Lightmap Issue

[Exuro]

Okay, so I've made some (very bad, placeholder) models for use in my project, and am working on level design. I'm using coppercube, and I've got the models in the levels and textured, but when I calculate the lightmaps this happens:



Random parts of the geometry are black and shaded wrong. I'm wondering if anyone knows why this is happening, and what I am doing wrong?

The models were made in sketchup, which I'm well aware isn't very good for this kind of thing. I'm just not even remotely competent at art, and needed some reference models to design my levels.

Thanks a lot in advance!

[CuteAlien]

First thing to check is probably if the normals are OK. You can do that by loading them in the Irrlicht meshviewer (example 09) and toggling the debug - normals setting. They should all point outwards.

[Exuro]

Ah I see. Right, well this is what I got.



That definitely doesn't look right...

[The_Glitch]

Your problem is not your normal, I've been doing radiosity normal mapping and I'm pretty sure those blacks spots are missed rays. If you can view your light map UVs and select those particular faces you will see they got put outside the lighting info of the texture.



Let's assume this is your lightmap, see how the background padding is black, most likely those UVs for those triangles or faces were mapped out in the black regions of the texture "no Info in those spaces".

[Asimov]

Hi Exuro,

It would help to see your high resolution model to see what you are aiming for.
What software do you use to create your normalmaps.

I use 3ds max, xnormal and sometimes mudbox.

Best thing about xnormal is that it is free, and lots of video tutorials online. You can still use xnormal even if you use blender or Maya.

Also if you are making normalmaps in 3ds max make sure that you add smoothing groups, and that your cage is big enough to cover your high resolution model.