2.8: best way to generate a displacement map when retopo'ing?

General Forums Blender Development Discussion
1

This is my first time retopologizing from a high-res object (meshroom scan). I made the new geometry, UV unwrapped, and baked the texture with an emission shader and a cage. Worked great.

But when I went to bake a displacement map (or start to learn how, anyway) I found that 2.80 seems to lack displacement baking.

I’ve seen vague references to “vertical gradient maps” and “VDM” (vector displacement map?) as workarounds – what the smart way to go about this?

I poked around with a gradient node but haven’t gotten anywhere with it. I have no idea how to work with vector data in the node graph, and I can learn, but I want to make sure I’m spending my energy in the right direction.

What’s the current best way to go about capturing detail from a high-poly textured object in to a matching low-poly object? (Without generating the bump or displacement maps manually in gimp, I mean – the texture doesn’t lend itself to that, and I’d like to learn the proper process anyway.)

Thanks for any tips!

2

I think baking displacement will be implemented, but I couldn’t find any evidence on that. If I would have to, I think I’d use xNormal for baking the displacement.

3

Thanks – I just found this (May 22, 2018), where Pablo from Blender says “All functionality from Blender Internal is meant to be implemented back especially because a lot of people request this, but there are higher priorities for Blender 2.8 right now (like modifiers, animation system and performance).” and this task: “Blender Internal displacement baking move to Cycles”, so I think you’re right. I will have to sit on my hands until it is implemented. :slight_smile:

I’ll check out xNormal – thanks for that tip.

If anyone has other tips, I’d appreciate it, thanks!

1 Like
4

You could also use 3D-Coat or Substance if you have them.

5

Thanks – I don’t, but good to know.
I’ve been reading up and now I’m wondering if a normal map is the better way to go anyway… gonna do some tests…

6

Sorry to necro but have there been any updates on this? This thread continues to be a top google result.

7

This seems to be the relevant bug: https://developer.blender.org/T68922
…which is listed here: https://developer.blender.org/T66305
…and ranked as “less important”. Sounds like it’s on the radar for sure, but not prioritized highly (although there aren’t a ton of things prioritized over it. I suppose it also depends on how many resources they have to devote to the render pipeline.)