Changing Colors of Skin Shaders?
miladyderyni_173d399f47
Posts: 1,761
Since you all were so great about helping me with the H. erectus morphs & mats, here's another question. I do Science Fantasy & Fantasy pieces for a friend who's a freelance roleplaying game writer--and I need some alien skin tones. Purple, among others. IS there a way I can alter the skin shaders I have in Carrara? Doing it the way Jadesfire taught me to change colors in material zones for clothes and props doesn't seem to work.
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Ahhh... the ol' changing colors trick eh? I can help!
Remember, too, that all of this can be key framed - meaning you can animate the colors to change!!! Nice, eh?
Okay - simplistic answer:
In the color channel, with your texture still in place, click the blue button and change it from "Texture Map" to "Operators > "Multiply"
Now you have two channels under the color channel: Source 1 and Source 2
Source 1 will have your existing texture map.
Go into Source two and change it to "Color" and set up whatever color you like! :)
Like I said... this is the simple-Simon quick change.
Something for you to play with as I type the next part ;)
Now, For even more fun:
Set Source 2 (from the simple advice above) to color gradient. This will give you a nifty color swab thingy where you can set all sorts of keys, each changing the color at that spot. The color gradient need a controlling shader, which is currently set to "None" just below the gradient swab.
Now hold down your Ctrl key as you drag the texture map from your bump into that channel just under the gradient.
If you have a specular map in your highlight channel, you could use that instead... trying one , then the other is fun - so you can see the differences and pick one.
NOTE: You cannot change maps like that as part of an animation. it will use the last one you put into any channel - If you ever want to learn how to swap maps in an animation, let me know - it's simple ;)
There are many more ways to control a gradient than a map. Maps, in this case, are really neat because they're already made to "fit" the highs and lows of the figure's mesh.
Many artists use Fractal noise to control gradients - which is cool. Digging around within the many options that come up when you click on that blue button is a great exercise in familiarizing yourself with the power of Carrara in the shader department. Just remember to "Save As" so your not over-writing your real-world settings. Then experiment away!
Ideas? Questions? Let 'em fly!!!
Dartanbeck
Alternatively, you can also swap out the original skin color texture map (Source 1 in the top example) with either your bump map or your highlight (specular) map - which will give you a more 'pure' means of controlling your colors.
Hey, that is a nifty idea! I never thought to try a gradient as a texture map multiplier before. I'm sure you could come up with some pretty slick effects that way.
You can. That's how I made these Genesis Orcs!
Oh... and don't worry. Rosie actually takes them ALL down! She's... well... amazing!
I never fear for Rosie's safety. She is incredibly capable...those orcs never stood a chance! :)
I never fear for Rosie's safety. She is incredibly capable...those orcs never stood a chance! :)Bam! Bam! :vampire:
HI LadyZRissa :)
There are many ways to change the colours or skin textures or materials,.
The easiest way is to buy other skin shaders, then apply them to your figure,
You can also adjust skin tone directly in Carrara by creating a "Mixer" of the skin texture map, with a colour, texture map..or any other shader component.
You can also 3D-Paint your figure, directly in Carrara pro.
You can create your own texture maps, in an image editor like photoshop.
You can download "Texture template's" ( B/W wire-frame UV maps) which can be used as a painting or texturing guide in a 2D image editor like Photo-shop, or the GIMP. which is free.
Texture templates can be found and downloaded in the main product's store page. usually under "Additional resources" .
You can create mixers to add procedural shaders to the existing skin texture maps.
Carrara can also animate shaders,.
For example,. if your figure has a skin shader made of a mixer of two different skin texture maps,. then you could animate that change over time.
Hope it helps :)
Apologies as this is a bit OT but considering this thread is about skin shaders will this product still work in Carrara 8 or are there now better skin shaders included with v8? I'm debating whether to buy it.
http://www.daz3d.com/carrara-surface-and-skin-shaders
If I just wanted to darken the texture, I'd start with what Dartan suggested and just apply a Mulitiply to the existing texture image.
Anything more complicated then I'd open the textures directly in Photoshop and make the changes there. A lot more control, you can vary HSV, gamma, all kinds of things that might also improve the texture. I rarely use store bought textures as-is, and almost always modify them, or mix and match them with other bump maps or whatever to improve them.
HI Superdog :)
Carrara shaders haven't changed much,... however, there have been some new shaders added to C8.5 to help support Genesis.
there's now a "Multi-layer" shader, and a "Multi layer element" which gives you the ability to create multi layer shaders with different blending modes, and an opacity slider
but,.. apart from those new additions,.. there's been no big changes in the way shaders work in Carrara.
Ignore the fact that the product is designed for use in Carrara 6,... it will work in C6, C7, C8 etc...
Hope it helps :)
Just My opinion,..
Unless you understand why using a "Multiply" will darken your image, and the difference between Multiply, Overlay, or Add,.
then use a Mixer as a neutral way to combine images or procedural shaders.
you can use a "value" as a blend,. or use grey-scale maps or procedural shaders.
quick example of v4 (default textures) with some procedural nonsense thrown into the mix.
OK, Did all this & not showing up in the render.
Can you do a screen capture of your shader tree settings and possibly your model too? Seeing those might help one of us pinpoint the problem.
Can you do a screen capture of your shader tree settings and possibly your model too? Seeing those might help one of us pinpoint the problem.
Ahahhh!
Young Miss,
You've opened the wrong shader! ;)
You need to double click the one's in the list on the right side, not the top global one.
I forgot to mention this, however:
Before doing all of this, go to the assembly room (Main Window) and do this:
Edit > Remove unused masters > consolidate duplicate shaders
This will make it easier - as you'll have less overall shader instances to change ;)
Now go...
Off with you. Make your colors, and be fun and happy with it!
Sorry for not mentioning that stuff right from the start.
'Cause I like pictures! ;-)
This image started with the same shader for each female model. I added a multiplier and used a very light tan color with the texture map to give the A4 version a darker tone. As Dartanbeck and Joemamma suggest, I find it easier, though 3Dage's mixer method works great as well, the plus side for me using 3sdages' method is that I find I have more control if I want to animate a change in shaders.
Carrara already comes with some very nice included shaders, so if I don't have to buy any and yet still get a variance, then I'm all for saving a buck or two!
And let's not forget that you can do mixers with multipliers and mixers with mixers with mixers and noise and color... What you can do to a simple texture map in Carrara without actually altering the original map, boggles the mind. The possibilities seem nearly infinite!
There was the missing piece! Thanks. Believe or not, I did know to Edit>remove>consolidate
I will post a test render or 2 later this evening. My pal really wants this piece, so need to finish up the other parts.
Bravo!
Looking forward to seeing the results. Honestly though, you shouldn't let Dart off the hook for misleading you... ;)
This is 1 of the test renders I just finished. I think it looks good for a first effort.
(Just in case anyone recognizes the lady's species, this is a non-commercial project. (I think I'm still very much the literal amateur, doing it for love))
Let him off the hook? I'll forgive him if he--or somebody-- please explains how to use the Scale tool with something, in this case the headress & tails, that's conformed to the main model. My "patron" would like the tails shorter & I am very wary of the Model Tab
HI LadyZRissa :)
conformed figures can't be scaled, because they're conforming to the figure,. they're being "forced" to follow the shape and position of the figures bones.
You could load the model and "parent" it manually to the figures head in the Scene Instance List,.. on the right,.
then you could scale it independently of the figure.
However,. If you scale it in the assembly room, then you'll be limited to scaling the entire hair model,..
You'll only be able to select the individual parts of the model, and scale them, in the Modeller, or in "Edit" mode, in the assembly room.
Look at the model and see if it has any morphs. you may be able to adjust the model using those.
If there are no morphs, then you can create your own in the Vertex modeller,.
You'd open the model in the modeller by double clicking on it,.. then select the area of the model you want to create a morph for,.
Switch to the morphs tab, in the modeller, and "Create" a "Morph Area",.
Create a new morph target by clicking the little blue button on the right
then click the "Edit" button,. for the new morph target,..
Adjust the scale or position of the selected polygons or vertices, and click to "Validate" the morph.
Return to the Assembly room, select the model, and you'll see a Morphs selection area.
Select your morphs area in the list and adjust the slider.
Don't fear the modelling room.
save your scene before you make major changes,... then if you make a mess you can always reload it.
Hope it helps :)