Weird moire-ish normal map

# 1 14-07-2006 , 04:56 AM

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Here's what I did:

Modelled the high res mailbox and used the surface sampler to create a normal map.

I created a new Blinn and a new 2dplacedtexture file and pointed it to my normal_map.tga file, then used the connection editor to map OutColor to NormalCamera.

I turn on High Quality Rendering, hit 6, and this is what I get.

The details like the rivets and the rounded edges I added with photoshop. These details are much glossier (note, no spec map added yet) than what was generated from the get-go by Maya.

I have a ho-hom PC with a Quadro 750 using both the most recent version of drivers as well as the last certified version on the Maya qual charts. I have deleted my Maya folder and let maya recreate it. I have reset all the defaults on my video settings.

Even more frustrating is that it does it as well on my work PC, which is a GeForce 6800, but not a friends PC who is an environment artist.

What gives?

Thanks,
Christian

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# 2 14-07-2006 , 04:59 AM

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Here's a screenshot from Maya

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# 3 14-07-2006 , 05:44 AM

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does it look like that when you hit the render button?

"If Less is more then think how much more more would be..."

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# 4 14-07-2006 , 08:07 AM

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... and you can always go into the card´s drivers graphic configuration and look what´s on/off and to what degree in each of the pcs if that issue really pisses you...

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# 5 14-07-2006 , 04:05 PM

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I haven't tried rendering the model yet, but as far as the settings, it's set to the Maya default settings. I monkeyed around with it some but couldn't anything to change.

Are you guys certain that this isn't a Maya setting that I could have accidentally screwed up?

Thanks.

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# 6 14-07-2006 , 08:02 PM

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I'm thinking it's a Maya setting with the rendering, or I am looking at two different issues.

I rendered the image, and it has a freakin mirror sheen. So I do a quick and dirty spec map and drop it on there. Now, when I do a render, I lose the normal map quality, and I see all the hard edges and what not.

Is there like a global reset button I can push??? Maybe uninstall/yank out the registry entries for Alias/Autodesk/reinstall?

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# 7 14-07-2006 , 08:41 PM

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just delete your prefs folder and it'll push everything back to default... but it'll get rid of any mel scripts you may have picked up along the way

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# 8 15-07-2006 , 02:12 AM

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That doesn't work. I've tried it. I've also tried applying different base material types to it, like Phong, with the same effect.

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# 9 27-07-2006 , 01:24 PM

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what kind of video card does your friend have?

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# 10 27-07-2006 , 07:21 PM

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A vanilla GeForce 6800.

update: I have uninstalled every trace of Maya from my system and the registry (all alias/maya keys). I reinstalled the PLE and without changing anything, opened my file. Same thing. It's only in the specular highlight that I see this. If I attach an all-black TGA to the specular color channel, then , this banding doesn't occur.

I'm ready to give up and wait till I can build my new system in August (or so my Wife says).

Thanks,
PG

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Weird moire-ish normal map

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