Texture Baking - Revision history

EricChadwick: /* Baking Workflow */ explode avoidance note

2024-12-08T14:18:14Z

‎Baking Workflow: explode avoidance note

RomanGrolimund at 14:25, 26 June 2021

2021-06-26T14:25:51Z

EricChadwick: /* UV Coordinates */ tiled info

2020-10-04T22:47:30Z

‎UV Coordinates: tiled info

EricChadwick: /* Baking Workflow */ explode toolbag

2018-12-11T13:53:08Z

‎Baking Workflow: explode toolbag

EricChadwick: /* Baking Workflow */ edge padding

2018-10-22T11:41:37Z

‎Baking Workflow: edge padding

EricChadwick: /* Baking Workflow */ low poly

2018-10-17T12:36:30Z

‎Baking Workflow: low poly

EricChadwick: /* Baking Workflow */

2018-10-17T12:31:09Z

‎Baking Workflow

EricChadwick: /* Baking Workflow */ Blockout is step 1

2018-10-17T12:22:23Z

‎Baking Workflow: Blockout is step 1

EricChadwick: /* Baking Tools */ Recommended software for baking normals/ambient occlusion maps?

2018-02-20T13:58:25Z

‎Baking Tools: Recommended software for baking normals/ambient occlusion maps?

EricChadwick: /* UV Coordinates */ tangent basis

2018-02-19T23:00:44Z

‎UV Coordinates: tangent basis

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 # Explode.
 #* The reason: Interpenetrating or close-together parts can cause baking artifacts, because neighboring surfaces will capture parts of each other, see [[Texture Baking#Solving Intersections]].
 #* To explode means to separate the non-welded surfaces, mesh elements, Zbrush subtools, etc. so there is ample space between them. Use the same separation for the highpoly model and the lowpoly model. After the bake, move the pieces back together.
 #* The workflow: If the modeling software has animation, you can keyframe the explode to easily reverse it after baking. Tools are also available, see [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=62921 Explode script needed (for baking purposes)]. Elements can be tagged by some baking tools, so specific low-poly elements will only bake related high-poly elements, this avoids exploding (3ds Max can use Material IDs, etc.).
 # Cage.
 #* Create an inflated copy of the low-resolution model, which encompasses the high-resolution model. See [[Texture Baking#Cages]]. Some tools create this automatically.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:25, 26 June 2021
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−	~~[[Category:Tools]]~~ [[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:TextureTechnique]] [[Category:Glossary]] [[Category:EnvironmentTexturing]] [[Category:CharacterTexturing]] [[Category:PropsTexturing]]	+	[[Category:Texturing]] [[Category:TextureTypes]] [[Category:TextureTechnique]] [[Category:Glossary]] [[Category:EnvironmentTexturing]] [[Category:CharacterTexturing]] [[Category:PropsTexturing]]

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 You should avoid changing the UVs after baking the normal map, because rotating or mirroring UVs after baking will cause the normal map not to match the [[#TB|tangent basis]] anymore, which will likely cause lighting problems.
 In 3ds Max, W is a third texture coordinate. It's used for 3D procedural textures and for storing vertex color in UV channels (you need 3 axes for RGB, so UVW can store vertex color). Bake problems can be avoided by moving any overlapping UVs to -1 on the W axis, with the same results as moving them 1 unit on the U or V axes. The tool Render To Texture will always bake whatever UVs are the highest along the W axis. However using W can be messy... it's generally hidden unless you purposefully look for it (bad for team work), doesn't get preserved on export to other apps, and high W values can prevent selecting and/or welding UVs.
 == Tangent Basis ==

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 #* If it's a [[Subdivision Surface Modeling|subdivision surface]] choose an appropriate resolution. Use just enough subdivisions to get a smooth surface at the baking resolution, and no more.
 # Explode.
-#* The reason: Interpenetrating or close-together parts can cause baking artifacts, because neighboring surfaces will capture parts of each other, see [[Texture Baking#Solving Intersections]]. To explode means to separate the non-welded surfaces, mesh elements, Zbrush subtools, etc. so there is ample space between them. Use the same separation for the highpoly model and the lowpoly model. After the bake, move the pieces back together.
+#* The reason: Interpenetrating or close-together parts can cause baking artifacts, because neighboring surfaces will capture parts of each other, see [[Texture Baking#Solving Intersections]].
 #* The workflow: If the modeling software has animation, you can keyframe the explode to easily reverse it after baking. Tools are also available, see [http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=62921 Explode script needed (for baking purposes)]. Elements can be tagged by some baking tools, so specific low-poly elements will only bake related high-poly elements, this avoids exploding (3ds Max can use Material IDs, etc.).
 # Cage.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 #* Create good [[Texture Coordinates]] for your low-poly model.
 #* For [[Normal_Map_Technical_Details#Tangent-Space_vs._Object-Space|tangent-space normal mapping]], split the UVs for every hard edge (where vertex normals are split, or different smoothing groups are used, same thing). See [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107196 You're making me hard. Making sense of hard edges, uvs, normal maps and vertex counts], and [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2226864&postcount=51 Earthquake on separating smoothing groups in the UV].
 # Triangulate:
 #* See [[Texture Baking#Triangulation]], and [[Polygon Count#Polygons Vs. Triangles]].
@@ Line 40: / Line 41: @@
 # Which baker?
 #* [[Texture Baking#Baking Tools]]
-# Import & Test.
+# Test Bakes.
 #* Import the high-resolution model, the low-resolution model, and the cage.
 #* Test the bake settings using lower values for faster iteration. Smaller render sizes, lower anti-aliasing samples, etc.
 #* Fix errors and re-bake until solved. Look for overlaps, gaps, skewed details. Adjust the bake settings, low-poly model, cage, etc. See [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147227 Skew you buddy! Making sense of skewed normal map details.], and [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144715 Skewmesh Tutorial].
 #* Some errors can be painted out later, but avoid this! Any painting must be repeated if the model is re-baked, and painting on a normal map can introduce more artifacts.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 #* Build the source for your normal map, using [[DigitalSculpting]] and/or [[Subdivision Surface Modeling]].
 #* High-quality bakes require specific modeling techniques, see [[Normal Map Modeling]].
-# Re-Topo:
+# Low-poly in-game model:
-#* Use [[ReTopologyModeling]] to build the lower-resolution in-game model.
+#* Remove details from the base version of the high-poly model, or use [[ReTopologyModeling]].
 #* Create good topology for baking. See [[Normal_Map_Modeling#Low-Poly_Mesh]] and [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81154 Understanding averaged normals and ray projection/Who put waviness in my normal map?] and [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147227 Skew you buddy! Making sense of skewed normal map details].
 #* Create good topology for animation. See [[Topology#Principles_of_Topology]].

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 # Blockout model:
 #* Create a rough low- to medium-resolution model, and get it into the game.
-#* Test with all the required functionality so you can see how it's used. This helps you determine how much detail is required.
+#* Test with all the required functionality so you can determine how much detail is required.
 # High-resolution model:
 #* Build the source for your normal map, using [[DigitalSculpting]] and/or [[Subdivision Surface Modeling]].

@@ Line 245: / Line 245: @@
 == Baking Tools ==
 * [http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2016/ENU/?guid=GUID-76F1E8AE-9E8F-40A7-A948-471D17E09DA9 3ds Max: Render To Texture]
 * [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125244 Airborn Studios Tools] - Backstube (Xnormal batcher), Packstube (map packer).

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 In 3ds Max, W is a third texture coordinate. It's used for 3D procedural textures and for storing vertex color in UV channels (you need 3 axes for RGB, so UVW can store vertex color). Bake problems can be avoided by moving any overlapping UVs to -1 on the W axis, with the same results as moving them 1 unit on the U or V axes. The tool Render To Texture will always bake whatever UVs are the highest along the W axis. However using W can be messy... it's generally hidden unless you purposefully look for it (bad for team work), doesn't get preserved on export to other apps, and high W values can prevent selecting and/or welding UVs.
 [[image:tangentseams.jpg|frame|none|When shared edges are at different angles in UV space, different colors will show up
 along the seam. The tangent basis uses these colors to light the model properly. <br>Image by [http://ericchadwick.com Eric Chadwick].]]