Baking texture
 
Texture baking is the process of transferring texture data from one 3D model to another 3D model. Generally speaking, people are doing this when they are trying to convert a high-poly model to a low-poly model.
 

Step 1 (in Maya)

  • Place both high and low poly objects on top of one another.
  • Rendering > Lighting/Shading > Transfer Maps
  • Select the low poly > Target Meshes > Add selected
  • Select the high poly > Source Meshes > Add selected
  • Target Meshes > Display: Envelope > Increase Search envelopes
  • Output Maps > Normal
  • Target Meshes > Display: Mesh
  • Maya Common Output
  • Bake

Step 2 (with Substance 3D Painter)

  • Place both high and low poly objects on top of one another.
  • Delete history
  • Select high poly > File > Export selection (file type: fbx, obj)
  • Select low poly > File > Export selection (file type: fbx, obj)


  • Start Adobe Substance 3D Painter
  • File > New > low poly mesh
  • Texture Set settings > Bake mesh map
  • Output size: 2048
  • Mesh maps > Ambient occlusion > Ignore backface: Always
  • Common > High definition meshes > select the high mesh file
  • Max frontal distance: 0.03, Max rear distance: 0.03
  • Antialising: sunsampling 2x2
  • Bake selected textures
  • File > Export textures


  • Maya > Select low poly > Apply an aiStandardSurface
  • Attribute Edior Geometry > Bump mapping > File >
    bump2d node > 2d bump attributes > Use as: Tangent space normals >
    Arnold > Flip >
    Image name > Normal map