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Workflow for softimage users how to use 3DC normal maps


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Hello to everyone

who uses softimage and needs tips for working with normal maps, generated by 3DC.

I've made a screenshot to show what you have to keep in mind, when using 3D Coat objects and the corresponding normal maps in Autodesk softimage.

Here are the steps to reproduce the workflow in softimage:

1. Import your OBJ-file (The one you exported from 3DCoat. How to do this, you see up in this thread.)

2. Select your imported mesh and click GET -> Property -> Ultimapper.

3. In the Ultimapper PPG click the "Advanced" TAB -> Adjust Tangents

4. In the new PPG set smoothing to "0" and switch off "Encode Binormal Sign in Alpha".

5. Keep your object selected and open now the Render Tree ("7" key)

6. Add a Normal Node. You find it in Nodes -> Bump -> Normal Map

7. Connect your Normal Map Node to the material slot "Bump Map"

8. Now doubleclick on the Normal Map node and load the "tangent map", which 3D Coat generated, after using the Texture Baking Tool.

9. Choose your Texture Projection in the tspaceid field, by clicking on the pulldown menu.

10. In the Tangents area click on the pulldown menu and choose "Tangents".

11. Swich off "Unbiased Tangents"

Open your render region and voila! That's it!

If you have questions, feel free to post it here.

If you like to know how to bake normal maps in 3DC, please read it here -> Normal maps Support

Best wishes and many thanks to Andrew for the great help !!!

Chris

In the attachment you see my "beautiful" result in softimage. ;)

post-955-1249055073_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
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i am xsi user and I have a question about workflow for just per pixel painting using auto setting for unwrap... lets say i allready have a model that I don't want to sculpt anymore i just want to use paint tools to paint the textures...

What is the best procedure for doing this? and exporting maps to xsi for rendering do i have to use bake tool or do i just export obj and get the maps that way?

I watched this video where the object is deleted is that only for scupting if i del it then its gone ?

hmm

thx

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i am xsi user and I have a question about workflow for just per pixel painting using auto setting for unwrap... lets say i allready have a model that I don't want to sculpt anymore i just want to use paint tools to paint the textures...

What is the best procedure for doing this? and exporting maps to xsi for rendering do i have to use bake tool or do i just export obj and get the maps that way?

I watched this video where the object is deleted is that only for scupting if i del it then its gone ?

hmm

thx

First: In most cases you will get a "naked" object, but with texture coordinates, if you export a mesh into obj file format. Before you export, you need a mesh, created by the retopo tools or by automatic quadrangulation. Always you need texture coordinates before, you can generate them automatically or by hand. All is possible.

This means: you need the textures menu to export the textures, which you need for your project.

Be free to write more questions. I will try to answer them.

Be creative

Chris

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from xsi without any UV's i export a model that has like many pieces of geometry and I get many obj files... I want to use 3d coat to paint textures and bring all that back to xsi....

what would you do .. can you write a step by step what you do for one of those objects for example head... i don't understand this retopo thing

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  • 2 months later...
  • Advanced Member

I started a thread just yesterday about my normal map import - export problems in a SI2010 <-> 3DC work environment; http://www.3d-coat.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4437&st=0&gopid=34418entry34418

I hereby would like to make a small addendum if I may, to Taros's splendid tutorial. Artman Suggested that I try out different combinations of Local Space Normalization which I totally overlooked. It is set to "Normalize B by T" by default. Upon trying out just the opposite, which is "Normalize T by B", the result came out perfect. The settings on 3DC and SI side can be seen in the attachments below.

A very big thanx to Taros and Artman for taking the time to help.

Cheers;

AJ

post-1633-1259509406742_thumb.jpg

post-1633-12595094217051_thumb.jpg

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I recently found some time to verify your workflow.

The preferences as well as the normal settings in XSI were the same as you described in this post.

But I still got some strange normal results. I don´t really know if the error is on 3DCoat´s side or on XSI´s side.

So here´s a comparison. Maybe someone´s got a clue what´s happening here.

Thanks in advance.

Martin

post-1808-12607090509119_thumb.jpg

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