How to make model lighting/pre-processing in code the same as how a model appears in the sandbox?

Well I’m now second-guessing if that’s actually the problem that’s remaining. It seems to me like something goofy is happening with the textures on the model itself.

Here’s the underside of your model in the sandbox:

I see the same thing in the playground. That leads me to believe that perhaps the normals are facing the wrong way on your model.

If we’re looking at the wrong sides of your models, that COULD explain why it’s not appearing correctly.

Kinda just guessing, but it seems like we’re looking at the AO texture on the underside of the model?