Need help with simple normal map creation

Development Rendering
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I’m trying to simply create rounded edges on a cube with a normal map. Seems simple enough, however I can’t get good results on every edge… Been trying to fix this all day. Anyone have any idea what the problem is?

Here’s my question about it on stackexchange… I updated blender to fix the problem with two sides not baking correctly, however the issue of only one edge being correct is still present… cycles render engine - Two sides of cube are not baking normal correctly - Blender Stack Exchange

Also made a post on blenderartists hours ago but the mods never approve my threads there, so I’m pretty much out of ideas

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  1. Your lowpoly should be exactly the same size as the highpoly (or as close as possible)
  2. You need to invert your green channel of your normal map when you bake in Blender.
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Thanks for the reply, but that’s something I’ve tried. I have tried everything I could think of/find on google. I even tried using xNormal, with no success.

But I did it again to show you. Inverted green channel and have the low and high very close.

Can you make a rounded edge using normals? Could you perhaps show me?

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Make new post due to more pics…

ZacD, you were right! Thanks so much. I really can’t believe I wasn’t able to find this answer anywhere online… I also shouldn’t trust the blender rendered view I guess… But now new issues appeared. The sides in the “shadow” have very noticeable black edges, and weird normal behavior… Pics attached. Any insight? First pic is perfect! Other two have the problems.

EDIT: Made video with better lighting settings to better see everything: - YouTube

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My first though is the black shading might because of “1. Your lowpoly should be exactly the same size as the highpoly (or as close as possible)”

But that might not be the issue. If that doesn’t help, could you post the files for your highpoly, lowpoly, and normal maps?

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I did try all type of sizes, as close as possible, smaller, larger… Here are DL links to the files.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0fd2R5ywI70RGsySVhwRUZBN0U?ths=true

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Well, the edges on the lowpoly were detached, I merged them together and baked a normal map within xNormal, and got a perfect bake.

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I’ve been googling trying to figure out what you meant, and I can’t find any answers. Is “detached” some terminology used in something other than blender? As far as I can see, I have 12 edges, and… they’re together? If I move an edge the cube is shaped as I expect it to, it doesn’t seem “detached”. Also, the low poly cube is simply the default cube in blender. Is it “detached” by default?

Thanks again so much!

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This is what I mean by detached, each face is a separate part, the blue edged model is on the right is the low poly FBX file from your drop box, a normal cube is on the left

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Very strange… In blender, my cube acts like the left one. I actually have to do an “edge split” for it to behave like the one on the right. What program are you using? Maybe blender is bugged? Would be weird, again the low poly is just a default cube. I can’t find the blender command to “reattach”, only to “detach”, so I guess blender must not support whatever the problem is…

EDIT: By the way, could you possibly upload the new file just so I can put it in my scene to compare?