Modo and Normal problem

[Otaku_Zero]

so I unwrapped my model in Modo, worked pretty great, but now I'm back in Maya and I noticed that my hard/soft normals got reset, and I'm trying to get my hard normals back, but nothing happens.

Basically, I can't assign hard normals to my model after I imported back into Maya from Modo. What's up with that?

[Professor Watkins]

You're assigning hard normals using edges right?

Also, what file format are you using from Maya>modo and back again?

[Otaku_Zero]

yes, I'm using edges to assign hard normals

I used .obj to go to Modo and back again

[Professor Watkins]

Which directions are your normals; are they facing out?

Also did you remove any unwanted history before trying to harden your edges again?

[Otaku_Zero]

They are mostly facing out. Which of the normal functions will get them all facing the same way?

Definately deleted the history before doing normal stuff

[Professor Watkins]

You're probably going to need to go in and manually select the problem children and reverse the normals.

After you've got them set, you can use the Set to Face to get rid of dark spotches that may result from twisted normals.

In general, you want to be keeping an eye out for normal twisting/flipping as you model. Sometimes it reveals itself with dark splotches as you work, but sometimes you jsut have to choose to display normals for short slots to take a look.

[Otaku_Zero]

I don't have any dark splotches, what I thought were backward normals were just other normal markers showing through other parts of the mesh.

I've tried playing with stuff like Set ot Face, and it changes stuff, but then I can't change it back to all soft.

So, I don't think it's a problem of which way the normals are facing, I just can't change how soft or hard they are individually.

[Professor Watkins]

Post the model.

[Otaku_Zero]

here 'tis

[Professor Watkins]

Select your entire object.

Choose Modeling.Edit Polygons>Normals>Set to Face

All the edges will look hard.

Select the entire mesh. Choose Modeling.Edit Polygons>Normals>Soften/Harden Normals and Soften the normals.

Select the edges you want to be hard and harden the normals.


The reasoning for all of this is that there are acutally face normals and vertex normals. Usually, the vertex normals match the face normals; but not always. Especially if you're stitching parts together, this can get a little out of whack.

Using the Set to Face makes sure that all the vertex normals are set to the same direction as the face normals. Then when the normals are healthy again, the harden/soften normal option works.

[Professor Watkins]

Also, before you start rigging, the shoulder anatomy is really wrong. As is the butt. Also be sure you're giving those hands enough faces to deform; they are way to low poly. You can keep that angular style but still provide vertices to bend at....

Look carefully at how the back of the jaw connects to the neck and where the ear connects. Look carefully at the mouth, remember you've got to get some horseshoe shaped teeth in there....

And those are some really, really, really strange boobs.

[Otaku_Zero]

okay, I got it working, probably in a similar way to what setting the normals to the faces would have done. I went to the Set Vertex Normal option box and there's a check box to unlock the normals, so I did that, which hardened all the normals, then I could soften it all and make the edges I wanted hard.

I'll be sure to check out those areas. Is it going to mess with my UV map if I go in and cut in more verticies?

[Professor Watkins]

If you are cutting extant faces, you should be fine.

[Otaku_Zero]

cool beans