How do I create Textures?

DaremoK3

Regarding your first post in this thread of how to create a similar material to the one in the picture:

Once you have solid low-distortion, "flattened" UV's ready to take a texture without distorting it, you can either add a tile-able texture tile, and adjust size, frequency, and offset via shader parameters, or you can paint your UV map to create the completed texture in it's entirety.

A similar material can easily be created in either Paintshop Pro, and Photoshop (or GIMP, Artweaver, Paint_dot_net, and etc.).

I created the following tiles, and material in Irfanview, and in conjunction with STile, but the same techniques can be applied in the aforementioned software. (These tiles are free for use; Both commercial, or non-commercial). You can find both free programs here:

IrfanView: http://www.irfanview.com/

STile: http://www.harmware.net/stile.htm

The pattern in the shirt is a simple four square repeating plaid that I recreated at 512X512, 1024X1024, and 2048X2048 seamless tiles, and a subsequent 2048X2048 texture material to be used for texture creation (also seamless tile-able). When creating such tiles you need to think in powers of 2. I created the tiles as follows:

1. I created a 256X256 Grey tile. This was accomplished by creating White base, adding noise filter, desaturated to grey-scale, and then re-implementing 24 bit color.

2. I created a 256X256 Black tile. This was accomplished by duplicating the Grey tile, applying a metallic filter, applying a median filter, and then using clone brush for clean-up.

3. Next, I created a new blank (White) 512X512 tile for the base.

4. I created a 256X256 marquee selection, put it in one corner, and then did a copy/paste of correct 256 tile for corresponding spot. Then did the same for remaining 3 spots (excluding White, of course). This completes a 512X512 seamless repeating tile that can be used in shaders, or for further tile creation.

5. I went on to create a 1024 tile by duplicating the technique above. You create a 1024X1024 base, a 512 marquee selection, and then copy/paste your 512 tile into all 4 corresponding spots.

6. I created a 2048 tile by duplicating the technique again. Now you have a huge tile with huge plaid squares. If you want smaller squares you can adjust tiles applied to shaders, or you can create smaller plaid tiles from your created tiles. I accomplish this via the next step.

7. I created a smaller plaid, but keeping the 2048X2048 tile size by using STile. Using Copy/paste I inserted my 2048 tile into STile, and then I used the rotate seamless filter (applied a few times to get results wanted). Save, and done.

Results: (excluding 2048 tile)

tdrd

AAAHHH - I am getting a little closer...

I have made the seams finally and then clicked on UNFOLD as per tutorial at geekatplay, but the unfolded portions are low res and not spaced out with the correct orientation.

Therefore I now ask if there is a way to move + rotate these meshes on the right to the correct orientation and make them a bit bigger?

Roygee

Well done - although the stray strips don't look good. Looks like you missed joining some seams all the way through. No problem - you can re-do easily from scratch now you know how it works.

This is what I meant when I wrote that Hex has no idea of proportions. To rotate and resize, select facets - either on the model or on the UV map and use the normal manipulation tools, as if you were working on a mesh. Be sure to select an entire island or it will end up being a mess. Resize so as use use up as much of the grid as you can and be careful that everything is on the grid when you are done.

harleydavispersonal

Youre all geniuses and certainly not teachers at the same time, and I mean it with the best of compliments to your skills in art, but you have no concept of how to teach the tech...  The new guy is asking what it is and how to get it to work, and you all give him software titles and whatnot without actually telling him how to do it and acting like its an instinct that you're born with.  For you it that may be, and your software may be easy for you..  For this person, they haven't trained it yet, so it's new.

I'm a bit new as well, but I see it this way...

I've used different 3dtitles in my search for ways to model ideas for what I do.  I help several performing arts camps and community organizations get their performances in line, and there's a slew of work across different fields, including clothing, stage, and even lighting an sound.  You want to find the fastest way to get going for the cheapest outlay; that's my goal, as most of the groups are non-profit and only pay slightly more than expenses, though a few actually have grants and pay me well enough.

That said, lets look at freeware... ...UVmapper may be an awesome app.  Haven't tried it yet, but I intend to.  Blender is a bit more for the pros, but if you follow youtube and play it while you follow along, it's like a sing along.  Do it 3 or 4 times and then do it alone, and then a few more watch\follow, then alone--it'll become automatic, and you can read up on the functions later to gain even more understanding and power.  It takes hours, much like a classroom, but it works.

DAZ3d is also cool.  Much the same set of rules as blender, but different file types and methodology.

Now lets examine your purpose.  You want to map a pattern onto a garment or outfit.  Either one of the above will do.  I went with a borrowed copy of Marvelous Designer to get the clothing mapped to my model, then exported the clothing, and viola! UVMAP in PNG.  Now what?

Now comes the fun.

I like to keep different parts of an outfit separate, as their easier on the memory when loading, and I don't have to do anything to remove unwanted parts.  I can reuse the outfit later if I wish by just saving it as part of a scene with the outfit name.  I can mold it to any model with Marvelous, and it works almost flawlessly.  You can do similar in Blender, or hexagon, but I prefer marvelous, it's just easier, and it's $60 a month or 550 a year, but powerful for costume creation.  It will save an OBJ file and a PNG, the PNG is your UVmap.  Open that in photoshop, and add a layer above it (transparent background).  Now use the circle or square marquee tool to select around your object, then use your pattern stamp tool and fill the marquee'd area with your chosen pattern (easy way).  If you prefer more accuracy, choose the selection menu and use a color picker to select your outfit parts (more advanced), then paint your pattern over the marquee with ease, and it will only fill the area you've selected.  Save this file as a new jpeg.  Back in your 3d program (Daz or Poser etc), apply the jpeg as a texture.  The UVmap "Maps" the pattern at those specific pixel numbers in your jpeg onto the outfit.  The UVMap is just the 2d pixel representation, and is referenced in the OBJ file by the XY pixel location in the PNG or JPEG onto a set pixel of the outfit in 3d.  In other words, the size of your "Paper" is the same in both cases, for each pixel in the original PNG there is a corresponding pixel in your new texture map.  Hang the plaid so you can see the back of the shirt, photograph it and cut out a square for a pattern.  Then paint away with the pattern brush and a marquee.  Where the pixels align in both documents, you can map a texture (or an image of some sort) to the mesh frame.  You can do the same with a model, to give them a tat, or draw a scar.  Check youtube or the knowlegebase here for how to apply a texture map in DAZ, or check blender forums for blender.  You get the idea.

I hope that's a better answer to your questions.