3d studio max smooth drawing fire

In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to bake the Normal and AO (Ambience Occlusion) maps from the high-res model. In next-gen gaming, Normal and AO maps are a very major part of the pipeline and nosotros have to generate these maps before texturing, because the texturing process depends on it.

And so let's larn how we tin can bake a Normal and AO map using 3ds Max.

ane. Preparation

Footstep 1

Correct placement of the high and low-res meshes is the nigh important thing. Here we commencement by arranging some layers, because information technology's e'er better to piece of work using a proper naming convention and layers.

You tin come across I have placed the high-res mesh in a Hi_Mesh layer, and the low-res mesh in a LO_Mesh layer. One time washed, position both meshes in the same place and so they perfectly overlap each other. You lot can use the Align tool for the all-time fit.

Step ii

The smoothing groups of the mesh should be separated according to how the mesh is unwrapped. There are two means to assign smoothing groups to an object. The commencement style is to manually select the polygons you want to smooth and choose a unlike smoothing group number.

The second way is to use a proficient script for this purpose. I prefer the Textools script. It's a free to download, easy to utilize and very helpful script. Yous can download it from hither.

Information technology's also very piece of cake to install. Just drag and drop it onto the 3ds Max interface and choose Quick Install when prompted. One time installed, yous will run into a floating tool bar just like what'southward shown beneath.

Step 3

With the Low-Res model selected, go to Tools > Smoothing Groups from UV shells.

This automatically applies several modifiers to the object as shown in the following image. Plummet all the modifiers, or Convert the mesh into an Editable Poly.

Stride 4

Sometimes y'all may face problems with your Normal and AO (Ambience Apoplexy) map, if you lot accept overlapping UV faces. So you should always movement whatever overlapping parts out of the UV box.

About of the fourth dimension, I use the Accented Relative Type Ins for this. With the overlapping parts selected, enter a value of -1 or 1 in U or Five box and hit Enter. The selected unwrapped faces will be moved exterior of the UV box.

You can also achieve the same task with the help of the Tex Tools script. Information technology'south very like shooting fish in a barrel and quick. First click on the Open UV Editor option.

You will get several new tools along the acme of the UV editor window. Just click on the Shift Overlap push and all the overlapped parts will be moved out of the UV box.

Subsequently this, plummet the UVW Modifier by Right Clicking on it and choosing Collapse All.

two. Render to Texture Setup

Step 1

Now press the 0 (nix) key, or get to Rendering > Render To Texture...

Step two

This opens the Render To Texture dialogue box.

Footstep 3

Showtime, nosotros need to define the Output path or folder, so the generated maps can be stored in that location. Here I have fabricated a new folder named Burn down Extinguisher.

Step 4

Now select the Low-Res mesh and click on the Pick... option.

Step 5

Here select the High Res mesh, or "Target" mesh which will be projected onto the low-res mesh.

iii. Adjusting Projection Settings

Step 1

After adding the target mesh, you will see in that location is now a Projection modifier applied on the low-res mesh and a blue colored wireframe around the meshes. This is called the Cage.

Pace two

Next click on the Cage roll-out tab to expand it.

Step 3

Click on the Reset button, so the cage will be reset and firmly practical onto the mesh.

Step 4

Yous can see the muzzle is now wrapped firmly effectually the mesh, so enable the Shaded and Indicate to Point options. When you enable the Shaded selection, the muzzle turns into a face up display mode.

Step 5

Await at this! This is not the low-res mesh, but the cage has been turned into faces because we've turned on the shaded display option. However yous can plough information technology back into wireframe mode again by switching off Shaded mode.

Push is an pick which volition help in covering the loftier res mesh with the cage. You can manually edit the vertices of the cage, or y'all tin can increase or decrease the overall size of the cage using the Push Amount and Percent options.

Annotation: The low-res mesh and loftier-res mesh should fit together and the cage should not intersect with either the loftier or low-res mesh. It should ever be a fiddling bigger than the mesh. For the best results, go on your meshes as close together as possible.

four. Render Settings

Step i

Once y'all take set up the cage properly, motion back to the Render To Texture window.

Here you will see is an selection for Padding. This depends on the pixel gap betwixt the UV seams. We need some actress pixels on the broiled map outside of the seams, as they protect the seams during compression or mip mapping.

I prefer to use a Padding value of three to six for a 2048 map, though it may vary from engine to engine based on compression and the specifications. Follow the same Mapping Coordinates settings as shown in the image below, and then click on the Add push button.

Step 2

This opens the Add Texture Elements window. Here yous tin can choose the desired elements like Normal, Ambient Occlusion, Shadow etc.

I prefer to use the Lighting Map selection for Ambient Occlusion, so I have selected the NormalMap and LightingMap elements. One time you have made your selections, click on the Add Elements button.

Step three

You can see these two maps take been added to the Output tabular array. Now click on the File Name and Type button.

Step 4

Let's ascertain the proper file name and blazon. You can see that the file name is a combination of the mesh name and chemical element type. Set the file type as .TGA and click on the Save button.

Stride 5

A confirmation window opens. Here choose the 32 Bit option and then click on OK.

Step 6

Let's become back to the Render To Texture dialog and select the Ambient Color selection in the Target Map Slot.

Pace vii

Now select both elements one by one and define the map size. (I will select 2048x2048 for both.) To define the map size, offset select the LightingMap and then click on the 2048x2048 option.

Step 8

With the NormalMap selected, choose Bump in the Target Map Slot. Click on 2048x2048 and enable the Output into Normal Bump option.

Step nine

Now it's fourth dimension to add together lighting to the scene. So click on the Lights tab in the Create panel.

Step 10

Select the Standard lights option instead of Photometric using the drop-down menu.

Step 11

Add together a Skylight into the scene.

Step 12

Let's become dorsum to the Render To Texture window and click on the Options... push button.

Stride 13

This opens the Projection Options window. Click on the Ray Miss Color check box. The default RGB value for the Ray Miss Color is 255,0,0. We have to alter it to 127, 127, 255 every bit this is the base color of a Normal map.

Step 14

Now click on the Global Supersampler, Setup... option.

Step xv

Here we can setup the quality of the maps. Nosotros accept to suit the global super sampling and filters for better Antialiasing.

Step 16

Enable the Global Supersampler option and choose Hammersley from the listing. Then choose Mitchell-Netravali equally the Filter.

There are many filters for antialiasing, but I prefer Mitchell-Netravali (for polish results) and Catmull Rom (for a abrupt arrangement of pixels).

For Global Super Sampling, there are two major samplers – Adaptive Halton and Hammersly. Both take 4 to forty samples in the Ten and Y axis, but there is a large difference in the quality and output fourth dimension.

Adaptive Halton is lesser in quality than Hammersly, just faster in rendering, so I prefer Adaptive Halton. But if you lot want a quality bake then choose Hammersley.

Step 17

Side by side click on the Advanced Lighting tab.

Step 18

Select the Low-cal Tracer selection from the driblet-down carte.

Stride xix

Now let'due south conform the samples. For a standard output, the value could be 250-300, and for a quality output, 500-600 samples are fine. After setting the samples, click on the Ten button to close the window.

Step xx

At present information technology'south time to broil the maps. Inside the Render To Texture box, go to the Baked Fabric roll-out and click on Render.

Conclusion

Here is the terminal rendered result.

Additional Notes: If the Normal and Ambient maps are not working well or bear witness some artifacts after rendering, these may be the possible reasons:

1. The smoothing groups are not setup correctly co-ordinate to the UV Map seams.
2. The loftier-res and low-res meshes are not aligned correctly.
3. You are choosing the wrong mesh for the projection.
4. The Cage is overlapping the project mesh, or intersecting.
5. There are some overlapping elements inside the UV box.
6. Yous may have chosen the wrong UV Channel.
7. The mesh normals are flipped.
8. You take not added a Heaven Low-cal for the AO (Low-cal Map).
9. If the light map is looking apartment, you should check the Light Tracer option.
10. You are choosing an incorrect map or chemical element for baking.
    

Suggestions:

1. Always use proper names for objects, and then that you can exist assured what you are selecting is right.
2. Broil smaller sized maps for testing and once you are assured the effect is correct, make them larger.
3. Broil the Normal Map outset without using the skylight and Light Tracer option, because it takes a lot of time to render.
4. You tin sometimes paint out artifacts in Photoshop. So always rely on Photoshop for some mail product work, and don't hesitate at all to use information technology.
5. If you find you're getting the same error once again and again, endeavour to Consign the mesh every bit an .OBJ, and then re-import it and endeavour over again.

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Source: https://cgi.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-a-game-ready-fire-extinguisher-with-3d-studio-max-part-4--cms-20275

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