Disclosure: This draft was generated with AI and checked against the cited primary sources, with a separate AI editorial review. It was prepared for the FrameSprite team, which has a commercial interest in FrameSprite. Proposed examples are not executed tests unless explicitly identified as recorded fixture results.
When a selected-to-active bake transfers the wrong detail, inspect which surface the projection can reach. Increasing map resolution cannot correct a ray that hits the neighboring strap or misses the source. Confirm the source selection, active destination and cage or ray-distance setup before polishing the texture.
Key Takeaways
- More pixels do not resolve incorrect projection ownership.
- A larger projection distance can capture intended details and unwanted neighbors.
- Inspect tight equipment gaps and silhouette edges as separate risk areas.
Confirm the transfer direction
Preserve the scene and destination image before a test. Identify the high-detail source and the lower-detail receiver. Check the active object rather than relying on selection color from memory. An accidental change in the receiver invalidates later comparisons of cage settings.
The Render Baking documentation describes selected-to-active projection and the available cage/ray controls. Its cage topology requirements matter when using an explicit cage object. Follow the documentation for the installed version instead of treating an arbitrary inflated mesh as a valid replacement.
Classify the artifact before changing a distance
Missing areas, unrelated stamped details and seam artifacts suggest different checks. Inspect the receiver's actual surface, source visibility and UV placement. A blank patch can come from several causes; do not conclude “the cage is too small” solely from its color.
For normal maps, verify the receiving shader's interpretation as a separate step. Blender's shader-node reference lists the relevant normal and image nodes, while the color-management manual distinguishes numeric textures from color images. A correct projection can still look wrong when its map is interpreted incorrectly.
| Visible artifact | First controlled comparison |
|---|---|
| Missing raised detail | Check source coverage and projection reach |
| Buckle pattern on a neighboring strap | Isolate neighboring geometry and inspect ray path |
| Normal map looks wrong everywhere | Verify map interpretation and material setup |
Isolate a crowded region
Here is an unexecuted example: a low-poly belt receives detail from a high-resolution buckle and a nearby pouch. Expanding the projection reach to capture the buckle also allows pouch detail to contaminate the belt. The repair decision is not “increase distance again.” Consider isolating the relevant source/receiver pair or preparing a more suitable cage.
Change one projection variable at a time and bake to a candidate image. Compare the crowded region and an uncomplicated control area. If the control area changes unexpectedly, check whether the test also changed source selection, materials or destination.
Do not infer a whole-asset solution from one successful patch. Repeat inspection around thin straps, deep recesses and disconnected pieces. Avoid joining or deleting source geometry merely as a diagnostic unless you preserve a reversible working copy.
Accept the saved map on the receiver
Save the candidate, reopen it and inspect it on the intended receiver under a simple controlled material. Review both the problematic region and the full silhouette. Record which source objects and cage settings produced the accepted map so later variants can reproduce the setup.
Related guides address camera clipping versus missing geometry, normal-map input color space and equipment overlap rules. No projection test or render was executed here. The workflow separates candidate causes; it does not guarantee that a single cage setting suits every asset.
Written by the FrameSprite Workflow Team. Send a correction.
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