Problems With Normal Maps

[heavywaters]

When I try to bake a normal map I seem to be doing something wrong...

 

Baked normal from high poly to low poly, tangent space without set smooth enabled for low poly model:

http://tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/708891-1306350555.jpg

If you ignore the vertical line artifacts, the normal would look the way it should.

 

Baked normal from high poly to low poly, tangent space with set smooth enabled for low poly model:

http://tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/708891-1306350475.jpg

This is all wrong, but I cant figure out why.

 

Any ideas as to what I might be missing would be most helpful.

 

~heavywaters

[ub3rman123]

What are you trying to make it look like? From what I understand, you can call Set Smooth on only certain parts of the model if you want to preserve certain sharp edges. Unless you mean the darkening and lightening on the top and bottom of the image.

[Genzel]

Do you have auto-smooth enabled as well as set smooth? Auto smooth will smooth low angle round edges, but preserve sharp edges. It makes a huge difference in rendering, so I assume it plays a large part in baking as well. Edited May 25, 2011 by Genzel

[heavywaters]

@ ub3rman

This particular part of the model is supposed to be an axe handle which should be very smooth with the ends (the circles on the left) being domed and slightly rounded on the edges.

The lines are actually the face edges from the low poly model showing thru the normal map.

This is just one example of the problem, it happens on everything I bake.

 

@ Genzel

I have not used the auto-smooth feature, I will give that a try.