LogIn3D artist Malcolm Andrieshyn has a nice mel script that can simplify your normal map baking workflow in Toolbag 3.
Check out a script for Maya Malcolm Andrieshyn that features two shelf buttons to quickly export your high poly and low poly meshes with no need to convert smooth mesh preview to polygons, or triangulate low poly before export into Toolbag for normal map baking.
Features:
- One click button to export your high poly meshes for Toolbag baking will convert smooth mesh preview to polygons behind the scenes
- One click button to export your low poly meshes for Toolbag baking will triangulate your meshes behind the scenes
- Exports multiple separate meshes in a group to save time
- UV’s of high poly are deleted before export which speeds up export time
- Doesn’t affect your original models in Maya
- Doesn’t clutter your scene with temp files and triangulated bake meshes
- Fast iteration between Maya and Toolbag, make changes to high or low poly, export over and over without worrying about triangulation or converting smooth mesh preview to polygons in Maya
- Tested on Maya 2014 and 2018 (2015, 2016, 2017 versions available upon request)
- Could be adapted to support Knald and other bakers
- Installation and usage instructions contained in a .zip file
You can get more details here.