ZBrushCentral

My Normal Map doesent work with sss_fast skin shader in maya?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

HI, Ive created a sss_fast_skin shader in maya, and applied my displacement map to the shading group which works great.
Now i add a bump node and apply my normal map to it… with the bump settings set to bump it renders the normal map fine. but i know were supposed to change the settings to “tangent space normals”… now when i do this no normal map is rendered at all? :confused:

on a normal blinn shader this works fine?
any ideas?

#2

SSS shaders tend to hide normal information pretty well, my guess is that you will need to play with your tanslucency settings or turn down the SSS effect and the distance of ray penetration into the model.

#3

HI thanks for the reply, I tried turning all the sss weight off, and even tried a bump depth of 100 !.. and still it wont show up. If i change from tangent space to bump, i see a result, but i need it to be tangent :confused: ?

#4

has anyone come across this? Ive searched over the net with nothing? :cry:
I just need to get a normal map to work with an SSS fast skin shader in maya
its all i ned to finish my project, thanks.

#5

Try using the JS_Normalmapper and JS_EdgeDisplacer 1.2.2

from Pixero’s site:

http://www.pixero.com/downloads_mr.html (scroll halfway down).

Here are the results I’ve had using the above (although the SSS I used was quite subtle):

http://www.custom3d.co.uk/zbrush/pages/cane_handle.htm

cheers

Chris

#6

Thanks very much for this!… I saw your work a couple weeks ago actually and was very impressed, could i ask a few things as im very new to zbrush and using displacement etc.
:rolleyes: --------------------
Ive installed the JS maya nodes you gave me to my maya 8.5 and tested it out. I dont need that displacer node as Im just using the maya displacement which i add to the sss group node which works fine.

  1. I tried the JSnormal Mapper and it seems to work ! :wink: I presume it runs on normal tangent space and not a normal bump?
    i also wondered apart from a normal map knows the depth value automatically, is it really better than a standard bump map?

  2. Also, I dont know if its my rubbish graphics card at work, but when I render with the normal map and the displacement map i already had set, it leaves some black squares and gaps in the render and a few noticible lines?

The render time when both is used seems to be much much higher aswell.
but if i render just one at a time , the displacment or the normal map seperately without the other, it renders ok ? :confused:
ill test it tonight on my much better home machine.

maybe using the JS displacer would work better?

3) lastly, when i middle mouse btn my normal map file texture over the JB normaliser node, i chose normal map and this gave me
myFile.outAlpha - JSnormalmapper1.normalMapA
& myFile.outColour - JSnormalmapper1.normalMap
is this correct?
ive attached image of my hypershade layout does it look ok?
----------------
I found it very strange that i couldnt find an answer to this quickly without your help, as a lot of zbrush work i imagine is organic and skin, and people need to use SSS to get a good skin? and im sure want to use normal maps?

THANKS AGAIN, and sorry for all the questions :rolleyes:

Attachments

sss_layout.gif

#7

Thanks :slight_smile:

3) lastly, when i middle mouse btn my normal map file texture over the JB normaliser node, i chose normal map and this gave me
myFile.outAlpha - JSnormalmapper1.normalMapA
& myFile.outColour - JSnormalmapper1.normalMap
is this correct?
If using MMB to reach the Connection Editor, try connecting ‘Out Value’ to ‘Normal Camera’ :wink:

Chris

#8

HI Atwooki, Sorry to be a pain, :o … but any of your advice on the other questions i asked, no worries if you dont have time…(see my previous reply)

why is the JB normal mapper when used with my displacement not rendering properly?
is a normal map really better than a standard bump map? etc… THANKS :slight_smile:
details in last post.

also i do have Out Value’ to 'Normal Camera from the JS_Normal Mapper to the shader as you have mentioned…
the myFile.outAlpha - JSnormalmapper1.normalMapA
& myFile.outColour - JSnormalmapper1.normalMap… this is two connections i have coming form my normal texture to the JS_normalMapper :rolleyes:

#9

HI, here is an image of my render, its weird has squares missing, this is on my much better pc at home, render time is a lot faster but render is still not right? :cry:

This is using the JSnormalmapper , but the maya displacement node…
Any Ideas would be a great help
Thanks again

Attachments

bad_render.jpg