Texturing

Texturing for TWO

Use of Materials

Keep in mind that materials are slow to render. Consider once you have your model textured and approved, converting your materials to decals. This can be done by:

1. Commit your textured model to SVN.
2. Flatten your model and do a flatshaded render of the materials result.
3. Apply this rendering as a decal to the flattened area.
4. Remove the materials that you replaced with decals from you model.
5. Commit your change, being sure to note Materials to Decals in your svn log.

Flattening

• Models will be flattened in actions saved as .act files on SVN.
• Flattened models should include groups for each stamp that will be applied. For example, when decaling an actor’s hand, a group should be made including CPs for the top of the hand and another for the bottom (assuming the hand will be decaled with a top and bottom image).
• To minimize distortion, a flattening action should flatten CPs one spline “ring” outside of the area being stamped.
• Patches need to maintain their proportional size compared to their neighbor-patches. Unless they are all the same size in the model, they should not be the same size in the flattening action.

Painting

• Texturers should expect to start with an unstamped model and apply their images through an action window.
• Tweaking UV maps should be kept to a minimum since maps may need to be re-applied to the model and UV adjustments will be lost. Adjustments should be done in the flattening action as much as possible.
• Our target render resolution is Standard Definition 720X480. Painters should keep that in mind when determining the size of their maps.

Cylindrical Mapping

Make sure the cylindrical shape is centered about the Y axis. If it isn't that way in your model, make a pose that moves it there and apply the decal in the pose. (Source)

Or you can apply the Projection material to a group and locally translate the material's pivot to be identical to that of the group. Then you can locally rotate the material to align it with the group. (Source)

An X-repeat value of 3 is the correct number for x. A:M uses one copy over an imaginarily flattened mesh as best it can and uses one more on each side to catch any stray bits of mesh that the first one didn't cover. This makes it possible for a rectangular decal to appear to wrap around a mesh that doesn't have a straight seam on the back. Normals don't matter for decals.(Source)

The cylindrical map will always be applied as if you were applying it in front view, and centered in x direction, regardless of how you position the image before hitting apply. The y extents can be varied - but not the horizontal or x extent for the original stamp. It will always have a 3 x 1 repeat.

After you apply the image with cylindrical map - you can then change the repeat & how the decal is mapped by using A:M's uv editor. But your best bet is to create the image to be used with the imagery that you want to be on the front centered in the x direction. (Source)

Parts to be textured

• Body:
  • Face (including neck and ears)
  • Skull (remainder of the head not covered by the face decal)
  • Hands (Top and bottom)
  • Arms and legs (if showing)
• Clothing

Data Organization:

Flattening actions and decal images should be organized on SVN thus:

• Actors
  • Actor_Name
    • Actor_Name.mdl
    • Actions
      • Actor_Name_flat_hand_top.act
      • Actor_Name_flat_hand_bottom.act
      • Actor_Name_flat_face.act
      • Actor_Name_flat_skull.act
      • ...
    • Decals
      • Actor_Name_face_color.tga
      • Actor_Name_face_spec.tga
      • Actor_Name_face_bump.tga
      • ...

See Also

• Decal