A few questions.
jenniferaustin1990
Posts: 0
I have some experience with 3D modelling tiny objects, and I've dabbled in the past with making custom 3D content using existing image maps, so I have a (very) basic concept of both processes. I have Daz 4.6 Pro, and I've been playing around with Genesis 2, and I'd like to take the next step and start making my own clothing, environments, hair, etc, but I know I need to start off slow.
I thought to start with image maps for custom skin tones and scarring and etc, but I can't seem to find them to make alterations. Do I have to export them myself from Daz? How do I do that? Am I just missing the utility in Daz? The Custom Content Toolkit and the Texture Atlas are also supposed to be able to be found, and maybe I'm just missing them too? (Or maybe I'm seeing them and not realizing it? That's entirely possible too XD) I'm hoping to try them out myself to figure out how they work like everyone else does, but I think the first step in that process is actually being able to find them.
For when I want to step up and actually make things, I have a copy of Rhinoceros 4.0 already, and I've seen it mentioned, so I know it's possible to use for custom content. I'm wondering if anyone successfully uses it on a regular basis, and how involved it is. I'm perfectly willing to cough up the $20 for Hexagon instead, because I have just about zero experience making my own image maps from scratch, and I'd like to have integrated tools for texturing and colours so that it's pretty much all in one spot, but there are a couple of morph bundles I wouldn't mind putting that money towards instead if I don't have to invest in Hexagon.
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Comments
Skin textures are usually JPG files. If you select a character with skin and go to the surface tab, the "Diffusion" entry will have a small image at the left end of the slider. Clicking on this brings up a menu list of textures, but at the top of the list should be a browse entry. This will bring up a browse dialog box in the directory that has the textures. There will be lots of them. Many will be makeup or facial options. There also will be black and white specular and bump maps.
To change the skin tone you need to bring these JPGs into a Photoshop equivalent program (Gimp is free). Change the skin tones and save them under a different name. You can also add scars, moles, wounds, ect. You will then need to change the textures in the surface tab to use your new textures.
Another alternative is to use the Layer Image Editor, which is another option on the popup menu you get when you click on the texture picture. You can add images with transparent backgrounds on top of the regular texture, without changing it. This can be useful for adding wounds and scars. There are some products in the store that work this way, like the LIE Wound Makeup Artist.
You can also change the skin tone by adding color layers in the layered image editor, but you can do a more realistic job of that in a Photoshop program. For example, if you want to make the skin darker, most darker skinned people have lighter skin on the palm of their hands and bottom of their feet. You can do that in Photoshop, although it will take some work to blend it and make it look good.
There's nothing to export, and no hidden utility. The texture files are stored in the folder all your content is installed into, although finding that location can be a bit tricky.
Did you install everything automatically using the Installation Manager? If so, and you didn't change the default settings, there will be a "DAZ 3D" folder in your Public Documents folder. Inside that, you'll find your content folder which will match the installation location set in the Installation Manager. Drill down inside that until you come to "Runtime", then "Textures". This is where you should be.
There are still a lot of folders to search for your texture. Go back into D|S, switch to the Surfaces tool (looks like three blobs with a small pointer arrow on your toolbar), select the material you want to edit (it will highlight as you move the pointer over the different materials), then open the Surfaces tab. If you don't see the Surfaces tab, go to Window>Tabs in the menu and select Surfaces.
In the Surfaces tab, you'll see a list of parameters, usually you'll want "Diffuse Color". HOVER (don't click) the pointer over the smudged down-arrow button on the left of the parameter, and you'll see the smudge is actually a tiny thumbnail of the texture. You'll also see the folder path listed, which tells you exactly where to look in the "Textures" folder to find the file you want to edit.
(Hope this makes sense, it got a bit complicated...)
Cool. Thanks, to you both. I did manage to find the files to play with, after some searching. XD I'm just glad it wasn't staring me in the face.
One thing to note if you're making your own texture files, also important if you go on to create your own content in D|S format.
Certain features in D|S work better if you "personalise" the program (this might have been partly done automatically when you installed it). Go to Edit>Preferences menu, and in the General tab you'll see "Authorship Information". Click Edit, and you'll be able to set your name (and, if you want to include it, your e-mail and website info) which will be embedded in every file you save. To simplify things when trying to find textures you've worked on, you should create a folder in your Textures folder matching the name used in the Authorship section. Use this folder to store all your textures, adding subfolders for each object you work on.
e.g. /Runtime/Textures//manhole-cover/chocolate-covered.jpg
(FWIW, this Authorship Information is what comes up as part of the tooltip when you hover the pointer over an item in the Content Library or Smart Content.)
In the last part you mentioned Rhino 4. I am using that during my daytime work to design catamarans. I am now transferring Rhino models into Daz. It works very well using *.obj. I use maximum settings. The files stay small. The only problem I run into is materials. That is a different system under Flamingo (rhino plug-in renderer and Daz.). I have not found my way around in a easy way.
Hi. I have looked within Rhino and I cannot find the the way to make the UV map. I will contact the users forum. I t may well be impossible as Rhino is a technical Cad program and not directed verses art. I come back on this when I know more.
I read the Rhino pages, as it out puts the items in Obj format (welded I hope) UVmapper would be all you needed to make the Texture templates. You just set up the Texture groups in UVmapper and then save out the UVmap and the now mapped Obj. The UV is then built into the Object file ready for jpg type textures in DAZ Studio.