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While working in Blender 2.72b Internal mode, I built this simple model starting point for first displacement map baking

I used these settings to bake the displacement map displacement map bake settings

I got this result after baking and using the Displacement Modifier, along with a few more modifiers... Note that I applied the Displacement Modifier shortly after I set it up. Displace result with other modifiers Modifier Stack

OK. So I was happy with the results I was getting in my initial study, so then I decided to keep building on this process. I built a more elaborate model, set up like this: second displacement model here are my results with a few more modifiers in the stack result of second attempt with displacement map baking modifiers used on second model

Some time passes as I work with the model. At this point I make a full copy of the scene so that I can branch off on a new idea with these current assets. I bake the previous model the same way I have been, with these results: result of third model modifiers used

At this point I want to move to Cycles Mode so that I can start building materials, light the scene and give it a render. Now I am in Cycles with a material applied, lights and camera set: cycles material setup render settings

Here is the result of the rendering: render result

I know it's not pretty, but when I came back to the project a little while later, all of my displacement maps have vanished. My models and displacement maps look like this: displacement maps are empty

and

this one too!

I have been working through all of my steps again so that I can capture screenshots and write this post; as of now my second set of baked Displacement maps have all turned black.

Are displacement maps temporary, only to be applied shortly after baking? Or is something happening after switching to Cycles, and then rendering?

Does anyone know what is going on here? Is this a bug or a known feature? Any help would be great, thank you.

-Joshua

ps. sorry for the long post, this was just not a good user experience for me and I want to help improve it.

Blender 2.72my Macsystem overview

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  • $\begingroup$ Baking to an image creates an image within blenders uv/image editor, did you save these images to file? see this question $\endgroup$
    – sambler
    Dec 1 '14 at 11:23
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    $\begingroup$ You need to save externally or pack inside the blend right after painting/baking an image. The label of the "Image" menu in the UV/Image Editor shows a asterisk when the data is only temporary stored (aka resident in RAM only). Your snapshot shows "Image*". It will not be saved along with the blend file, when it's not packed. $\endgroup$
    – user2859
    Dec 1 '14 at 13:25
  • $\begingroup$ That means they're gone :( $\endgroup$
    – Scalia
    Dec 2 '14 at 20:42
  • $\begingroup$ thanks guys. I did not save the baked image externally. Do I have to always use "save image as" or can I also click "save datablock (even if 0 users)"? $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Merrill
    Dec 4 '14 at 0:14
  • $\begingroup$ related: blender.stackexchange.com/questions/14050/… and blender.stackexchange.com/questions/13407/… $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Jan 12 '15 at 8:22
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You need to save all images (also created textures) to an image file F3 (Menu: Image / Save As Image) otherwise all changes are lost. Blender indicates an unsaved texture in the UV-Editor with an asterisk at the Image Menu Item.

enter image description here

Another option would be to pack the image into the .blend file.

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ You are right, I was not saving my resulting images. Thank you! $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Merrill
    Jan 9 '18 at 22:34

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