Well this morning I decided to try and create a skin for my character.  I
used UV_mapper to create the uv-coords and a 2048x1967 image for the model
(planar mapping).  I then used gimp to paint the textures for the model.
Unfortunatly I require a high resoulution image to create any kind of
detail, but the gimp starts lagging baddly when I try to work on such a
large image.  This is what I came up with, it has some holes in it, some
places where the edges don't match, and I couldn't paint very well on the
skin part, so that is mostly blank.

I wish I had a more reliable way to paint with Povray's textures, but I
still haven't worked all the bugs out of that technique either.  I won't be
animating this again.  If I have some extra time I think I am going to
practice UV_mapping.  If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear
them!

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Kitsune_e wrote:

> I wish I had a more reliable way to paint with Povray's textures, but I
> still haven't worked all the bugs out of that technique either.  I won't be
> animating this again.  If I have some extra time I think I am going to
> practice UV_mapping.  If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear
> them!
> 

And I wish I had some but I don't.  I started out to explore uvmapping 
in the freeware space.  Sometimes UVmapper works, sometimes autoUV in 
Wings is easier.  Neither seems powerful enough to accomplish the 
results I see from high end tools.  But since I do not have access to 
any high end tools I don't really know where my skill and understanding 
is the limit and where the tool is the limit.  I am keeping my hopes 
pinned to Wings for now.  I like that you can manipulate the uvmap with 
the model also in 3d view and have the highlighting of polys in one 
place be reflected immediately in the other.

-Jim

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3e9db85a@news.povray.org...
> Well this morning I decided to try and create a skin for my character.  I
> used UV_mapper to create the uv-coords and a 2048x1967 image for the model
> (planar mapping).  I then used gimp to paint the textures for the model.
> Unfortunatly I require a high resoulution image to create any kind of
> detail, but the gimp starts lagging baddly when I try to work on such a
> large image.  This is what I came up with, it has some holes in it, some
> places where the edges don't match, and I couldn't paint very well on the
> skin part, so that is mostly blank.

A little question: have you noticed that UVmapper produced .BMP files that
are notoriously humongous?
Convert them in .JPG while you work and save them later as .PNG or .TGA
There is nothing that you can do to avoid the necessity of gigantic maps for
details.
For the lagging check your RAM. I work with 512 mb to be able to work in
2048*2048 easily in To$hop.

> I wish I had a more reliable way to paint with Povray's textures, but I
> still haven't worked all the bugs out of that technique either.  I won't
be
> animating this again.  If I have some extra time I think I am going to
> practice UV_mapping.  If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear
> them!

-Place material indices in Wings3D to isolate all the parts in groups.
-Have a rendering of the mesh from differents points of view so that you
know what is where.
-Start from the basic layer and build over it. Use the mode multiplication
for each new layer. Remember that skin is the result of compiled
interractions.
-Don't forget to use the blur function in The GIMP. on all layers except on
the bump map. Duplicate the layer for bump and apply a small blur and
multiply over it the original one. That way you'll have a a more realistic
look for wrinckles for example.
-If you want more detail you'll have to smooth your model. In Wings smooth
once and then use tighten. It allows to keep a low number of faces. More
faces allow more precision but could cause trouble during painting.
-You can download Anim8or a little software that will subdivise your mesh
out from Wings. Export it as an .OBJ to keep square faces and apply
subdivision. 2 times is generally enough. UVmapper can then give a more
precise map.
BEWARE: Anim8or will destroy all indices informations on your mesh!!!

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"Kitsune_e" <kit### [at] hotmailcom> wrote in message
news:3e9db85a@news.povray.org...
>
> I wish I had a more reliable way to paint with Povray's textures,
>

Consider the object pattern, seen at:
http://news.povray.org/povray.binaries.images/30955/

The texture of the entire body (save hair, teeth, eyes) is one texture, with
use of object pattern to  delineate  a head texture,  chest logo texture,
hand texture, etc.

If you can logically define a sphere which rotates say at the exact position
of your wrist, then you can use the object pattern to define a different
patten for the wrists vs. the rest of the body.  If you want to have a
texture that does not slide about as the arm is moved,  then define the
texture first and then rotate the arm...

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Greg M. Johnson wrote:
>"Kitsune_e" <kit### [at] hotmailcom> wrote in message
>news:3e9db85a[at]news.povray.org...
>>
>> I wish I had a more reliable way to paint with Povray's textures,
>>
>
>Consider the object pattern, seen at:
>http://news.povray.org/povray.binaries.images/30955/
>
This is exactly what I was thinking of as a good solution!  But then I would
need some data structure that I could get at in povray so that I wouldn't
need to hard code every translation.  Hopefully though the subject is moot,
I went back to wings3d.com and checked out all the forums and have found
some interesting matterial on how to better use autoUV.  It is much more
powerful then I first thought... much like the rest of wings.  Also I think
I have worked out some of the bugs in using a uv map as a image_pattern to
create a texture_map to use Povray textures on a model.  It seems that the
gimp alters color data when it saves in certain formats, and blur does some
wierd things too.  Luckily though for my method all you need is good old
PSP 3.11

thaks for all the suggestions, I will certainly try some of them!

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