Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Normal Map Baking
You now know how to create a lower-poly, nicely topological mesh with the same shape as a high-resolution
sculpted mesh. But there's an obvious drawback. Without the high-resolution, finely subdivided mesh, a lot of
the detail you sculpted is lost. It would seem that this process would at least partially defeat the whole point of
sculpting in the first place. Fortunately, this is not the case. Using Blender's normal map-baking functionality
enables you to capture these details and represent them as two-dimensional textures mapped to the surface of
your retopo mesh.
To do this, follow these steps:
1. In order to UV-map a texture to a shape like the head in the example, it is necessary to UV-unwrap
the head. This requires marking seams. Blender has a convenient tool for marking seams. In the Mesh
Options panel of the Tool Shelf buttons area, you will find the Edge Select Mode drop-down menu. By
default, holding down the Alt key while clicking the right mouse button (RMB) on an edge of a mesh se-
lects edge loops. By changing the Edge Select Mode in this menu to Tag Seam, as shown in Figure 3-62 ,
you can change this functionality to make Alt+RMB automatically add seams to edges. Each time you
press Alt+RMB on an edge, the shortest path between that edge and the previously marked seam will be
marked as a seam.
2. Mark the seams on the head as shown in Figure 3-63 . This will result in relatively undistorted unwrap-
ping into three islands: one for the face and one for each ear.
Figure 3-62 The Edge Select Mode menu
 
 
 
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