Altering a Single Eye

rhouston72

Greetings and salutations!

I'm a newbie to DAZ and just started creating images to go with my Star Wars RP character. One of the major incidents in his life was how he was captured and tortured, losing his left eye in the process. He ends up wearing an eye patch for a while before eventually getting a cybernetic eye. The issue I'm having (well multiple issues) are as follows:

1) I purchased Eye-Patches for Genesis 3 Female(s) and Male(s) (https://www.daz3d.com/eye-patches-for-genesis-3-female-s-and-male-s) as the model I am using for my character - Konstantin - is a Genesis 3 model. Now it applies to the model just fine - but only to his right eye. I haven't been able to figure out how to swap it to his left eye. 

This is no BIG problem, as I can just retconn his story to have him lose his right eye instead of his left. The other issue I have is:

2) I purchased Sci-Fi Eyes for Genesis 2 and 3 Female(s) & Male(s) (https://www.daz3d.com/sci-fi-eyes-for-genesis-2-3-female-s-male-s) to use as his cybernetic replacement. When I go to apply it to just his left eye though, it always applies to both eyes. I can not figure out a way to apply it to just one eye. 

If anyone can point me in the direction of a tutorial on how to do what I'm trying, or explain it to me as if I needed it drawn out in crayon, cuz I AM a noob, I would greatly appreciate it. 

Thank you for your time and thank you for an amazing product. 

Raymond

L'Adair

For 2, the eyes are treated as one, with several material zones that affect both eyes at once: Cornea, Eye Moisture, Iris Pupil, Sclera. Cornea and Eyemoisture, in Iray anyway, usually use a refractive shader for clear water or glass. The others will use images, (texture maps,) with everything needed for both eyes. Here's a mockup of a texture:

The pink represents the Sclera, the blue represents the Iris and the black represents the pupil. (I have no idea why there is a smaller iris/pupil in the middle of the sclera, but I'm guessing it's a holdover from 3Delight materials. Or Poser.)

The eyes probably have more than one texture map, with at least one more for Bump.

You can blend the images from both the eyes that came with the character's textures and the sci-fi eyes using the Layered Image Editor. You'll need to create a black and white image the same size as the eye textures. If they aren't the same size, use the smaller size to create your image. This will be used as a mask. It will look like this, (without the border I added for the post):

You can also work with multiple zones at a time, so I recommend you select the Iris and Sclera at the same time. Maybe the Pupil, too, if it's using texture maps.

The following assumes the images for both the normal and scifi eyes are the same size, (i.e. 1024 x 1024 pixels).

1. Load the materials for the eyes you want to use with the undamaged eye.
2. Select the materials zones that use those textures maps.
3. Click on the Image Icon for the first parameter with an image, (for example, Base Color,) and select Layered Image Editor, (fourth from the top.)
4. In the editor, on the right hand side, Click on the "+" button.
5. Select Add Layer.
6. Highlight the new layer.
7. Locate the Resource button, which will read "None," and click on that.
8. Select Browse.
9. Browse to the location of the scifi eye materials you want to use.
10. Double-click on the correct image for the parameter you are modifying. For example, the full color Base Color image)
11. With this new layer still selected, click on the "+" button again.
12. Select Add Mask.
13. Use the Resource button to load your half-black, half-white mask.
14. You should now see the normal eye materials on one half and the scifi eye materials on the other half.
15. Repeat Steps 3 through 14 for every parameter that uses the basic eye images.

That should give you a a solid base, but you many need to make other changes. I don't know what and where because I don't have the sci-fi eyes. If you need more help with things like emissives, load a second G3 figure with the sci-fi eyes you're using, and use that to guide you in changing parameters. You are going to need to use your mask with these other parameters, in many cases, to isolate one eye or the other for specific effects.

This should get you started.

I'll check in on you later, but right now I have to get ready to leave. It's date night, and the hubby and me are heading out to see Hobbs & Shaw. (He's been waiting impatiently for it to hit the theaters for a few months now! lol)

rhouston72

Thank you for the response. Those instructions look amazing! Sadly, I couldn't follow along. I've only been using DAZ for about a month, and I was lost by step 2. 

L'Adair

I won't leave you hanging.

First:

This image shows the Surfaces pane selected. At the top of the pane, you can see three tabs, with Editor highlighted because I'm in the editor. The left column of the editor lists the material zones. I have Irises, Pupils and Sclera selected. I've clicked on the image for Base Color and got the list of files you see here, (truncated at the bottom by my screencapture software.) You can see the Layered Image Editor is highlighted because my mouse is hovering over it.

This covers Steps 2 and 3.

L'Adair

For Steps 4 through 8:

This is the Layered Image Editor. Notice the small "+" and "-" buttons on the right, about half way down. To add a layer or mask, click on the "+" button. (With a layer or  mask highlighted/selected, clicking on the "-" button will remove it.)

I've already added a new layer here, and clicked on the Resource button, labeled None. (It will change to the name of the image you select.) I'm about to click on the Browse menu item.

For Steps 9 and 10, you know how to browse. When the Windows explorer opens, click through until you are in the textures folder for the SciFi eyes you want to use. Select the correct image file and double-click.

The image will be loaded here and take precedence over the color; in this case, black.

Note: What image you select will depend on what parameter you are modifying. I'm using the Base Color for the examples, but you will probably need to also modify the Base Bump.

L'Adair

Steps 11 and 12:

Notice the New Layer is highlighted, and the Resource button has the name of my file. This image shows the popup menu when the "+" button is clicked on, wiht Add Mask highlighted as that is what we are adding now. The mask layer will be parented to the selected layer and will need the mask image added.

Step 13, Just as you did for the New Layer to add the SciFi eyes image, you need to select the  new Mask layer, click on the Resources button, Browse to the mask file, and double-click to select. The LIE will not show you the mask, only the results of applying it.

L'Adair

Step 14.

If you've gotten the correct eye materials and the mask in the correct, vertical orientation, you will see something like this, with the normal eye materials on the left of the texture and the SciFi eye materials on the right side of the texture. (You're right will be the figure's left.)

Step 15, You need to repeat these steps for every image used with both the normal and the SciFi eyes. The SciFi eyes may use parameters the normal eye doesn't. If so, I'll be happy to help with that as well, but let's cross that bridge when we get there.

L'Adair

Here is the result of my changing the Base Color image. I didn't create a bump to go with my Strange Eyes image, so this uses the bump for the normal eye. And I rendered it on this computer via the viewport, so the quality isn't very good. It just illustrates that it can be done.

rhouston72

Wow, thanks for all this! I'm pretty busy with work this week so I'll give it a go this weekend. Thank you so much for the guide! I love it!