Normal Map Baking

Hey guys,
Could you please help me to bake a normal map from HPoly object to simple plane.
I know how it works, but for some reason it bakes an empty normal map (please see attached image)
I can’t find whats is wrong ?

Thank you!

NORMAL .blend (500 KB)


Both objects need to occupy the same space. As your high poly plane isn’t in line with your low poly, the normals are not going across.
I’ve attached a blend file, if you select the ‘source’ object, then shift+select the ‘Target’ then hit bake, you should get the same result as the packed normal image.
Then try moving the source object up and down slightly and bake and notice the difference. If you keep it within the bounds of intersecting the plane, you will get something, but move it too far up and you get an “empty” normal map.

Hi Colkai,
Thank you for your reply!
It works in your file, but doesn’t work in mine ? for some reason

Have you tried to open my file?

Just had a look, I know what your problem is, the high poly only has sharp sides, there is no “normal” for the bake to see. it is either flat facing you or at 90 degrees, it has no ‘angle’ to work with. I edited your HP object, so the ‘top’ polys were slightly thinner on the X axis using “individual Origins” when scaling. Then moved the HP on the Z axis, so it lined up with the LP object, then baked and got an expected result. You can’t bake 90 degree angles simply because there is nothing to see.
Hope this helps

Cool thank you!
Of course! I am an idiot :slight_smile:
Cheers

Hey no worries, I’ve done it more than once myself, it’s separating Normals map from depth map. I suppose you could set up materials to produce a depth map of the high poly to give a bump map, but again, I think any attempt to convert that into a normal map would end up with the same result. Though a mix of normal map and bump map would give a nice approximation I think.

If we use the depth map as a bump texture, then it will work; as the different depths will produce a small edge in between, even if both depths have the same orientation.

The only problem with bump maps, is that is hard to control the final orientation of the normals… but most materials don’t need to be so precise (thought we still can have the normal map for that).

Yep, my thoughts exactly. :slight_smile: