# Mesh Checker Tab
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Fixing Normals" %}
Imported 3D models, especially from CAD or architectural software, often have issues with their **normals**. Normals are what tell the engine how a surface should reflect light. When normals are incorrect, it can result in ugly dark patches, strange shading, or surfaces that look "inside-out".
The **Edit Normal** section in the Shikor Modifier is designed to fix these issues with a single click.
**The Options**
You have three simple options to fix your models:
* **Recompute Normals:** This is always the first option you should try. It recalculates the shading for each face of the model based on its geometry. In most cases, this will solve common lighting problems.
* **Fix Inconsistent Normals:** This is useful for more complex models where some parts are shaded correctly and others are not.
* **Invert Normals:** Use this option if your entire model looks like it's inside-out or completely black. It will flip all the normals on the selected model.
**Workflow**
1. Select the problematic mesh(es) in your level.
2. In the Shikor Modifier window, check the desired option (we recommend starting with **Recompute Normals**).
3. Click the **Apply** button.
**Example: Before & After**
As you can see in the image below, incorrect normals (Before) can cause ugly dark patches and shading errors on a model. After applying a fix with the Shikor Modifier, the lighting on the surface becomes smooth and correct (After).
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Auto Res" %}
#### **Auto Res: Automatic Lightmap UV Generation**
When you are working with **static or baked lighting**, having clean **Lightmap UVs** is absolutely essential. Incorrect UVs can cause ugly black splotches, lighting artifacts, and persistent warning messages about "overlapping UVs" after you build your lighting.
The **Auto Res** section is a powerful tool designed to automatically generate proper Lightmap UVs for your static meshes directly within Unreal Engine, with a high probability of fixing these common issues.
**How to Use It**
1. Select the static mesh(es) in your level that are causing lighting build errors (like UV overlapping).
2. In the **Auto Res** section, ensure the **Generate Lightmap UVs** checkbox is ticked.
3. You can adjust the settings like **Min/Max Res** (Resolution) and **Density** if needed, but the default values are often a good starting point.
4. Click the **Fix UV** button to generate the new Lightmap UV channel.
5. After fixing the UVs, you can click **Apply Resolution** to set the lightmap resolution on the meshes.
**⚠️ Important Note:** While this tool is very powerful, some severe UV unwrapping issues originating from the 3D modeling software cannot be fixed automatically. In such rare cases, you may need to fix the UVs in a third-party application (like Blender, 3ds Max) and re-import your model.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Merge" %}
#### **Optimizing Your Scene by Combining Meshes**
For game and real-time application performance, **reducing draw calls** is one of the most important optimizations you can make. Merging multiple static meshes into a single mesh is the best way to achieve this.
The **Merge** section allows you to do this directly in the editor.
**Workflow**
1. Select all the static meshes in your level that you want to combine into one. (For example, all the parts of a single piece of furniture).
2. In the **New Static Mesh Name** field, give your new, merged mesh a name.
* **Tip:** Make sure the name has no spaces. Use an underscore \_ instead (e.g., air\_condition\_merged).
3. Next, you need to specify a folder path where the new mesh asset will be saved. The easiest way to do this is to copy the path directly from the Content Browser.
1. Paste this path into the **Chose Location Path** field.
2. If you want to replace the original actors in the level with the new merged actor, check the **Replace Source Actor** box.
3. Finally, click the **Merge** button.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Overridden Lighting" %}
#### **Fine-Tuning Lightmap Resolution**
Sometimes, you may need to manually increase or decrease the baked lighting resolution for a specific object to either improve its quality or save memory.
The **Overridden Lighting** section provides a quick way to do this.
**How to Use It**
1. Select the static mesh(es) in your level.
2. In the **Overridden Light Map Res** field, enter your desired resolution (e.g., 512, 1024). A value of 0 typically resets it to the default.
3. Click **Apply Override**
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
***
**What's Next for the Mesh Checker Tab? (Upcoming Features)**
The Shikor Modifier is a continuously evolving tool, and we are always working to add new functionalities that streamline your workflow even further. Here is a sneak peek at some of the powerful features planned for future updates to this tab:
* **🔹 Edit Pivot Point:** A much-requested feature that will allow you to quickly adjust the pivot point of your static meshes directly in the editor. This is incredibly useful for fixing rotation and placement issues, especially for animated objects like doors and windows.
* **🔹 Material Instance Utility:** A powerful tool to check all parent materials used in your selected assets and quickly replace them. This will be a massive time-saver for managing and optimizing your project's materials.
* **🔹 Convert to Blueprint Actor:** A one-click utility to convert selected static meshes into Blueprint Actors. This will be the first step in adding custom logic or interactivity to your scene objects, seamlessly integrating your optimization workflow with your gameplay setup.
We are committed to making **ShikorDriftXR** the most powerful and user-friendly ArchViz toolkit available. Stay tuned for these and many more updates
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://shikorviz.gitbook.io/shikordriftxr/the-shikor-modifier-overview/mesh-checker-tab.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.