my mesh gets bumpy with subdivision levels

[Anonymous]

Hello, 

so, i've imported a mesh and this is what it looks like

looks nice, the thing is that i need to add subdivion levels because the point is to create wrinckles and texture so i can grab the normal maps, displacement and ambient.. but once i start adding levels it gets all bumpy with smooth tool like this just by adding one level:

okay and if i add one more:

and look what it does once i try to smooth it out:

does this happens because once I imported my mesh it is on a high resolusion yet? but to grab the maps i need a souce and a target and can those be the same level?

please help i don't know what more to do!

thank you very much

[Anonymous]

one more thing, if i don't subdivide it every singe tool i use will make bumps on my mesh!! this is driving me crazy because if i let the bumpyness there once i've extract the maps they will show and they will reflect on my bakes...

[sergimen2001]

Well...Looks like I have to do all the work of the Autodesk Technical Support here...

You are exporting in FBX from Maya/MAX?

Looks like you have a problem with Edge orientation.

I had a similar problem in the past when export from FBX to Mud. That is produced by the normals diagonals of your mesh. That is produced at the momment of the export process, if you have the "Preserve Edge Orientation" option On, in the FBX Export Dialog.

My tip, and my normal workflow beetween max and Mud, is export in OBJ instead FBX for maintain the mesh totaly quadify.

I used that worflow for organic models/meshes, and because I have Max 2014 and Mud 2015, and I cannot use the option send to Mudbox and viceversa.

But if you choose to continue exporting in FBX to Mud look this settings I use when export FBX from max to mud:

And take a look at this screenshot I take from Mud of an sfere exported from max with Preserve Edges Or, On:

Look all those Diagonals, are produced by the option, "preserve Edges orientation" On.

And now, look what happens when I subdivide that sfere with those diagonals:

looks familiar? Yes. That is your problem. Take in account the FBX Export Settings I show you in the 1st image attached, and good luck!

I hope would be helpfull.

And for more Mudbox tutorials,(really pro mudbox tutorials) I recomend you to visit my Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/sergiomengual

Greetings:

Sergio.

[Anonymous]

Oh my god!! Thank you so very much i tought i was going to die without knowing whats going on ahah!

Well, ansewring your questions, i do not use maya to sculpt because i'm not that good with sculpting clothes in that way, i use MD5 and then i import the mesh on zbrush so i can deal with the mesh grid because on MD5 it gets really strange and dense, after it gets all "quadify" i open it on blender and try to deal with doubles and only after that i export the OBJ with the option "keep vert order". Open it on Mudbox so i can sculp the little details like wrinkcles and elastics and grab the maps...

The problem was the first time i imported my mesh it was on quads but i had a face using the same vertex and it didnt let add subdivision leves nor let me patch the hole because of the quads so i had to reduce the mesh... well i did it.. sounds like a bit noobish buit hey i'm just starting 🙂

so now i know i have to deal with that vertex in blender and only after export to mud! sounds like i can deal with it!!

btw very nice tutorials you have there, whatched a few before falling asleep..

Thank you once again,

Maria

[sergimen2001]

Hi Maria, I am the admin of an Mudbox group in facebook.

If you like you can join to the group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1506606456236021/

The group is called Mudbox Spain, but a long time ago we have members from others parts of world,(I am from Argentina)

and mucho of them are english speakers.

Greetings:

Sergio.