Weird Glossines issue on once my normal map is imported in SL!

[Gael Streeter]

Hi,

I am facing a very weird bug I never saw before...

I am working on a lace face mask. I use GLOSSINESS on my lace : https://gyazo.com/f69fc5eeb0319d39afd8ab392e07d1ce
I use the ALPHA channel of the NORMAL map (as stated in the WIKI : http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Material_Data) to adjust the GLOSSINESS level.
But I do not have the same result when I use my NORMAL Map in Local or after I imported it in SL !
Do you have an idea or the reason of this problem ?

GOOD RESULT with the NORMAL map in Local : https://gyazo.com/7bc209f29c3c8e63b6a043dceb468882

BAD RESULT once the NORMAL map is imported in SL : https://gyazo.com/5d7211a002306d328b07eb6b3f2b849e

It seems the texture is damaged by the import into SL.
But if I save back this damaged texture on my disk from SL, fix it on my disk and import it again, it is damaged again... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
It drives me nuts!

Edited May 23, 2020 by Gael Streeter

[Fritigern Gothly]

Have you tried ticking "synchronise materials"? That setting is supposed to pass the offset and repeats of the diffuse map on to the normal and specular maps.

[arton Rotaru]

I guess the texture will have lossy compression only when it has been uploaded, and not as a local texture. So it could be just compression artifacts.

Edited May 23, 2020 by arton Rotaru

[Gael Streeter]

Indeed, I am suspecting a problem of compression at import... 🙁

[Beev Fallen]

i would rather check what's going on your uploaded diffuse texture. also, i see no reason for normal map like that to have the alpha channel. alpha channel in normal map controls the glossiness variation, why do you need that for a lace, does the lace have parts with sharp reflection and parts with rough reflection?

Edited May 25, 2020 by Beev Fallen

[OptimoMaximo]

8 hours ago, Beev Fallen said:

why do you need that for a lace, does the lace have parts with sharp reflection and parts with rough reflection?

No, but the transparent parts need a glossiness of zero or that would look like transparent glass otherwise. 

[Beev Fallen]

6 hours ago, OptimoMaximo said:

No, but the transparent parts need a glossiness of zero or that would look like transparent glass otherwise. 

oh i see, that really happens if "alpha mode: blending" is used (which isn't a good practice).

[OptimoMaximo]

4 hours ago, Beev Fallen said:

oh i see, that really happens if "alpha mode: blending" is used (which isn't a good practice).

Sure, I was pointing out the reason for that. However alpha masking doesn't really work that well with such tiny and intricate patterns at these resolutions. 

[Kyrah Abattoir]

On 5/25/2020 at 9:50 PM, OptimoMaximo said:

No, but the transparent parts need a glossiness of zero or that would look like transparent glass otherwise. 

Alpha masking would probably be fine still. If it works when people model it entirely it usually works with masking.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Kyrah Abattoir

[Ivanova Shostakovich]

   When I want something to have glossiness, I rely solely on the Specular Map for it. I've seen the issues @Gael Streeter is seeing when using a normal map containing an alpha channel. In the wiki she references, the Specular Map is what controls shine and glossiness, along  with reflected light colors. The alpha channel of the Normal Map provides a Specular Exponent, which to my mind suggests that it can have a very strong influence on the amount of shine, maybe having the corollary effect of making small compression artifacts much more evident.
   The fact that these "defects" do not appear when local textures are used, and hence contain no compression artifacts, seems to support this theory.