Baking Normals in 2.62

Support Materials and Textures
#1

I wonder if anybody can help me with the following: I’m trying to bake some texture maps (most specifically a normal map). I’d never done it before so I followed this tutorial http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/07/22/creating-a-sci-fi-panel-part-1/. It’s a 2.5 tutorial but I didn’t think it would make much difference. However, it does not work!

I cannot get more than 2 objects to bake onto the base object. I changed the order of the objects, the Distance and the Bias to try several combinations but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Is there something I missed which has changed in 2.62 with regards to baking texture maps?
BTW, I’m trying to do this in the standard Blender Renderer because I don’t think it is at all possible in Cycles.

Thank you in advance for your help :slight_smile:

#2

Attach your blend file or post a link to it

#3

Ok, here goes. It’s a bit of a mess because it didn’t work as expected … ring 01.blend (1.21 MB)

#4

In the Render / Layers settings you need to select the layer your objects are on. The objects are all on layer 1 but you have set the render to only render layer 2. Change this.
I’m not sure exactly what you are hoping to see with baking normals with the objects you have. I suggest you watch the tutorial again and read up on what normal maps are.
Normal maps will not record all the geometry you have in your model. The top ring will obviously hide the object between your rings so any of their detail will not be recorded. Look down from the top of your model, that is what will be recorded in your map. See this tutorial for another demonstration http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/04/08/tip-floating-geometry-with-normal-mapping/

Attachments


#5

That’s what I thought at first but if I put the ring layer below the bolts and washers, it doesn’t render anything but the base object. This way it renders the ring and the bolts as a normal map, but the washers do not render, if I put the washers above the bolts, only the ring renders, if I put the washers above the ring, only the ring renders … it’s a bit of a conundrum.:frowning:

I am sorry about the layers. I moved the lamp because it was in my way, I must have left layer 2 on when I saved it to attach it …

#6

A few more things I can see with your blend.
The scale values for some of the objects need to be reset to 1. Select them and Ctrl+A / scale
The face normals for the Circle Base object are flipped. Select all its vertices and Ctrl+N to recalculate them
I would unwrap the Circle Base object so the top face is one island and the edge is another island so there is no potential issues. Just place a seam around the outer top edge and then unwrap.
Attached is a bake with all the parts.

Attachments

ring 01 (1).blend (1.19 MB)