I can’t seem to get zbrush to successfully export a normal map that seems to work. Here’s what’s going on.
I import the mesh, subdivide, add detail, click make normal map. It makes a make of only a portion of the object.
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How can we get the normal map to work correctly, and the other programs to recognize where to put it?
You need to flip the normal map vertically before exporting from ZBrush. Otherwise it won’t wrap correctly in your other application.
If it then wraps correctly but has visible seams you might also need to adjust the normal map creation settings, such as flipping the green channel.
I don’t think it’s just flipping the map, see my last picture. (I still need help, please! 
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I picked the best uv lay out (I tried them all) and made a texture to show what it looks like. Then made a normal map.
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](javascript:zb_insimg(‘188908’,‘Untitled.jpg’,1,0))
Are you also remembering to export the OBJ from ZBrush, since that’s what contains the UV’s?
aurick is correct re: flipping and exporting the obj as well as the maps.
You may also want to try a different workflow. It appears that you are doing the low poly in max, importing it into ZBrush, using ZBrush unwrap wools, and then generating your maps (is that correct?). This should work once you make the follow aurick’s advice, but you can simplify the process and improve your unwrap quality by unwrapping in max and then exporting the unwrapped model into ZBrush. max has good UV tools and will allow you to maximize the space usage. You gain more control over what goes where on the UV sheet. Once you have a good layout, collapse the UVW unwrap modifier into the model (make it an editable poly) and export. Subdivide and paint at will, invert your maps in Zbrush before export (or Photoshop or something like it after you export the maps), and you should be good. Using this method you will not have to export the low poly obj from ZBrush because it is already unwrapped in max.
(Thank you RicAIWas that method has cleared up my uv maps and they now look recognizable. This post was written while you wrote yours and the normal map issue is solved. However, my displacement maps are still not working, whether I flip them vertically or not…)
I tried flipping the texture vertically instead of rotating 180 there’s a difference on where the corners are, it seemed to work, but the displacement map came out off, definitely. Is there another rotation that needs to be done, or another issue?
I made a displacement and normal map
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