Normal map - seams?

#1

Hello all,

I have baked a normal map from a high poly version of my model in 3dsmax which overall was ok, but needed a few tweaks in photoshop.

However, whenever I resave the file (tried numerous file formats) it will always show up these ugly black lines/shadows which are not present in the original normal map it created.

Here is a screenshot showing what I mean.

Note - I do not actually touch the feet in the normal map, yet they always end up looking like this. They are using a mirrored UV which was outside the 0,1 space when I baked it as well as the ears and hands but they do not suffer from this.

I tried flipping RGB channels in photoshop hoping it was just a difference between how 3DS and Photoshop worked but no luck yet.

Any one shed some light on this?

Thanks in advance,

Swampkandy

#2

Can you show the unwrap of the low poly leg ?

#3

Hey Maxster,

Thanks for replying, here is the unwrap.
Hope you can make sense of it, its driving me nuts!

Thanks again,

Swampkandy

#4

From the unwrap, it is clear that you are getting black lines at separated areas. Hope you are aware of smoothing groups, you should break uv’s according to the smoothing groups. Smoothing group is creating those hard lines. But in your case you can simply remove it in Photoshop, I can’t see any details from high poly is being transferred to that area. Otherwise check your uv splits and smoothing groups.

#5

What does the normal look like? Did you add enough padding when you baked the maps?