Originally Posted by Frankie

How did you get 32? I would have said 3*8=24.

Sorry I mean't 24. :P

I don't know exactly how the extra UV sets are handled either, but the magazine article you linked to mentions extra UV sets briefly.

"Moreover, if you have objects with multiple UV channels, the splits will occur successively through every channel."

Originally Posted by EarthQuake

Your problem here is that your cage(envelope in maya) isn't averaged. This is a simple setting in the transfer maps options, its like... "Match using" geometry normals or mesh normals or something, just turn it to the other option. I can never remember which it is but one will give you an averged(seamless) projection while the other will have hard breaks in the projection.

You may need to use a few extra verts in places when using an averaged projection to counter the skewing/waviness type artifacts that you will get though, but thats all just part of a good workflow. More here:

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81154

You got "black splotches"(smoothing errors most likely) because you averaged your mesh normals, not your projection mesh. Smoothing errors are caused by minor discrepancies between how the baker(maya) bakes and how the renderer(marmoset) displays the result. For best results you want to use a sync'd workflow, like displaying Maya bakes in Maya's viewport, or Max bakes with 3ps shader with QM.

Thanks Eq that was an nice piece of text to read. although i mostly don't bake my maps with maya i guess it would apply to Xnormal to.
Should i export an cage from maya (the red one) and use it in Xnormal

The link is very nice to, that USED to be a problem for me to thanks to clear that up . nice read
Thanks

Originally Posted by Bertmac

Thanks Eq that was an nice piece of text to read. although i mostly don't bake my maps with maya i guess it would apply to Xnormal to.
Should i export an cage from maya (the red one) and use it in Xnormal

The link is very nice to, that USED to be a problem for me to thanks to clear that up . nice read
Thanks

Yeah in XN you'll want to export a cage, or created a cage within the 3d viewer. If you're using the default ray distance settings in XN you'll get the broken edge problems too.

Originally Posted by m4dcow

I think EQ just mean't that the vertex counts won't increase if you make a hard edge in a spot where there is a UV seam already and vice versa.

Right, I said this in every post so far relating to the subject, c'mon Frankie, reading comprehension bro.

My first point in the thread was

"As well as the visual artifacts unnecessary split normals can cause it's also worth knowing that as it's essentially duplicating the vertex so it's hugely inefficient when you put it in game."

relating to this picture



where everything is clearly flat shaded or in other words every single vertex is split.


I think its good advice for a beginner to not flat shade models for efficiency reasons.

Not sure where I missed the point...

Originally Posted by Frankie

My first point in the thread was

"As well as the visual artifacts unnecessary split normals can cause it's also worth knowing that as it's essentially duplicating the vertex so it's hugely inefficient when you put it in game."

relating to this picture



where everything is clearly flat shaded or in other words every single vertex is split.


I think its good advice for a beginner to not flat shade models for efficiency reasons.

Not sure where I missed the point...

Originally Posted by EarthQuake

I mean, of course it is a terrible idea to have every edge on your model set to hard

Probably when I agreed with you. =P

There are two valid points to be made here:

A. Using a faceted mesh/hard edges on every face is a bad idea. Both you and I have made this point.

B. Using hard edges along your uv boarders on a normal, well optimized mesh has no drawbacks. - You keep bringing up A whenever someone brings up B, but they are two distinct points, which are both equally valid. Point B is not contrary to point A.

Point A is of course the most beneficial to the OP. However, point B is often misunderstood, as many artists think "my whole model should be on 1SG" because it is "more optimized" or something, which simply isn't the case. So it is very relevant to a discussion about real vertex use.

The advice I would give the op is: Set everything to one SG, then use a script to assign hard edges/sgs to your uv islands/borders. Renderhjs' Textools script has an easy to use function to do this. So again, not contrary advice to yours, simply expanded.

Thanks EQ
I am testing right now ( mainly because of the other thread you gave the link from )
Its so much more clear now.
thank you

Yeah OK I mostly agree with that post

Originally Posted by Frankie

Yeah OK I mostly agree with that post

=D

Did you ever finish that strap-on nazi chick?

HAHA I don't think so. Maybe I've got the model hanging around somewhere if you want to take over?

No no, you should post it in pimping just for fun though =P

polycount needs a "what were you working on then"

shit I just found all my old stuff, got back to 1998 so far when I was 14!

Originally Posted by Frankie

polycount needs a "what were you working on then"

shit I just found all my old stuff, got back to 1998 so far when I was 14!

That actually sounds like an awesome idea, feel free to start that thread.

Thanks again to all that posted. No worries about hijacking or anything, it's all good info. I appreciate the small debates on this kinda thing, as well. It give me a lot of insight on how to 'see' what I'm supposed to be doing.

make that thing one smoothing group, and beef up those edges in your HP and that should do it.

Simple question:

How do i average my cage in xNormal?

Because everybody`s talking about averaging cages but this lil magic trick doesn`t happen to me.

Here`s an image