletal mesh is different lol

[JordanW]

could you post your texture properties window for the normal map with unpack min and max exposed as well?

[xvampire]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/arriev/udkscreend-1.jpg
here

[JordanW]

Your unpack min should be -1, sRGB should be unchecked, and compression settings should be TC_Normalmap or TC_NormalmapUncommpressed.

When importing a normal map if you set the compression setting to TC_Normalmap the previous 2 settings with be set by default.

[xvampire]

oh now that sounds more make sense thank you :)!~!!