When you add a normal map to a color-managed scene, you must manually set the color space for your map to Raw. This is because normal maps contain scalar data, not color data, and therefore shouldn't be color managed. When color management is enabled, image files initially use the color space determined by the Input Color Space Rules in the Color Management preferences. This is, by default, sRGB. You can set the Color Space to Raw for each normal map in its respective File Attribute Editor. See Specify the color space for textures and other image inputs.
If you have several normal maps in your scene, you can also set a rule so that all files that include "norm", for example in their file names, use an input color space of Raw. This way, you only need to use the letters "norm" in your normal map file names, and you do not need to manually set the color space of each file node individually. See Define rules for assigning color spaces to input files.
The following section details troubleshooting topics for normal mapping in the Transfer Maps editor. For more information, see Transfer Maps.
Your source surface has non-zero transformations and you transferred your normal map in Object Space.
If your source and target objects overlap in the scene view, set the Transfer In option to World Space and then bake your map again.
If your source and target objects do not overlap in the scene view and the Transfer In Object Space option produces no result, then move your source and target objects so that they are on top of each other, freeze their transforms (Modify > Freeze Transformations), move them back to their original positions, and then bake your map again.
Your source or target object has overlapping UVs.
Ensure that your source and target objects have clean, non-overlapping UVs and make sure that their UVs lie within the 0 to 1 UV range.
Your map resolution and sampling quality may be too low or the affected region of your map may not occupy enough UV space.
In the Transfer Maps editor’s Maya Common Output settings, do the following:
By default, when you select Lighting/Shading > Transfer Maps, the map is always saved to the project you are currently in.
This is true even if you set a new project. When you open the Transfer Maps editor and click any of the map icons to create a transfer map, the map is still set to the previous project.
Click the Remove Map button to remove the transfer map and click the map icon again to add the map to the scene. Now the map will be set to save to the correct project folder.
Your map resolution and sampling quality may be too low or the filter size may be too small.
In Transfer Maps editor Maya Common Output settings, do the following:
The regions of your map that are absent lie beyond the Max search depth or are excluded by the Search Envelope.
In the Transfer Maps editor Output settings, increase the Max search depth or change the Search Method.
When the Max search depth for your map is too high, then surface detail from one side of the source object is projected to the opposite or wrong side of the map.
In the Transfer Maps editor’s Output settings, reduce the Max Search Depth.
Your Search method may not include all the source meshes’ surface detail or your Max Search Depth may be too low to include all the layers of the source geometry.
Increase the Search method and Max Search Depth so that they include the missing detail.
Not enough space between UV shells.
Ensure that there are at least a few pixels in between all UV shells, and between each UV shell and the edge of the texture. This problem is most likely to occur when creating normal maps.
The target surface is larger than the source surface.
Ensure that the target surface is smaller than (recommended) or the same size as the source surface.
Your geometry includes very long polygons.
Remove the very long polygons by adding additional subdivisions along the polygon, or, select the Match Using: Surface Normals option in the Advanced Options section of Lighting/Shading > Transfer Maps.