Soften Hard Edges with Normal Maps
This PixaFlux video tutorial shows how to create a normal texture to soften the hard edges of 3D models.
For this technique to work correctly all hard surfaces need to have their own UV island.
It's important that all hard edges are on the borders of their uv islands.
Add a constant node.
Set the size
And set format to normal.
Add a Mesh Filter node.
Set the scene and object.
We'll use the relax filter.
Let's hide the UV mesh.
Connect the mesh filter output as the normal texture.
The mesh filter node connects pixels with neighbors in other uv islands of the mesh.
And relaxes them in their 3D surface context.
This simulates a chamfer or fillet on the hard edges of your models.
All hard edges are softened by a smooth transition between the normals of the hard surfaces.
This effect works even with normal maps that are not flat.
Add a random noise node
Set the size
Add a To normal node.
Set source to height.
And multiply to point two
The Mesh Filter node relaxes all the normals, including the ones inside the hard surfaces.
Now let me show you why it's important to separate all hard surfaces in their own uv islands.
In this cube there are two uv islands, each with 3 hard surfaces that are connected through an interior edge.
Relaxing a normal texture on this mesh creates artifacts on the hard edges.
This happens because the normals from one hard surface are also displayed on its neighbor surfaces.
We can see in normal debug display how the transition between hard surfaces is not smooth.
For this reason its very important to separate all hard surfaces to their own uv islands.
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Watch video Soften Hard Edges with Normal Maps online without registration, duration hours minute second in high quality. This video was added by user PixaFlux 25 February 2023, don't forget to share it with your friends and acquaintances, it has been viewed on our site 1,987 once and liked it 38 people.