Is it possible to copy skin texture from a photo?
boomshanka
Posts: 13
I may have some, or all, of this completely wrong so please don't hold-back in correcting any misunderstandings I have. Let's say:
- I have a Daz model, such as Michael 8.
- I also have a nice jpg of my own hand.
- For some reason, I want to make the Michael 8 hand texture mimic my own with some reasonable precision.
- I have average Photoshop abilities.
My understanding from reading around is that it might be possible to export some files from Daz into pohotshop and somehow clone the photo to the files and then re-import them? I've seen phrases such as Diffuse Texture, UV Maps and Texture but I'm not really sure which are the relevant ones for these purposes. It would be great if someone could steer me in the right direction.
Or, is this idea completely flawed in someway?
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Comments
FaceGen would likely do a decent job, but depends on the quality of the images, although it does faces not hands
https://www.daz3d.com/facegen-artist-pro
It goes on sale, so you could wait; there is also Headshop, but never fancied it, no idea on folk's opinions on it.
My advice would be to copy the distinguishing characteristics from your hand images onto a texture you like; details such as moles, freckles, scars - etc.
Thanks nicstt - I was thinking of Facegen but I'm guessing that it's highly optimized for faces. Might be worth a try I suppose but I don't want to outlay money if it's a waste. Maybe someone on here with Facegen would be kind enough to try it out on a hand?
Copying the distinguishing features (moles etc) is one thing - but I doubt that would work for matching colour and size and things like that? I guess I'm basically looking to "graft" skin on a model?
I don’t think FaceGen will work for a nonface photo. I think this totally can be done but with the photo editor route and it will take some know how. I am way not an expert but I think I can get you in the right direction. Essentially you need to find the texture/UV maps in the My Daz 3D Libary>Runtime>Textures. For the Gen3 Base Female, it would be in Raiya>Jeane folder. You will need the colored versions of the face, arms, legs, and torso. These are jpgs that you can duplicate, rename, and move to another folder. From here you load these into Photoshop, make a new layer, and do your cloning. After you are done you need to load these new maps onto your figure. This is done in the Surfaces tab. Click on Toeso for example than go to diffuse color, click on the image on the left then browse, then the location of your modified jpg. Then you do this with all your other maps that you modified.
I have nevered tried to do what you want to do but I think other people have done similar things.
Thanks for this. Do you know if I need to do this with both the texture/UV maps, or just one out of the texture or UV?
A UV map is like an orange peel that has been pressed out flat. When you add texture to this then it is a texture map.
While using one of the existing texture maps for your figure will work, if I understand what you wish to do correctly and you want to create a new texture map using a photo of your hand, then you are better off using what is commonly referred to as a Texture Template. Texture templates are essentially the same as the various texture maps for a figure, but, instead of an actual texture, they consist of a representation of the figures underlying mesh. The latter can help identify which parts of the map go where on the hand, in your example. It is a somewhat tricky process (transferring a planimetric photo to a texture map), especially for a beginner. The first thing that one needs to realize is that the flattened out 3D mesh represented by a texture map will, by necessity, include some distortion. This is necessary to prevent distortion when the flat texture map is wrapped and stretched around the 3D mesh. Also, if you take a shot of the back of your hand, that will only represent part of what you will see in a texture map of the figures hand, as the latter contains top, sides and bottom surfaces, as well. Stretching the image of your hand into proper position on a texture map or texture template will be one of the trickier bits, especially for something like a hand, since not only the back of the hand must be maneuvered and distorted into correct position, but you have the added complexity represented by each of the four fingers and the thumb. If you only want to use the back of your hand overlain on a diffuse map of the figures existing texture, you will also need to seamlessly blend the two. All of this is doable in Photoshop, but I think that creating a credible result would be qualified as advanced use. Don't let that stop you, though - after all, all the great texture artists producing those wonderful texture maps for products in the store had to start somewhere.
You could possibly projection paint it in something that does projection painting like Zbrush
mCasual has created a free script that allows you to apply skin tones from a photo.
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/332841/apply-skin-tones-from-photos-to-your-renders-pc-only-for-now
To do this correctly, you need a really well lit photo with no shadows.
Making a decent face is by hand is very difficult. Here are a few pointers:
1. You also need to create a matching shape file (OBJ) that matches the photo.
2. In case of rotated heads it is nearly impossible to get it right, since one side is missing/incomplete. Newest HeadShop works with rotated heads.
3. Open smile. Very hard to match a photo, that has open smile/teeth showing. Again, HeadShop 11 is the only software that handles open smile