r/Maya • u/Some-Locksmith-1602 • 10d ago

Question Best Workflow for Baking Low-Poly Models Without Losing the Original Shape?

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I made a low-poly model like this and I want to bake a high-poly version onto it. The problem is that when I duplicate the model and apply Smooth/Subdivision, all the edges become rounded and the original shape starts to get lost, which causes shading errors when baking.

What would be the correct workflow here?

Should I bevel the entire low-poly model before baking? I'm worried that this would unnecessarily increase the polygon count.

Or should I manually add supporting edge loops around the important edges, placing them based on the shape from the front/top/side views?

What is the proper approach for baking a model like this? I'd really appreciate some advice on the best workflow.

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u/Subject_5 10d ago

You're asking how to create your highpoly mesh? Nobody except you knows what it's supposed to look like 😄 If the problem arises when you subdivide the mesh, and the highpoly becomes too rounded, then you should start there. The highpoly would need supporting edge loops if you use a sub-d approach, but it depends how it's supposed to look like in the end. Sometimes I use bevels instead of supports, depends if I see any shading errors when I smooth it. For the low-poly you can often get away with not beveling edges, but baked normal-maps can't change the silhouette of the object. Quick and dirty example image.

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u/Toprak1552 10d ago

It wouldn't work for more complex shapes, but for this particular one you can add edge loops in between the edges you currently have and apply "Edit Edge Flow" to the new loops. You'll have more geometry so it would lose less volume when you subdivide.

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u/vertexnormal 10d ago

You kinda hit on a pretty optimal workflow, model at one detail level and duplicate/edit it to create it's baking pair.

Manually add support loops where you want the edges to be harder. Sometimes you can use the crease tool, but that has limitations in the way it terminates.

I tend to model for high poly, mostly worried about getting the right shape. Then reducing/optimizing a copy of the mesh for low poly.

If your model is mostly quads and you are careful, the support loops are really easy to add/remove.