Bake normals never progresses

Hi!

I have trouble baking a normal map from a highpoly model to lowpoly. This usually is not a problem for me, have done it several times with fairly complex models.

So I follow the usual workflow:

  • model highpoly
  • model lowpoly
  • unwrap lowpoly
  • create a new image to bake to and assign it to the lowpoly
  • select highpoly
  • select lowpoly (shift-click)
  • select normal baking in the dropdown
  • check selected to active (bias 0.01 and distance 0.1, but that doesn’t matter).
  • Hit bake

Now blender seems to start baking but nothing happens. Normally baking normals is done within seconds. A complex model and a high map (neither applies here) can take slightly longer but not minutes.

At first I thought that my installation was corrupt so I installed 2.66. Same thing.
Machine rebooted of course. Same thing.
Modeled a rounged cube, did a fast uv-unwrap and bingo, it worked.

My model is a rusty van without glass in the windows. The geometry is continous both inside and outside of the van. Recalculate normals doesn’t work. I don’t think blender understand that it is a hollow piece with solid walls.

Edit: I have found some problem with my highpoly mesh. I still think it is interesting that if manages to totally freeze the baking.

Just add the link to your post or upload to http://www.pasteall.org/blend/

Can anyone confirm the described behaviour?